Architectural and Engineering Competencies
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- Contracting/Procurement
Has knowledge of various types of contracts, techniques for contracting or procurement, and contract negotiation and administration. - Customer Service
Works with customers to assess needs, provide assistance, resolve problems, satisfy expectations; knows products and services. - Decision-Making
Makes sound, well informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change. - Flexibility
Is open to change and new information; adapt behavior or work methods in response to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles; effectively deal with ambiguity. - Interpersonal Skills
Shows understanding, courtesy, tact, empathy; develops and maintains relationships; deals with difficult people; relates well to people from varied backgrounds; is sensitive to individual differences. - Project Management
Develops and maintains a workable plan and manages resources to accomplish the overall goal of the project; plans, manages and follows through to ensure the smooth flow and timely completion of activities that deliver project results; anticipates obstacles or gaps that would impact project success and works to continuously improve the agency's capability to achieve success. - Problem Solving
Anticipates, identifies and diagnoses problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives; selects from alternative courses of action; makes recommendations, and takes action from developed contingency plans. - Reasoning
Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or accurate conclusions. - Team Building
Inspires, motivates, and guides others toward goal accomplishments. Consistently develops and sustains cooperative working relationships. Encourages and facilitates cooperation within the organization and with customer groups; fosters commitment, team spirit, pride, trust. Develops leadership in others through coaching, mentoring, rewarding and guiding employees.
- Building Design
Broad understanding of the overall federal project development process ranging from initial planning and budgeting through design, construction and occupancy. Understanding of applicable programs relative to the type of projects being executed. For example, border stations, courthouses, repair and alterations, etc. - Project Delivery
Understanding the pros and cons of various project delivery systems (i.e., traditional, design-build, CMC, bridging, etc) and their impact on A/E contracting. Ability to develop solutions to complex project and program issues. - Rules and Regulations
Understanding of federal funding laws, regulations and procedures such as prospectus limitations. Understanding of applicable environmental laws and internal agency project requirements affecting the type of projects being executed. Basic understanding of A/E and construction contract laws. - Work Distribution
Ability to develop, implement and maintain programmatic structure for the successful execution of A/E acquisitions at either the project execution office or national program office levels. Understanding of how to evaluate the performance of professional staff with respect to A/E acquisitions.