Appendix 3
COR Qualification and Training
COR Qualifications
The COR should be involved in the acquisition process (assisting with the development of the technical requirements, quality assurance plan, and any other pre-award activities). Therefore, the COR should be identified by the requiring unit or designated supported unit (the COR's parent unit) when the procurement package is received by the contracting office.
To be nominated as a COR, the individual must be a US government employee, have the requisite security clearance, and have training and experience commensurate with the responsibilities the contracting officer will delegate. According to Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) Part 201.602, Contracting Officers,1 the COR may not redelegate his or her responsibilities.
To nominate a COR, the requiring or supported unit submits a request for COR designation to the contracting officer. At a minimum, the request should include the following information.
- Services or supplies being procured and requiring unit
- Individual nominated
- Nominee's contact information
- Duration of requested appointment
- Completed COR training (attach required certificates)
- Technical qualifications and experience
- Supervisor's certification that:
- The US Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Form 450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, has been completed
- The COR duties are reflected in the nominee's annual performance standards
- The nominee will be afforded sufficient time and resources to accomplish the duties
- Commander's signature
COR Appointment or Designation
The contracting officer issues the COR appointment or designation via a letter of delegation. This letter establishes the COR's dual lines of responsibility: (1) to the functional chief/commander, via the rating chain, and (2) to the contracting officer, via the appointment/delegation letter. The COR is authorized, within the established limitations of his or her authority, to ensure timely progress of contract performance and to provide effective technical guidance and advice to the contracting officer. A COR acting outside the limits of his or her authority may be held personally liable if a contractor incurs expense through unauthorized commitments. Although a COR may act for the contracting officer in technical phases of the contract, the COR may not commit the government in matters that would change contract price, quantity, delivery schedule, or other requirements of the contract.
The appointment or designation letter identifies the following.
- Individual area of responsibility
- Contract number and expiration date
- Duration of appointment or designation
- Responsibilities, authorities, and limitations
- File maintenance requirements
- Reporting requirements
- Liability in the event of unauthorized acts
After the contracting officer and COR have signed the letter, the contracting officer will furnish two copies of the COR appointment or designation letter to the contractor, which must acknowledge receipt of the letter. The contracting officer will send a copy of the contractor-acknowledged letter of COR appointment or designation to the Defense Contract Management Agency, if that agency has been assigned part of the contract function.
COR Performance Appraisals
The requiring unit must allow adequate resources (time, products, equipment, opportunity) for the COR to perform his or her COR functions. Raters will evaluate the individual's performance of COR duties as part of their performance assessment throughout the period of the contract. Supervisors of CORs are encouraged to solicit input on performance of COR duties from the contracting officer.
COR Termination
The contracting officer may terminate the COR's appointment or designation at any time, upon written request from the COR's commander, at the discretion of the contracting officer, or upon approval of a COR's termination request. When a contract is completed, or a COR requests termination of his or her COR status due to transfer, retirement, or other causes, the contracting officer must immediately terminate the COR's appointment or designation. Both the contracting officer and the COR must sign a termination letter.
If a COR requests relief from his or her duties, he must do so sufficiently in advance of reassignment or separation from the government to permit the requiring unit to have adequate time to nominate a successor and to permit the contracting officer to have adequate time to train and appoint/ designate that successor.
A COR may be terminated either without prejudice or for cause. A termination without prejudice is made upon the termination date on the COR's appointment or designation letter. Termination for cause is made according to a termination letter issued by the contracting officer. A copy of a termination letter must be provided to the COR and the contractor, and a copy must be included in the contract file.
COR Training
The following COR training is available prior to deployment from the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) at https://acc.dau.mil/cor.
- CLC [Continuous Learning Center] 106, Contracting Officer's Representative with a Mission Focus (8-hour online course)
- CLC 206, CORs in the Contingency Environment
- COR 222, DAU's Contracting Officer's Representative Course
The following are additional courses available depending on the mission of the COR.
- CLB [Continuous Learning—Business] 018, Earned Value and Financial Management Reports
- CLB 023, Software Cost Estimating
- CLC 004, Market Research
- CLC 006, Contract Terminations
- CLC 007, Contract Source Selection
- CLC 011, Contracting for the Rest of Us
- CLC 013, Performance-Based Services Acquisition
- CLC 055, Competition Requirements for DoD Acquisition
- CLC 133, Contract Payment Instructions
- CLM [Continuous Learning—Acquisition and Management] 13, Work Breakdown Structure
- CLM 024, Contracting Overview
- CLM 031, Improved Statement of Work
- CLM 039, Foundations of Government Property
- HBS [Harvard Business School] 204, Customer Focus
- HBS 205, Decision Making
- HBS 212, Time Management
- HBS 220, Meeting Management
- HBS 224, Writing Skills
- OCS [Officer Candidate School] Essentials—Fundamentals of OCS
In addition, CORs should annually complete DAU CLM 003, Ethics for AT&L Workforce (or a military service-specific version). See Appendix 7 for training Web site addresses.
For Army CORs, the November 19, 2009, Execution Order (EXORD) titled Pre-Deployment Training for Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) Candidates and Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP) Personnel lists Army-specific COR training requirements.
Regardless of their experience or formal training, CORs will receive contract-specific training from their contracting officers.
DoD Standard for Certification of CORs for Service Acquisitions
On 29 March 2010, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics issued a DoD Standard for Certification of Contracting Officer's Representatives (COR) for Service Acquisitions. The standard defines minimum COR competencies, experience, and training based on the nature and complexity of the requirement and contract performance risk. The standard identifies COR competencies, experience, and minimum training for three types of requirements.
- Type A: Fixed-price, low performance risk requirements
- Type B: Other than fixed-price, low performance risk requirements
- Type C: Unique requirements that necessitate a professional license, higher education, or specialized training.
Tables 11, 12, and 13 define the standard for each of these three types of requirements. The standard introduces structure and rigor to COR responsibilities and performance, and will be the basis for a DoD instruction establishing a comprehensive COR certification program that addresses roles and responsibilities for the COR, COR management, and contracting officer.
DAU's baseline training (CLC 106, CLC 206, and COR 222) stems from the competencies identified in the standard. Component-sponsored and commercial training must be equivalent to the DAU baseline training for Type B and C work/requirements to meet the standard training requirements. Equivalency requirements are addressed at http://icatalog.dau.mil/learning/equivalency.aspx. Online training for Type B and C requirements is anticipated to be available in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2010 through DAU.
Table 11. DoD Standard for Certification of CORs for Services Acquisitions: Type A Requirements
| Nature of Type A Work/ Requirement | Required Competency Topics | Required Competencies | Experience/Training Requirements |
| Fixed-price requirements without incentives, low performance risk. Attributes might include lack of technical or administrative complexity, no identifiable risk factors, limited requirement for technical expertise, low likelihood of modification, effort is a follow-on to an existing contract. COR duties/responsibilities are generally limited to minimal technical and/or administrative monitoring of the contracts. |
General:
- Attention to detail
- Decisionmaking
- Flexibility
- Oral and written communication
- Problem solving and reasoning
- Self-management/ initiative
- Teamwork
Technical:
- Business ethics
- Effective communication of contract requirements
- Effective contract performance management
- Effective COR performance
|
Upon completion of mandatory training, COR should be able to perform at least the following competencies in a manner consistent with the nature of Type A work/requirements:
- Assist in acquisition planning
- Assist in contract award process
- Establish/maintain COR file with all required documentation
- Identify/prevent unethical conduct and instances of fraud/waste/abuse
- Perform technical/administrative monitoring and reporting duties in accordance with letter of delegation and surveillance plan
- Recommend/monitor proposed changes
- Monitor contract expenditures/payments
- Monitor contract schedule compliance
- Perform liaison duties between the contracting officer, requiring activity, and contractor for management of the contract
- Inspect, accept, or reject deliverables during contract performance and at closeout in conformance with contract terms and conditions
- Monitor the control/disposition of government-furnished assets
- Perform surveillance in a contingency environment, when applicable
|
Experience:
- Agency experience: A minimum of 6 months (may be waived)
- Relevant experience: As determined by the nominating supervisor for the contracting officer's consideration and appointment
- General competencies: As determined by the nominating supervisor for the contracting officer's consideration and appointment
Training:
- DAU CLC 106, Con tracting Officer's Representative (basic) - DAU COR 206 (to be determined), COR in the Contingency Environment, when applicable (competency 12)
- Minimum of 1 hour of acquisition ethics training (CLM 003 or agencyprovided training) annually
- Additional training mandated by the contracting activity (WAWF)
Refresher Training:
- Minimum of 8 hours of COR-specific training:
- Every 3 years, or
- Prior to assuming COR responsibilities if the individual has not served as a COR within the previous 24 months
- Minimum of 1 hour of acquisition ethics training (CLM 003 or agencyprovided training) annually
- Any additional training mandated by the activity
|
Table 12. DoD Standard for Certification of CORs for Services Acquisitions: Type B Requirements
| Nature of Type B Work/ Requirement | Required Competency Topics | Required Competencies | Experience/Training Requirements |
| Fixed-price requirements without incentives, other than low performance risk. Attributes of such requirements might include: the nature of the work is more complex, effort will be performed in multiple regions/ remote geographic locations, contract contains incentive arrangements or cost sharing provisions, or contract is cost type of Time & Materials/Lab or Hours or Fixed-price Level of Effort. COR duties and responsibilities are of increased complexity. |
General:
- Attention to detail
- Decisionmaking
- Flexibility
- Influencing/ persuasive interpersonal skills - Oral and written communication
- Planning and evaluating - Problem solving - Reasoning - Self-managemen t/ initiative - Teamwork Technical: - Business ethics - Defining government requirements - Understanding and knowledge of contract type - Effective analytic skills - Effective communication of contract requirements - Effective contract performance management - Effective COR performance - Project management - Strategic planning - Understanding the marketplace
|
Upon completion of mandatory training, COR should be able to perform at least the following competencies in a manner consistent with the nature of Type B work/requirements:
- Assist in acquisition planning
- Assist in contract award process
- Establish/maintain COR file with all required documentation
- Identify/prevent unethical conduct and instances of fraud/waste/abuse
- Review technical submittals/ensure compliance with Statement of Work/Statement of Objectives (perform technical monitoring and reporting in accordance with a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan)
- Perform administrative monitoring and reporting duties (handle security issues, attend meetings)
- Recommend/monitor proposed changes
- Monitor contract expenditures/payments
- Monitor contract schedule compliance
- Perform liaison duties between the contracting officer and the contractor for management of the contract
- Inspect, accept, or reject deliverables during contract performance and at close-out in conformance with contract terms and conditions
- Review and validate that contractor payment requests are commensurate with performance
- Monitor the control/disposition of government-furnished assets
- Perform surveillance in a contingency environment, when applicable
- Other specific functions consistent with the objectives of the activity's mandatory specialized/technical training
|
Experience:
- Agency experience: A minimum of 12 months (may be waived by the requiring activity; waiver to be addressed in nomination package)
- Relevant technical experience: As determined by the nominating supervisor for the contracting officer's consideration and appointment
- General competencies: As determined by the nominating supervisor for the contracting officer's consideration and appointment
Training:
- DAU COR 222 or ALMCCL or equivalent course
- DAU COR 206, COR in the Contingency Environment, when applicable (competency 14)
- Minimum of 1 hour of acquisition ethics training (CLM 003 or agencyprovided training) annually
- Additional training mandated by the contracting activity (WAWF)
Refresher Training:
- Minimum of 16 hours of COR-specific training:
- Every 3 years, or
- Prior to assuming COR responsibilities if the individual has not served as a COR within the previous 24 months
- Minimum of 1 hour of acquisition ethics training (DAU CLM 003 or agency-provided training) annually
- Any additional training mandated by the activity
- Any additional training mandated by the activity
- Any training necessary for maintenance of license/certification
|
Table 13. DoD Standard for Certification of CORs for Services Acquisitions: Type C Requirements
| Nature of Type C Work/ Requirement | Required Competency Topics | Required Competencies | Experience/Training Requirements |
| Unique contract requirements that necessitate a professional license, higher education, or specialized training beyond the Type B requirements. Such requirements might include, for example, environmental remediation, major weapons systems, medical/ dental/veteranarian services. COR duties/respon sibilities are of increased complexity. |
General:
- Attention to detail
- Decisionmaking
- Flexibility - Influencing/ persuasive interpersonal skills
- Oral and written communication
- Planning and evaluating
- Problem solving
- Reasoning
- Self-management/ initiative
- Teamwork Technical:
- Business ethics
- Defining government requirements
- Understanding and knowledge of contract type
- Effective analytic skills
- Effective communication of contract requirements
- Effective contract performance management
- Effective COR performance
- Project management
- Strategic planning
- Understanding the marketplace
|
Upon completion of mandatory training, COR should be able to perform at least the following competencies in a manner consistent with the nature of Type C work/requirements:
- Assist in acquisition planning
- Assist in contract award process
- Establish/maintain COR file with all required documentation
- Identify/prevent unethical conduct and instances of fraud/waste/abuse
- Review technical submittals/ensure compliance with Statement of Work/Statement of Objectives (perform technical monitoring and reporting in accordance with a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan)
- Perform administrative monitoring and reporting duties (handle security issues, attend meetings)
- Recommend/monitor proposed changes
- Monitor contract expenditures
- Monitor contract schedule compliance
- Perform liaison duties between the contracting officer and the contractor for management of the contract
- Inspect, accept, or reject deliverables during contract performance and at closeout in conformance with contract terms and conditions
- Review and validate that contractor payment requests are commensurate with performance
- Monitor the control/disposition of government-furnished assets
- Perform surveillance in a contingency environment, when applicable
- Other specific functions consistent with the objectives of the activity’s mandatory specialized/technical training
|
Experience:
- Agency experience: A minimum of 12 months (may be waived by the requiring activity; waiver to be addressed in nomination package)
- Relevant technical experience: As determined by the nominating supervisor for the contracting officer's consideration and appointment
- General competencies: As determined by the nominating supervisor for the contracting officer's consideration and appointment
Training:
- DAU COR 222 or ALMCCL or equivalent course
- DAU COR 206, COR in the Contingency Environment, when applicable (competency 14)
- Minimum of 1 hour of acquisition ethics training (DAU CLM 003 or agency-provided training) annually - Additional training mandated by the contracting activity (WAWF)
Refresher Training
- Minimum of 16 hours of COR-specific training:
- Every 3 years, or:
- Prior to assuming COR responsibilities if the individual has not served as a COR within the previous 24 months
- Minimum of 1 hour of acquisition ethics training (DAU CLM 003 or agencyprovided training) annually
- Any additional training mandated by the activity
- Any training necessary for maintenance of license/certification
|
Alternate CORs
Alternate CORs (ACOR) are appointed or designated through the same process as that for the COR: (1) nomination by the requiring or supported unit, (2) appointment or designation by the contracting officer, and (3) signature by the contracting officer and ACOR, with a copy to the contractor. Similarly, ACORs are terminated through the same process as that for the COR (see below).
Training and additional requirements for ACORs are the same as those for the COR. The ACOR should assist the COR with developing and implementing a surveillance program and maintaining COR working files so that the ACOR will have the necessary background. The ACOR has the authority and responsibility to act as COR only in the absence of the primary COR. Absence of the primary COR may be due to annual leave, sick leave, training, or temporary duty.
Notes
- DFARS Part 201.602, Contracting Authority and Responsibilities, and DFARS PGI 201.602-2, Responsibilities, address this requirement. Top
Appendix Acronyms
ACOR – Alternate Contracting Officer's Representative
CERP – Commander's Emergency Response Program
CLB – Continuous Learning Business
CLC – Continuous Learning Center
CLM – Continuous Learning Acquisition and Management
COR – Contracting Officer's Representative
DAU – Defense Acquisition University
DFARS – Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement
EXORD – Executive Order
HBS – Harvard Business School
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