Anonymous survey to help determine acquisition skills

Government contracting specialists will soon be able to anonymously check their skills on an online survey, according to the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.OFPP, the Federal Acquisition Institute and the Office of Personnel Management want to know if the acquisition workforce is adequately trained. The survey will help them learn about specialists’ skills and determine gaps and needs. It will also aid in improving organizational and individual planning efforts, according to a March 7 OFPP memo.The assessment is a component of a comprehensive initiative to study the acquisition workforce. The survey ultimately will help agencies decide on appropriate staffing levels. When complete, agencies can view the summary details, but they will not have access to individual responses.The self-assessment will be available in April. The memo gives no specific date, but officials will tell agencies when it is ready, the memo states.This assessment will gather information on demographics and professional business and technical competencies. It will give specifics on the types of work contracting specialists do and the certificates and warrants they have. OFPP will conduct follow-on surveys, the memo states.Many acquisition experts, advisory groups and congressional lawmakers have called for such analyses, directing more attention to an overburdened workforce.