GSA fosters the development of an acquisition workforce recognized as the best educated, continuously learning, best supported, and highest performing.

The strategy is to:

• Develop an acquisition workforce succession plan;
• Recognize that all warranted officers (non 1102s) require same education and training;
• Professionalize 1102 series and broaden expertise beyond "four walls of procurement";
• Bring GSA 1102s into compliance with law and exceed peers;
• Grant temporary waivers when it makes sense;
• Identify top quality courses;
• Emphasize online learning; and
• Encourage students to complete courses "on the clock".

The mission for this office draws its mandate from the Federal Acquisition Reform Act (FARA), (Public Law 104-106, February 10, 1996, (renamed the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996), which added a new section 37 to the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) Act entitled "Acquisition Workforce". The law applies to all contracting and purchasing positions and any other positions in which significant acquisition-related functions are performed. The law requires the heads of federal agencies, through the agency Senior Procurement Executive, to define the education, training, and experience necessary for career progression within the acquisition workforce, including mandatory coursework and on-the-job training.

The OFPP Administrator is responsible for ensuring a uniform implementation of the law's requirements by civilian agencies and for establishing qualification standards applicable to positions covered by the law. OFPP has recently developed and submitted to the Office of Personnel Management new qualification standards for the contracting (1102) series.