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Acquistion of Services (AoS) Resources

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Acquisition of Services (AoS) Resources

This pathway is for the acquisition of contracted services with a total estimated value at or above the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT).

Courses

Top Picks
ACQ1650 Defense Acquisition of Services 

Description: This Online Training (OLT) course s based on DoD Instruction 5000.74, Defense Acquisition of Services, and includes services acquisition roles and responsibilities; oversight and approval of contracted services portfolios; services acquisition seven-step process; requirements development, validation, prioritization, and oversight; and acquisition considerations for information technology (IT) services.

Completion Time: Approximately 7 hours to complete

ACQ265 Mission Focused Services Acquisition 

Description: This course is designed to improve your tradecraft in the acquisition of services. It uses a multifunctional approach that provides acquisition team members with the tools and techniques necessary to analyze and apply performance-based principles when developing requirements documents and effective business strategies for contractor-provided services. Using the seven-step Service Acquisition process, a team-oriented approach, and multiple interactive, hands-on, learning sessions allows students to apply the principles learned.

Completion Time: Approximately 5 Days on-line or in-person to complete

ACQ 305 Services Acquisition Management Office 

Description: This classroom (CLRM) course provides training for a Functional Services Manager (FSM) to successfully plan, develop, and execute a services acquisition, including a Services Category (S-CAT) I acquisition of $1 billion or more. The FSM as well as members of a multi-functional team (MFT) will benefit from the critical thinking, analysis, and use of tools to improve the acquisition of contracted services, ensuring services provided satisfy the department's mission requirements. ACQ 305 uses the Services Acquisition Seven-Step Process and an Information Technology Services case.

Completion Time: Approximately 5 Days on-line or in-person to complete

Additional Courses
ACQ 0061 Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) for Services Acquisition 

Description: Cost estimates are necessary for government acquisition programs for many reasons: to support decisions about funding one program over another, to develop annual budget requests, to evaluate resource requirements at key decision points, and to develop performance measurement baselines. Moreover, having a realistic estimate of projected costs makes for effective resource allocation, and it increases the probability of a program's success.

Completion Time: Approximately 2 hours to complete

ACQ 2551 Services Acquisition Management Tools 

Description: This course is based on the Seven-Step Services Acquisition (SA) process and DoD Instruction 5000.74, Defense Acquisition of Services. The emphasis is on tools available to support the multi-functional team performing a services acquisition as they progress through the three phases and seven steps of the SA Process.

Completion Time: Approximately 9 hours to complete

CLM 023 DAU AbilityOne Training

Description: This course provides contracting professionals and DoD purchase card holders a better understanding of the AbilityOne/ Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) Program. There are over 14 million Americans with severe disabilities, and the unemployment rate for people with severe disabilities is 70 percent. The JWOD Program helps people with disabilities who are unable to obtain or maintain employment on their own.

Completion Time: Approximately 1 hour to complete

CLE 083 Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) 

Description: This course presents information on relevant Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) policy to include DoDI 8440.01, DoDI 5000.74, DoDI 5000.75, and the relationship between them. Finally, the course will provide familiarization with lifecycle best practices for ITSM presented in the DoD Enterprise Service Management Framework (DESMF), which is based on the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practices and ISO 20000 international standards, used in strategic planning, design, transition, operation, and continual improvement of IT services.

Completion Time: Approximately 2 hours to complete

CON 0150 Category Management Overview

Description: This course provides learners the basic concepts and function of category management. It is an introductory-level training asset that is specifically designed to give a solid grounding to the world of category management by exploring processes and practices, governance and regulatory structure and general terminology.

Completion Time: Approximately 1 hour to complete

 

Credentials

Credentials for DoD Acquisition and Non-Acquisition Workforce Performing Services Acquisitions
CACQ 001 Services Acquisition Team Member: Non-Acquisition Workforce

Description: Graduates will be able to complete market research, develop acquisition strategies (plans), author performance work statements and quality assurance surveillance plans, participate in source selections, and manage contractor performance to achieve mission requirements. This credential is an introductory-level training asset that is specifically designed to provide a solid foundation for non-acquisition coded personnel responsible for the acquisition of services.

Completion Time: Approximately 35 hours to complete

CACQ 002 Services Acquisition Team Member: Acquisition Workforce 

Description: This credential is to improve the tradecraft of Services Acquisition workforce members participating as a core member of a Services Acquisition Multi-Functional Team.

Completion Time: Approximately 45 hours to complete

CACQ 013 Functional Services Manager (FSM) 

Description: This credential provides the Functional Services Manager (FSM) a working knowledge of DoDI 5000.74 Defense Acquisition of Services, the policy and best practices therein. By obtaining this credential, both the non-acquisition and acquisition broaden their experience and improve their effectiveness in leading services acquisitions.

Completion Time: Approximately 41 hours to complete

CACQ 007 Category Management Overview 

Description: This credential provides learners with the concepts, principles and functions of category management as implemented in the DoD. It is an introductory-level training asset that is specifically designed to give a solid grounding to the category management community by exploring processes and practices, governance and regulatory structure as well as general terminology.

Completion Time: Approximately 11 hours to complete

Credentials for Contracting Functional Area with a Services Contracting Assignment
CCON 003 Proposal Analysis Credential 

Description: This credential provides learners with essential skills in proposal analysis techniques. It is comprised of two fundamental courses: Price Analysis and Cost Analysis. In today's complex business environment, organizations face a myriad of challenges when evaluating proposals. Without a solid grasp of proposal analysis techniques, decision-makers may risk overpaying for goods or services, encountering budget overruns, or selecting unsuitable vendors.

Completion Time: Approximately 64 hours to complete

CCON 008 Commercial Acquisition Credential 

Description: This credential provides learners a comprehensive journey into the intricacies of commercial acquisition within the Department of Defense (DoD). Understanding commercial contracting is paramount for the DoD, as it plays a pivotal role in ensuring cost-effectiveness, agility, and innovation in procurement practices. By mastering the intricacies of commercial acquisition, students will be equipped to leverage a vast array of commercial resources, streamline procurement processes, and ultimately contribute to the overarching mission of the DoD.

Completion Time: Approximately 30 hours to complete

CCON 019 Negotiations Credential 

Description: Learn how to use interest-based negotiation (IBN) techniques to reach mutually beneficial agreements with contractors, internal departments, colleagues, and other stakeholders. IBN focuses on finding creative, integrative solutions to satisfy each party's interests and needs so that the best possible negotiated outcomes will result. The credential includes interactive and dynamic "hands-on" negotiating exercises so you can apply collaborative, problem-solving techniques to realistic acquisition challenges. You will learn how to effectively plan for negotiations by understanding contractor motivations and prioritizing negotiating leverage.

Completion Time: Approximately 30 hours to complete

CCON 025 Contracting for Services 

Description: Learn about current policy relating to the acquisition of services, key concepts and responsibilities associated with contract scope and competition, fiscal law and regulations governing minimum wage and fringe rates, and appropriate use of non-DOD contracts for services. Completion Time: Approximately 37 hours to complete

CACQ 002 Services Acquisition Team Member: Acquisition Workforce 

Description: This credential is to improve the tradecraft of Services Acquisition workforce members participating as a core member of a Services Acquisition Multi-Functional Team.

Completion Time: Approximately 45 hours to complete

CACQ 007 Category Management Credential 

Description: This credential provides learners the concepts, principles and functions of category management as implemented in the DoD. It is an introductory-level training asset that is specifically designed to give a solid grounding to the category management community by exploring processes and practices, governance and regulatory structure as well as general terminology.

Completion Time: Approximately 11 hours to complete

Workshops

Top Picks
WSM 012 Services Acquisition Workshop (SAW) 

Description: A DAU facilitated workshop built around a specific acquisition and its multi-functional team (MFT). The workshop walks the MFT through the service acquisition process from beginning to end as found in DoDI 5000.74, Defense Acquisition of Services, and detailed in the Services Pathway of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework.

Completion Time: Time to complete varies as the SAW is tailored to the Acquisition and needs of the MFT

WSM 009 Work Statement Workshop (SOW, SOO, PWS) 

Description: Provides program management personnel an overview of the function of the Work Statement in the acquisition process and a procedure for planning, developing, and writing Work Statements.

Completion Time: Approximately 3 ½ days to complete

WSC 032 Source Selection Simulation (SSS) Workshop 

Description: The Triple S simulates a cohort entering a Source Selection Facility and takes them through Receipt of Offerors’ Proposals, a Competitive Range Briefing, an Interim Ratings and Evaluation Notice (EN) Release, EN Responses, Requests for Final Proposal Revisions (FPRs), FPR Receipt, Source Selection Authority (SSA) Decision, Contract Award, Debriefing, and defending protests.

Completion Time: Approximately 4 days to complete

Communities of Practice 

ACE for Services

Purpose: The ACE for Services Community of Practice facilitates knowledge sharing across the acquisition community and to serve as the central clearinghouse for service acquisition policy and guidance information, training opportunities and best practices to support both the Defense Acquisition Workforce and the DoD workforce performing services acquisition functions.

Category Management (CM)

Purpose: The Category Management (CM) Community of Practice serves as the DoD's central hub for enterprise-wide Category Management support, resources, training, collaboration, and development

Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)

Purpose: For all members of the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) Community of Practice, to include CORs, program managers, contracting officers, contract specialists, COR supervisors, and Quality Assurance personnel such as COR Coordinators and Quality Assurance Program Coordinators.

Life Cycle Logistics

Purpose: Life Cycle Logistics Community serves as an interdisciplinary knowledge repository for life cycle logistics, sustainment and product support guidance, policies, processes, references, resources, and tools. Serving as a one-stop site for DoD life cycle logisticians, product support managers, other defense acquisition workforce members, and their defense industry counterparts, the site also contains extensive information on the 12 Integrated Product Support (IPS) Elements, Product Support Manager (PSM), Performance Based Logistics (PBL), Life Cycle Logistics Workforce professional development, and key DoD product support references. 

Additional Resources

Articles
Getting what you ask for: Explaining contracted providers' proper use of service monitoring tools 

Study examines the various factors affecting the proper use of service monitoring tools by contracted providers.

The impact of category management on retailer prices and performance: Theory and evidence

Category management (CM) as a recent retail management initiative seeks to improve a retailer's overall performance in a product category through more coordinated buying, merchandising, and pricing of the brands in the category. Study focuses on how to shift to CM for a retailer.

What's Your Incentive? 

By Rodger Pearson, DAU. Defense Acquisition Magazine, July - August 2024.  Incentives have two parts: the behavior requiring change and the reward.

Blogs

PBL and The Adaptive Acquisition Framework (AAF) Pathways by Shawn Harrison (2023, October 31) 

Following up on a previous blog announcing the publishing of the revised DoD Performance Based Logistics (PBL) Guidebook, this blog highlights the non-Major Capability Acquisition pathways. 

Documents 
DoDI 5000.74 Defense Acquisition of Services 

This issuance establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and provides direction for the acquisition of services as well as establishing a management structure with implementation procedures.

GAO and DoDIG Reports 

A collection of reports applicable to the Acquisition of Services pathway.

Media
Video Kiosk on the Service Acquisition Mall 

Playlists featuring Service Acquisition Process, Work Product Templates, and Testimonials.

News
TRICARE Claim Form Updated To Assist in Processing Overseas Claims

Oct. 23, 2024 article about updates to the DD Form 2642 to include questions to specific to overseas claims with FAQs and links.

Tools
Market Research Guidebooks and Tools

Guidebooks and tools to help you perform market research

Service Acquisition Workshop Tool

This tool helps the DoD workforce understand the requirements for SAWs, the 7-Step process for service acquisitions, and the resources and training available to support service acquisitions. 

Service Acquisition Mall (SAM)

SAM is intended to help you get your job done by providing usable tools and templates to create your performance-based service acquisition requirements.