Supply Chain Management for Contracting Certificate Program (Self-Paced)
IDPSCM.CPSP

This self-paced foundational course teaches simplified acquisition guidelines under FAR Part 13 and federal policy. You will gain hands‑on skills in initiating, evaluating, and awarding small-dollar contracts using GSA sources, market research, and electronic quoting platforms.

• Understand the policy framework governing simplified acquisition procedures.
• Locate sources of supply.
• Solicit for competition.
• Receive and evaluate quotations.
• Prepare appropriate documents.
• Use appropriate purchasing methods.
• Make contract awards.
• Navigate small business contracting requirements and socioeconomic programs.

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to managing federal projects within the acquisition environment. Participants learn how projects align with agency missions and regulations, explore the roles and responsibilities of program and project managers, and gain an understanding of key technical and management disciplines such as requirements development, systems engineering, and test and evaluation. The course emphasizes translating stakeholder needs into measurable requirements and applying life-cycle thinking to ensure systems are effective, sustainable, and compliant with federal standards.

• Examine project/program performance in terms of budget, schedule, and scope.
• Integrate multiple roles and responsibilities as invested resources to make project/program decisions.
• Justify project/program management decisions as part of problem-solving exercises.
• Develop elements of key project/program management deliverables to plan a program or project throughout its life cycle.
• Define the process for developing program specification requirements and performance work statements that define the project, addressing roles and missions.
• Describe the source selection process, acquisition planning, market research, request for proposal (RFP), and evaluation of proposal and contract award.
• Connect principles of systems engineering to monitoring and controlling a project/program.
• Interpret information in case studies, real-world scenarios, and project summaries to address an organizational need.

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the COR's role, including contract management, ethical considerations, and performance monitoring. This course equips participants to ensure contractor compliance and protect the government's interests.

• Understanding the duties, limitations, and authority of the COR.
• Managing contract performance, schedules, and expenditures.
• Addressing ethical considerations and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse.
• Monitoring contractor performance and handling contract modifications.
• Participating in contract closeout and ensuring timely invoice reviews.

Become proficient in warehousing and disposal operations used across federal agencies. This self-paced course covers materials handling, space utilization, inventory control systems, and disposal protocols. Learners engage in real-world practice to ensure compliance and effectiveness in managing government property.

• Understand the purposes of warehouses and their basic functions
• Describe the benefits of measuring and improving warehouse performance
• Develop warehouse profiles
• Create a warehouse slotting tree
• Discuss best practices of storage management
• Learn how to conduct warehouse inventories
• Explain how to properly dispose of personal property
• Understand and evaluate occupational safety and health programs

Participants will apply project management best practices to design and execute personal property inventories. Topics include scoping, scheduling, budgeting, stakeholder coordination, conducting physical counts, and applying lessons learned.

• Explain the principles of federal personal property.
• Describe the basic elements of project management.
• Apply the principles of project management to a personal property inventory.
• Define the scope of an inventory.
• Create a plan for conducting the property inventory including time and resource estimates.
• Conduct a property inventory.
• Manage the property inventory by monitoring performance and making necessary adjustments.
• Apply lessons learned to future property inventories.

Learn how to apply laws and regulations to realistic problems in life-cycle management. Focus on acquisition, accountability (including inventory management, redistribution, and reconciliation), and disposal of property. Develop effective team-based skills for managing and leading life-cycle property management operations.

• Describe the property management life cycle principles.
• Describe factors for determining the need for equipment.
• State supply sources and the acquisition process.
• Discuss specific responsibilities of property managers in the accountability phase.
• Discuss the inventory management functions of the accountability phase.
• Summarize situations that require the disposal of property.
• Explain the methods, time frames, and responsibilities for disposal.
• Apply the proven principles and practices of personal property management to a GAO case study.