Leaders from the Professional Services Council have expressed their support for the $738 billion fiscal 2020 defense policy bill’s provisions on certification requirements for federal procurement officials, Nextgov reported Monday.
The House voted on Thursday to pass the FY20 National Defense Authorization Act, which seeks to align the Department of Defense’s workforce training procedures with those in the private sector.
Under the legislation, the defense secretary will be authorized to establish training requirements in line with national or international standards. The bill will also create a Defense Civilian Training Corps responsible for addressing the skills gap in acquisitions as well as other areas.
According to David Berteau, president and CEO of PSC and 2019 Wash100 winner, the NDAA provisions will “promote a more effective, streamlined, and competitive federal contracting system and lead to improved mission outcomes.â€Â
Alan Chvotkin, executive vice president and counsel at PSC, said the provisions would help improve other training and certification programs if implemented effectively.
“Successful acquisition programs depend on a highly trained, highly skilled workforce in the government and in the support contractors, especially for complex technology and professional services contracts,” he said.