Issue: Numerous editorial suggestions were made to shorten the Tentative Standard by eliminating redundancy and to improve the technical accuracy of the material presented. For example, recommendations included: (1) eliminating the two appendices which described typical functional responsibilities and typical requirements procedures, and incorporating that material into the body of the standard; (2) moving all of the discussion of procurement
complexities out of the occupational information section into Factor 4 (Complexity); and (3) moving the discussions of signatory authority and organizational structures out of the
occupational information text into the section titled "Notes to Users." Other suggestions included extensive rewording, substitution of illustrations, and revision of entire sections for technical accuracy, most notably descriptions of the price analysis functions and negotiated procurement. Response: These and other editorial suggestions were adopted. Additionally, a discussion of the business aspects of the procurement process was added based on a perceived need to relate this
occupation more clearly to the Business and Industry Group, GS-1100, as already discussed above under Series Definition.
TITLES
Issue: Numerous complaints were received throughout this study regarding the excessive number of titles and the need for clearer definitions. Eight titles were authorized in the 1969 standard. In this final FES standard, two of these have been eliminated (Procurement Agent and Procurement Officer) and the six remaining titles have been redescribed. The recommendations leading up to this outcome are discussed below.
Tentative Standard: In this issuance, all eight titles from the 1969 standard were retained but with modifications such as: (1) expanding the definitions of the titles, (2) changing Procurement Agent to Contract Agent, (3) authorizing Contract Agent as the title for trainee positions instead of Contract Specialist, (4) changing the definition of Contract Specialist to cover both preaward and postaward functions instead of covering any combination of two or more contract functions with none predominant or grade controlling, and (5) changing Contract Price Analyst to Contract Cost/Price Analyst to recognize the specialized cost analysis skills required.
Reviewers of the Tentative Standard objected that (1) eight titles were confusing, particularly for organizations that do not divide the work into specializations; (2) Contract Agent inappropriately attempts to distinguish by the method of procurement, i.e., predominately formal advertising whereas knowledge of both formal advertising and negotiation methods are required for this series; (3) the title for trainee positions should be that of the target position, instead of Contract Agent; (4) no title remains to cover positions having combinations of two or more functions since Contract Specialist was changed to cover both preaward and postaward responsibilities; (5) Contract Cost/Price Analyst, besides being cumbersome, is unacceptable because cost analysis is a technique while price analysis is a function; and (6) Procurement Officer needs to be expanded to cover more than one position at an activity.
Proposed Final Standard: In response to the comments above on the Tentative Standard, and in accordance with current trends in titling practices to eliminate multiple titles whenever
practicable, the single title of Contract Specialist was presented in the Proposed Final.
Reviewers of the Proposed Final objected to the single title approach on the basis of the need to make distinctions among the more than 20,000 practitioners in the GS-1102 series for purposes of recruitment, career development, and training. Parenthetical designation which would recognize specialized knowledge requirements (such as negotiation, administration, and price/cost analysis) were ruled out as being unnecessarily expensive to implement in terms of paperwork costs without affording any substantive change or benefit.
Response-Final Standard: The final FES standard contains six of the original eight titles, those which retain meaningful distinctions in knowledge requirements and career progression within the occupation. They are:
(1) Contract Specialist-which was modified to include (a) two or more contract functions with none predominant, and (b) other work not covered by an authorized title, in addition to (c) procurements requiring a knowledge of both preaward and postaward procedures. Developmental positions at the GS-5/7 grade levels, which were included under the Contract Specialist title in the 1969 standard, are no longer covered by this title in order to provide for the career ladder establishment of trainee positions in the functional specialty of the target position, according to organizational needs.
(2) Contract Negotiator -- which was shortened by moving the detailed list of negotiation tasks to the section Occupational Information, Methods of Contracting.
(3) Contract Administrator -- which was shortened by moving the detailed list of contract administration tasks to the section Occupational Information, Contract Administration. (4) Contract Termination Specialist -- which was retained to meet agency organizational
needs, particularly those of the Department of Defense which separates this portion of the postaward function into a discrete specialty.
(5) Contract Price/Cost Analyst -- which was changed from Contract Price Analyst in the 1969 standard to recognize the specialized knowledge of cost analysis techniques applied by these positions.
(6) Procurement Analyst -- which was retained but shortened from the description in the Tentative Standard. These positions are defined as exercising a broad knowledge of procurement policies and procedures to perform staff functions. They are distinguished from positions performing staff functions requiring as intensive knowledge of a limited functional area, such as price/cost analysis, which would be titled in accordance with the specialized knowledge requirement of contract price/cost analysis.
Supervisory titles are derived by prefixing "Supervisory" to the basic title. The supervisory title of Procurement Officer, authorized in the 1969 standard for directors of contracting programs, was eliminated in accordance with the trend to eliminate unnecessary titles. It was found that this title was not widely used. In DOD, for example, contracting programs are generally headed by a military officer. The suggestion to broaden the coverage of the Procurement Officer title for greater applicability was not adopted as it would result in overlap with the supervisory prefix.