FAC-C Professional case studies
FAC-C Professional · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The FAC-C Professional (Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting – Professional) is the professional-level contracting credential in the federal civilian acquisition workforce certification framework. It is aimed at contracting professionals - typically 1102-series specialists, contract specialists moving into senior roles, and the supervisors who review their work - who must demonstrate command of the entire acquisition life cycle: requirements definition and acquisition planning, market research and solicitation, evaluation and award, and post-award administration through closeout. The FAC-C Professional case studies are 5 cases and about 4,177 words.
1The 90-Day Precipice: Recompeting a Requirement That Doesn't Exist Yet
Your agency's IT service desk contract - 24/7 support for 3,100 users, $4.2M over the past five years - expires in 94 days. The incumbent has held the work for eight years through two noncompetitive modifications, and the Inspector General's latest audit called the arrangement a 'de facto sole source.' The program office has no approved requirements package; the COR says the current statement of work 'mostly works.' Your supervisor wants a sole-source bridge to the incumbent and a recompete next fiscal year.
790 words, about 4 min2Salient Characteristics That Aren't
The program office hands you a draft statement of work for a commercial case-management and workflow platform that names one product's modules and specifies 'must include the Acme Rules Engine API, version 4.2 or later.' Estimated value is $1.6M over three years. The program manager explains that the incumbent's tool already integrates with the agency's identity system and that a competitor's demo 'didn't look as good.' You have 30 days before the solicitation must post to hit the customer's desired award date.
803 words, about 4 min3The Late Proposal and the Unbalanced Price
You receive four proposals for a $9.8M, five-year firm-fixed-price services contract evaluated on a best-value tradeoff. Offeror C's proposal arrived at 4:12 p.m.
912 words, about 5 min4Negotiating a Sole-Source Price with a Thin Cost Proposal
A sole-source contract for depot-level repair of 42 specialized generators is estimated at 3.4M. The offeror's proposal is 4.9M - 44% over the independent government estimate - and its cost breakdown contains a single labor category, no basis of estimate for material, and a 19% profit rate.
848 words, about 4 min5The Contractor Is Late, the Funds Are Expiring, and CPARS Is Due
A firm-fixed-price construction contract for a laboratory renovation, $7.6M, 12 months. At month 9 the contractor is 30% behind schedule and has submitted a 21-day time-extension request citing 'unusually severe weather' and a three-week delay in the government's approval of a benching submittal.
824 words, about 4 min