Acquisition certifications — FAC-C, FAC-P/PM & DAWIA in 2026.

The Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) became law on November 5, 1990 as part of the FY1991 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 101-510). The Packard Commission and DoD's own 1985 review had concluded that the acquisition workforce was undertrained and inexperienced, and DAWIA responded by establishing government-wide education and training standards for defense acquisition professionals. DAWIA is codified at 10 U.S.C. Chapter 87. For civilian agencies, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy created the Federal Acquisition Certification program in contracting (FAC-C) to parallel DAWIA. Both frameworks are now in their third major iteration — DAWIA reformed under Back-to-Basics in February 2022, FAC-C modernized in January 2023.

This article walks through the current (2026) state of the federal acquisition credentialing system: the FAC-C (Professional) framework for civilian agencies, the DAWIA Back-to-Basics structure for DoD, the supporting credentials FAC-COR and FAC-P/PM, DAU credentials that layer on top, and the reciprocity regime between civilian and DoD frameworks. The broader statutory basis for credential reimbursement is covered in Professional Certifications for Federal Employees; project management credentials outside the federal acquisition framework are covered in Project Management Certifications in Federal Service.

Section I The two frameworks — FAC and DAWIA

Federal acquisition certification runs on two parallel tracks that cover different populations:

Framework	Covered Population	Statutory Basis	Administering Organization
FAC (Federal Acquisition Certification)	All civilian executive agencies except DoD	Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act; OFPP memoranda	Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI)
DAWIA	Department of Defense — civilian and military	10 U.S.C. Chapter 87 (Public Law 101-510, Nov 5, 1990)	Defense Acquisition University (DAU)

The FAC family

The Federal Acquisition Certification framework consists of three distinct credentials covering different acquisition roles:

• FAC-C (Professional) — contracting professionals (modernized January 2023 from the three-level structure)
• FAC-COR — Contracting Officer's Representatives (three levels based on contract complexity)
• FAC-P/PM — program and project managers (three levels plus IT core-plus specialization)

The DAWIA functional areas

DAWIA covers a broader population across seven functional areas following Back-to-Basics restructuring:

• Contracting (CON) — parallel to FAC-C, with reciprocity MOU
• Program Management (PM) — former Level III certified personnel auto-transitioned to Advanced in May 2022
• Engineering and Technical Management (ETM) — integrated engineering, systems engineering, production engineering
• Life Cycle Logistics (LCL) — product support planning, fielding, sustainment
• Test and Evaluation (T&E) — system performance testing, interoperability, reliability
• Business — Financial Management (BUS-FM) — DoD acquisition financial management track
• Business — Cost Estimating (BUS-CE) — DoD acquisition cost estimating track

The BtB reform reduced training requirements substantially from the pre-2022 14-career-field structure while preserving qualification rigor. DoDI 5000.66 is the implementing instruction that governs DAWIA education, training, and career development for the DoD acquisition workforce.

Section I I FAC-C (Professional) — the modernized credential

The FAC-C Modernization memo was issued by OFPP on January 19, 2023. It fundamentally restructured civilian contracting certification by moving from the old three-level Level I / II / III structure to a single FAC-C (Professional) certification. The motivations: alignment with the DAWIA Back-to-Basics framework, reduction of training burden, introduction of a standardized certification exam, and establishment of a continuous learning culture rather than a "once certified, always certified" model.

The FAC-C (Professional) curriculum

FAC-C (Professional) candidates must complete four core training courses through FAI CSOD (FAI's Cornerstone on Demand learning platform):

Course	Title	Focus
CON 1100	Contract Foundational Skills	Foundational contracting concepts, acquisition planning, market research
CON 1200V	Contract Pre-Award	Requirements development, source selection, solicitation preparation
CON 1300V	Contract Award	Proposal evaluation, negotiation, contract award decisions
CON 1400V	Contract Post-Award	Contract administration, modifications, closeout

CON 3990V — the Contracting Certification Exam

After completing the four core courses, candidates must pass the CON 3990V Contracting Certification Exam. Key features as of 2026:

• Closed-book, proctored — administered through FAI CSOD
• 70% passing score — assesses critical competencies for initial contracting readiness
• ~30% first-attempt failure rate — per FAI's own published data
• Four attempts allowed — a candidate who fails a fourth time must review their exam feedback and additional study materials (CON 3910 and FCN 3920), obtain agency endorsement, and may reattempt one year after their first attempt and at least 30 days after their last attempt
• Exam fees covered by FAI — candidates and their agencies pay no direct cost for exam attempts
• Mandatory for first-time certificants — required for contracting professionals who have never held a FAC-C or DoD contracting certification

The Fulfillment pathway

Experienced contracting professionals have an alternative path to FAC-C (Professional). The Fulfillment option allows candidates to satisfy certification training requirements through documented demonstration of proficiency — showing evidence of learning outcomes and performance benchmarks through prior contracting roles, supplementary training, or other reputable certifications in contracting and procurement. Fulfillment must align with agency policies and is reviewed by the acquisition career manager (ACM) or small agency representative (SAR). Fulfillment packages are documented in FAI CSOD.

Who needs FAC-C (Professional)

The FAC-C (Professional) is required for civilian agency contracting professionals in the GS-1102 series and others holding contracting officer warrants. A contracting warrant (Certificate of Appointment) is position-specific — it does not automatically transfer when a contracting professional moves between positions or agencies. Under the old framework, unlimited warrants after October 1, 2014 required FAC-C Level III. Under the modernized framework, agencies determine warrant levels and may require FAC-C (Professional) plus additional agency-specific training or experience requirements.

Section III DAWIA Back-to-Basics

Back-to-Basics (BtB) took effect February 1, 2022 and represents the most significant reform of the DAWIA certification framework since the 2007 revisions. The motivations stated by DoD: the previous framework required too much training time disconnected from actual job duties, lacked flexibility for supervisors to tailor development to mission needs, and treated certification as a box-checking exercise rather than ongoing competency development.

What BtB changed

• Career fields consolidated — from 14 specialized career fields to 6 primary functional areas (with Business divided into two tracks, effectively 7)
• Levels renamed and restructured — Level I / II / III replaced with Foundational / Practitioner / Advanced proficiency levels
• Training hours reduced — total hours required for certification within each functional area decreased significantly
• Supervisor-employee engagement emphasized — regular conversations about training needs based on individual competency gaps and mission requirements
• PM certification exam added — Program Management Practitioner and Advanced levels now require a comprehensive exam (decision made November 9, 2020; incorporated into Back-to-Basics standards)
• Legacy certifications transition indefinitely — personnel who held Level III certifications before February 1, 2022 can transition to Advanced based on review of experience, training, and education
• PM Level III auto-transition — DoD implemented a one-time automatic transition of former PM Level III certified personnel to PM Advanced on May 25, 2022

DAU — the training provider

The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) remains the primary training provider for DAWIA credentials. DAU delivers both mandatory certification courses and supplemental credentials. Under Back-to-Basics, DAU has deployed high-priority, job-relevant credentials designed to facilitate targeted training to meet specific mission needs. The DAU iCatalog (icatalog.dau.edu) is the authoritative source for current certification and development guides.

CAPPMIS and DD Form 2518

DAWIA certification status, training records, and continuous learning points are tracked in CAPPMIS — the Career Acquisition Personnel and Position Management Information System. When acquisition workforce members complete training through alternative pathways (such as the NPS graduate programs that integrate DAU coursework), they submit DD Form 2518 (Fulfillment of DOD Mandatory Training Requirement) to their component DAWIA Program Director. Once fulfilled courses are reflected in the Individual Development Plan (IDP) history record in CAPPMIS, the workforce member may apply for the appropriate Functional Area certification.

Section IV FAC-COR for contracting officer's representatives

The Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer's Representatives (FAC-COR) covers the non-1102 acquisition workforce members who represent contracting officers in the day-to-day technical oversight of contracts. FAC-COR maintains its three-level structure:

• Level I — low-risk, firm-fixed-price, simplified acquisition threshold contracts
• Level II — moderate-to-higher risk contracts, most technical oversight roles
• Level III — highest-complexity contracts including major systems acquisitions, research and development contracts, and performance-based service contracts with significant technical oversight requirements

Level is determined by the complexity and risk of the specific contract being overseen, not by the employee's GS grade. A GS-13 engineer serving as a COR on a major R&D contract may need Level III; a GS-15 program official serving as a COR on a simple services contract may need only Level I or II.

Per DoDI 5000.72 for DoD CORs: when the contracting officer appoints the COR through the designation memo, that designation memo constitutes certification for performance of COR responsibilities under that specific contract. COR appointments are per-contract and end when the appointment is terminated or the contract ends.

An individual with FAC-COR certification does not automatically meet FAC-C requirements. The two credentials address different roles with different competency models. FAC-COR holders considering a move to 1102 contracting must complete FAC-C (Professional) requirements.

Section V FAC-P/PM for program and project managers

The Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers (FAC-P/PM) covers civilian program and project managers responsible for major acquisitions. FAC-P/PM has three levels with increasing responsibility scope and a core-plus specialization for IT acquisitions.

Level	Typical Scope	Training Hours
Level I (Entry)	Project/program support, analyst roles, program office staff	~40 hours
Level II (Mid)	Project manager for smaller programs; deputy PM on larger programs	~60 hours additional
Level III (Senior)	Program manager for major programs; senior acquisition executives	~90 hours additional

FAC-P/PM-IT core-plus specialization

The FAC-P/PM-IT core-plus specialization addresses the specific competencies needed for IT program and project management. Under the specialization, 20 of the 80 mandatory CLPs per 2-year cycle must come from topics associated with the IT core-plus area. This is designed to ensure IT program managers stay current on rapidly evolving technology, cybersecurity requirements, and digital services methodologies.

FAC-P/PM is the civilian analog to DAWIA Program Management. Agencies that fund FAC-P/PM typically also fund PMP and related private-sector project management credentials (covered in Project Management Certifications in Federal Service) because the competency overlap is substantial. The P/PM Toolkit on FAI.gov is a knowledge base containing policies and guidance, training, resources, playbooks, and communities of practice for all acquisition workforce professionals — not just P/PMs.

Section VI DAU credentials — the emerging layer

Under Back-to-Basics, DAU introduced a credentials program that sits alongside (not in place of) traditional DAWIA certifications. These credentials are designed to deliver targeted, job-centric training for specific skills and emerging needs. Unlike DAWIA certifications which qualify someone for an entire functional area, credentials focus on particular competencies or subject areas.

Example DAU credential areas

• Agile Acquisition — methodologies for modular, iterative acquisition
• Contracting for Artificial Intelligence — emerging technology contracting competencies
• Data Analytics for Acquisition — using data to drive acquisition decisions
• Cyber for Acquisition — cybersecurity integration into acquisition lifecycle
• Services Acquisition — specific competencies for services contracts
• Software Acquisition Pathway — the DoD 5000.87 software acquisition pathway
• Capstone / PMT-level credentials — applied program management skills

The DAU credentials program is continuously expanding — new credentials are added as workforce needs evolve. These credentials are particularly valuable for acquisition professionals who want to demonstrate specialization beyond basic DAWIA qualification. They also count toward CLP accumulation.

For 4th Estate Agencies (DoD Components other than the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps), the DAU Fulfillment Program allows workforce members to complete course prerequisites and training requirements by demonstrating competencies acquired through previous training, education, or experience against learning outcomes of select DAU courses.

Section VII Continuous learning — the 80 CLP requirement

All three FAC credentials (FAC-C, FAC-COR, FAC-P/PM) share a common continuous learning requirement: 80 CLPs every 2 years during a common continuous learning period.

Common continuous learning periods

Starting May 1, 2022, FAI standardized all FAC re-certifications to a common 2-year continuous learning period across the entire federal government. Key dates:

Period	Start	End	Status
Period 1	May 1, 2022	April 30, 2024	Completed
Period 2 (current)	May 1, 2024	April 30, 2026	Active — 8 days remaining from publication
Period 3	May 1, 2026	April 30, 2028	Next cycle

If you hold a FAC certification and have not completed 80 CLPs for the May 2024 – April 2026 period, your certification will lapse on April 30, 2026 unless you close the gap. To regain certification after a lapse, you must complete the missing CLPs. If the lapse exceeds two years, agencies review the situation case-by-case and determine what training will bring the individual current on required competencies.

Where to track CLPs

The FAI CLIP Dashboard (Continuous Learning Individual Progress) within FAI CSOD is the official tracking system. CLIP launched on May 1, 2022 and provides real-time tracking of:

• Certification status — active, lapsed, pending
• CLPs earned in the current continuous learning period
• CLPs remaining to meet the 80-point threshold
• Period dates — start and expiration of current cycle

Ways to earn CLPs

CLPs can be earned through a variety of activities per OFPP guidance. Common sources:

• Internal CSOD training — FAI and DAU offerings automatically post CLPs to the CLIP Dashboard
• External training and conferences — submit through External Continuous Learning Activity Request for bureau/agency review
• Self-directed learning — reading, research, webinars (subject to CLP value thresholds)
• Developmental assignments — CLPs based on learning achieved and length of detail
• Teaching and presenting — creating and delivering training content
• Professional involvement — serving on panels, committees, or standards bodies

FAC-P/PM-IT core-plus 20-CLP requirement

For FAC-P/PM holders with the IT core-plus specialization, 20 of the 80 CLPs must be earned from topics in the IT core-plus area. This is tracked separately in the CLIP Dashboard and must be actively monitored — a FAC-P/PM-IT holder with 80 total CLPs but only 10 IT-focused CLPs has not met the maintenance requirement for the IT core-plus specialization.

Section VIII Reciprocity between civilian and DoD

A formal Reciprocity Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (Professional) and the Department of Defense Contracting Professional Certification recognizes the two credentials as equivalent. The practical effect for contracting professionals:

• DAWIA to FAC-C transfer — a DoD contracting professional transferring to a civilian agency can apply for FAC-C (Professional) recognition based on existing DAWIA contracting certification, provided they have maintained continuous learning. Contact your agency's ACM or SAR for the specific application process.
• FAC-C to DAWIA transfer — a civilian contracting professional transferring to DoD can be recognized for DAWIA contracting certification based on the existing FAC-C (Professional), subject to similar verification.
• CL points transfer — continuous learning points earned under one framework generally count toward the other framework's CL requirements
• Exam credit — prior completion of CON 3990V (civilian) or the DoD contracting certification exam is recognized as meeting the exam requirement

Reciprocity limits

• Contracting only — the MOU covers contracting (FAC-C ↔ DAWIA Contracting). Other DAWIA functional areas (Program Management, Engineering, Logistics, T&E, Business) do not have a direct civilian FAC equivalent except FAC-P/PM for program management.
• Warrants do not transfer — a contracting warrant issued by one agency does not carry to another agency or position. The receiving agency's head of contracting activity must issue a new warrant after reviewing the individual's qualifications and current position requirements.
• Elimination of 24-credit-hour requirement — DoD eliminated the 24-semester-credit business hour qualification requirement for contracting positions, removing an educational barrier that had diverged from civilian hiring practices.

Federal contractors cannot earn FAC credentials

FAC programs are strictly for federal government employees. Contractor personnel working on federal acquisition cannot earn FAC credentials even if they perform functionally similar work. Private-sector contract management credentials (NCMA's CPCM, CFCM, CCCM) serve a similar purpose for non-federal personnel but are separate credential systems.

Section IX Strategy — sequencing your credentials

Three additional points worth internalizing. First, warrants are positional, not personal. A contracting warrant you hold now does not follow you to your next position even within the same agency — it must be re-issued based on the new position's authority level. Second, DAU credentials compound rapidly. The credentials program creates many short-cycle specialization opportunities that together can meaningfully differentiate an acquisition professional. Third, continuous learning is now the binding constraint. Initial certification is achievable in 18-36 months; maintaining certification over a 20-30 year career requires consistent engagement with continuous learning — 80 CLPs every 2 years multiplied across a career is 400-600 CLPs total.

Section X Frequently asked questions