(a) The COR’s role is to develop proper requirements and ensure during contract administration the contractors meet the commitments of their contracts, including the timeliness and delivery of quality goods and services as required by the contract.

(b)  FAC-COR Certification. When required and regardless of series, employees, must complete the GSA certification and training requirements to obtain and maintain an active Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer's Representative (FAC-COR) at the appropriate level in the career management system of record. COs determine the certification level required for each delegation of contract administration as described in the COR appointment letter.

(1)  Timeframe. CORs must be certified at the appropriate level no later than 6 months from the date of their appointment.; an approved SPE waiver is not required to exercise this flexibility.

(2)  If an employee has been appointed to serve as a COR, but does not hold an active FAC-COR certification at the appropriate level within 6 months from the date of the appointment, a waiver request must be submitted and approved by the SPE (see paragraph (d)). The CO shall remove the employee from the appointment until the certification has been obtained. COs must confirm that an employee holds an active FAC-COR certification in the career management system of record. The CO must confirm throughout the period of performance that the COR certification remains active.

(3)  If a CO and/or the employee's supervisor is notified that an employee serving on a COR delegation is not certified at the appropriate FAC-COR level, the CO shall designate a replacement COR within 30 calendar days.

(c) COR Critical Elements. Every fiscal year, supervisors are required to include the mandatory standard (acquisition-related) critical element in all performance plans for GSA employees who hold a FAC-COR certification and are under an active delegation. Once the standard element is included, supervisors may add additional duties and performance metrics specific to the responsibilities of the employee.

(1) This requirement applies to all GSA FAC-COR holders, regardless of the dollar threshold and/or scope of the contract(s) that they are assigned to support as a COR.

(2)  Exclusions.

(i) This requirement does not apply to Contracting Officers who also serve as CORs.

(ii) This requirement does not apply to GS-1170s or Leasing Contracting Officers, of any job series.

(3) Additional information and guidance can be found on the Acquisition Career Management pages on the GSA Acquisition Portal at https://insite.gsa.gov/acquisitionportal.

(d) Waivers. The SPE may waive the requirements for FAC-COR certifications. Waivers will only be considered in compelling and well documented circumstances for a period not to exceed 6 months. This authority is non-delegable. FAC-COR waivers are not transferable to other agencies.

(e)  Contracting officer’s responsibilities.

(1) In appointing CORs under GSAM 542.2, the contracting officer must take into consideration the appropriate FAC-COR Level needed to protect the government's interest. The contracting officer must consider the risk associated with the acquisition, including contract type, in order to determine the appropriate level of FAC-COR coverage.

(2)  Contracting officers must provide appointment letters in writing to the contractor, outlining the COR's responsibilities under the contract and the limits of the COR's authority to the contractor. The contracting officer must also provide a copy to the COR and the COR supervisor, and maintain a copy in the official contract file, or a central file referenced in the contract file.

(3)  The contracting officer is authorized to revoke a COR appointment. Any revoked COR appointment must be documented in writing and maintained in the official contract file or a central location referenced in the contract file. The CO must notify the COR, the COR's supervisor, the contractor and the designated Acquisition Career Management Point of Contact (ACM POC) within 7 calendar days of the revocation.