Recommended Training for GS - 1105 Purchasing Agents?

Does the VA's Acquisition Academy have one?

Forgot about their academy. Thanks woops85.

Instead of looking for a "training program for 1105s," look for courses about the kinds of work that 1105s do, such as simplified acquisition, ordering from GSA schedules, and the like.

There are so few 1105s that I doubt anyone has a "structured program for 1105s," although I suppose it's possible.

Thanks for the feedback.

Follow-on question. Looking for a GSA schedule course. Can't seem to find anything. Anyone know if they do on-site training, or have a POC I can inquire with?

GSA does a lot of webinars for how to use their products. Go to http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100619.

With all the stuff about GSA schedules available online you need a training course? Really?

With all the stuff about GSA schedules available online you need a training course? Really?

That is exactly my point. With 5 pages worth of threads under the "Schedules, GWACS, MACs, IDIQs" forum, it may be benificial to capture an overview, rather than dive into specific situations. It was just a thought I had at 12:13 this afternoon.

You shouldn't use this forum for basic study of GSA schedules. Instead, you should start with FAR Subpart 8.4 and your agency FAR supplement and then go to the GSA MAS webpages. Download and read the Multiple Award Schedules Program Owner's Manual, http://www.fgdc.gov/...ers-manual.pdf. You should also read recent GAO and COFC decisions about protests of GSA orders. You can find some of them by Googling . You can also find them by scanning the lists of decisions at www.pubklaw.com.

In addition, there are commercially available books about schedules. Take a look at GSA Schedule Handbook, 2011 - 2012, by John Chierichella and Jonathan Aronie, available at Amazon.com. Unfortunately, such books tend to be pricey. Get your office to buy some copies. See also Briefing Paper April 2004, "The Federal Supply Schedules Program," by Stafford and Yang. The Briefing Papers are published by Thomson Reuters (West). There's lots of stuff out there.

There are quite a few commercially offered courses about GSA schedules. You can find them through Google. But they cost money, and in my opinion you won't learn as much at those courses as you will by doing some diligent research and reading. It often makes sense to take a class, but only when you will learn something in class that you can't learn on your own.

I will look into the book references you provided. Thanks Vern!

GSA has a lot on the website including their desk guide which is several hundred pages in length that covers just about everything, much shorter documents that provide good detail, and videos

http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100619