Industry and agency employees who specialize in the General Services Administration's schedules program can now earn certification that testifies to their expertise and professionalism.

The National Contract Management Association and Centre Consulting's  Federal Contracting Institute (FCI) have launched the certificate program -- the only one of its kind, according to the creators -- for GSA schedule professionals.

Contract professionals can earn the Certified Schedules Contracts Manager designation by completing a curriculum of five core courses, two audio seminars and two electives. The programs ends with an exam to test the applicants' knowledge of audits, the schedules' regulatory framework, source selection and task orders.

"This program builds on FCI's commitment to providing superior acquisition training, taught by those who best understand contracts: lawyers," said
Barbara Kinosky, Centre Consulting's president.

"Working with schedules requires unique skills, and the CSCM program is specially designed to develop and validate those skills," said NCMA's executive director, Neal Couture.

The program is for both agency and industry, but primarily targets industry, where there is less uniformity in job descriptions and requirements, said a Centre Consulting spokesman.