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Professional Certifications

Plain-language definitions of every Professional Certifications term that shows up in government contracting work.

Professional CertificationsAPMP

Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP)

APMP is the professional association for proposal management practitioners, offering certifications and resources that validate expertise in government and commercial proposal development.

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Professional CertificationsCCCM

Certified Commercial Contracts Manager (CCCM)

The CCCM is an NCMA professional certification for contracts managers who primarily work with commercial rather than federal government contracts.

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Professional CertificationsCFCM

Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM)

The CFCM is a professional certification for industry-side contracts professionals who work with federal government contracts, awarded by the National Contract Management Association.

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Professional CertificationsCPCM

Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM)

The CPCM is NCMA's advanced professional certification for experienced contracts managers demonstrating mastery across both federal and commercial contracting domains.

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Professional CertificationsCPPB

Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB)

The CPPB is a professional credential awarded by UPPCC to public procurement professionals who demonstrate foundational competency in government purchasing principles and practices.

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Professional CertificationsCPPO

Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO)

The CPPO is the advanced public procurement credential awarded by UPPCC to senior government purchasing professionals demonstrating leadership and management expertise.

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Professional CertificationsDAU

Defense Acquisition University (DAU)

DAU is the DoD institution that provides mandatory training and certification for military and civilian acquisition workforce members across the defense acquisition enterprise.

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Professional CertificationsFAC-C

Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C)

FAC-C is the mandatory federal contracting officer certification program that validates the education, training, and experience required to award and administer federal contracts.

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Professional CertificationsFIPS

Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)

FIPS are NIST-published standards that federal agencies must use for information security, data processing, and cryptography in government IT systems and contracts.

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Professional CertificationsNISPOM

National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM)

The NISPOM establishes the standard requirements for protecting classified information by cleared defense contractors and their facilities under the National Industrial Security Program.

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Professional CertificationsSTIG

Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG)

A STIG is a DoD cybersecurity configuration standard that specifies how hardware and software must be hardened to reduce vulnerabilities in defense information systems.

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Professional CertificationsUPPCC

Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC)

UPPCC is the nonprofit body that administers the CPPB and CPPO certifications, the two primary professional credentials for public sector procurement officials in the United States.

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