The National Association for Service Contract Quality (NASCQ) will establish over the course of the next ten years, certification requirements for three levels of Quality Specialist Certification: Quality Specialist I (QSI), Quality Specialist II (QSII), and Quality Specialist III (QSIII). Additionally, there will be a senior level for Distinguished Quality Specialist (DQS), for personnel with more than 10 years applicable experience and completion of other association requirements. The certification requirements for QSI are provided here and are the only requirements fully defined at this time. General requirements for QSII and QSIII are also provided here, but the detailed listing of requirements will not be ready until after at least two annual meetings of the membership at large.

Quality Specialist I (QSI) Certification Requirements Prerequisites for QSI certification include: completion of the QSI Certification course of instruction, one year or more in a service contract quality related position (positions include occupations such as: inspector, QA or QC specialist, COR, COTR, PM - occupations on an annual basis at least 25% of working time), organization supervisory recommendation letter certifying one year in qualifying position, and a passing score of 80% or better with no mistakes in core issues on a certification test at the end of the training session. Applicants who fail to pass the written exam my retake the exam at any subsequent session of the QSI certification course. Initially, the certification exams will be administered only on Friday during the week of the QSI certification course. Later, after local Sections are established and subject to the governing board at that time, certification exams may be administered locally under the direction of the current Section head.

Level I Certification Course

The QSI Certification Course will cover all of the material the Quality Specialist needs to know to be certified, including but not limited to: the definition and elements of a contract; the important differences between the Uniform Contract Format and the Commercial Item Format as related to contract quality requirements; the relationship of the contract pricing schedule to the requirements and the performance assessment approach used; the importance of reviewing the contract to identify those selected clauses that impact on contractor performance and government performance assessment; the team approach to contracting; the classification of contracts by what is purchased, the compensation arrangement, and the delivery arrangement; and the types of incentives used; the types of specifications used and the assessment approach used for each; the basic elements of contract modifications; the basics of FAR Part 46 as related to performance assessment duties and responsibilities; the differences between the Commercial Item inspection and acceptance clause and the standard inspection clause; understanding performance indicators, standards, objectives, and thresholds; the approach to and importance of establishing meaningful expectations for performance standards and thresholds; understanding of the "substantial compliance" concept; knowledge of the traditional surveillance methods and procedures used; the concept of "involvement" as related to contractor performance assessment through insight as opposed to oversight; the essential elements of a good contractor quality control program; the elements of a good corrective action program; he essential elements of a good performance assessment plan; the importance of documentation of assessment results, and the importance of a sound partnering relationship with the contractor.

Three years of dues free membership in the Association comes with tuition payment for the Level I course. Membership in the Association is mandatory for certification to be valid.

Quality Specialist II (QSII) Certification Requirements:

The general requirements for certification as a Quality Specialist II (QSII) include the following:

• Member in good standing.
• Three years as QSI
• Satisfactory completion of the QSII Certification Course
• Three years or more in a service contract quality related position (positions include occupations such as: inspector, QA or QC specialist, COR, COTR, PM - occupations on an annual basis at least 25% of working time)
• Organization supervisory recommendation letter certifying three years in qualifying position.
• Pass Certification Test (score 80% or better with no mistakes in core issues)

The training course will be offered beginning in calendar year 2010. During the initial years of the certification process, exceptions to the three year QSI rule will be made for applicants requesting the exemption and justifying the exemption in writing. The training course will build on the learning objectives of the QSI certification course and add objectives to address perfection of skills to develop performance assessment plans and service contract quality requirements clauses; and perform contractor quality management program evaluations.

Quality Specialist III (QSIII) Certification Requirements:

The general requirements for certification as a Quality Specialist II (QSII) include the following:

• Member in good standing.
• Three years as QSII
• Satisfactory completion of the QSIII training course
• Five years or more in service contract quality related position (positions include occupations such as: inspector, QA or QC specialist, COR, COTR, PM - occupations on an annual basis at least 25% of working time)
• Organization supervisory recommendation letter certifying five years in qualifying position.
• Pass Certification Test (score 80% or better with no mistakes in core issues)
• Pass Oral Board Exam

The training course will be offered beginning in calendar year 2013. During the initial years of the certification process, exceptions to the three year QSII rule will be made for applicants requesting the exemption and justifying the exemption in writing.