Federal Acquisition Training

AAYS instructors are all former Government Contracting Officers and Contract Specialists with over 20 years of professional federal acquisition experience.  The company owner, Ms. Sharon Hallinan, possess a Bachelor of Science degree, with majors in biology and policy studies, from Syracuse University, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, a Master’s Certificate in Government Contracting from George Washington University, and is a professional certified trainer having taken additional courses in adult learning techniques and curriculum design.  Ms.  Hallinan is a former FAC-C Level III certified Contracting Officer with an unlimited warrant, working at both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of the Interior.  Ms. Hallinan is also an experienced acquisition instructor and has taught almost every course in the FAC-C and FAC-COR programs.  As a DAU-equivalent provider, AAYS offers the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)222 course, and soon will also offer additional DAU or FAI accredited courses as listed on subsequent pages of this packet.

AAYS develops its own curriculum modeled after DAU content, and provides instruction using AAYS unique instructional guides, as well as expanded text for content areas requiring special emphasis, including topics unique to the client agency.  We incorporate additional instruction based on our prior experiences as former Government Contracting Officer, additional research, current ideas and case law decisions as applicable.  We also will tailor our content to our client organization as much as practicable, likely in student exercises and examples to illustrate key ideas.

AAYS designs its teaching methods based on adult learning techniques, Bloom’s taxonomy of learning, and prior successful practice in both teaching and federal contracting experience.  AAYS uses numerous practical exercises to revisit content and energize participants, considering participant ability to exhibit memory, comprehension, problem-solving applications, analysis of relationships, and the ability to evaluate a set of circumstances and devise a response.  The levels of learning will be a lower set of skills for basic and introductory level courses, mainly to remember, understand, and apply.  In more intermediate and advance classes, learning expectations are more sophisticated; analysis, evaluation and creating their own solutions are emphasized.  Many of our activities and techniques will also energize our students, thus creating an emotional response and engage them in actual scenarios to reinforce the teaching points.  The instructor guide indicates the learning level for each lesson, which informs the instructor on the depth and detail required to meet the lesson objectives.

AAYS policy is to teach until material is complete and understood, and each student leaves fulfilled with a passing score.  AAYS instructors will work with every student to ensure they succeed in achieving their learning objectives, and maintain contact after the course for questions and support.

S T A F F

Sharon Hallinan, Founder

Sharon Hallinan, Instructor

Michael Rachal, Instructor

TBD, Instructor