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U.S. Department of the Treasury

Bureau of the Fiscal Service

Certifying Officer Training Information 

September 19, 2018

Each year the Government delivers 1.5 billion payments totaling $3.9 trillion to recipients around the 

world. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service (Fiscal Service) disburses

87% of those payments on behalf of more than 250 Federal agencies and programs. Fiscal Service is also 

responsible for establishing governmentwide policies to ensure that payments are made accurately, to the 

right payees, and in compliance with legal requirements. Federal Certifying Officers (COs) are key to 

maintaining the public’s trust in the integrity of the Government’s payment processes. 

What is a Certifying Officer?

Federal paying agencies designate authorized officials who may request payments, known as payment

“certifying officers”. COs are responsible for certifying to Fiscal Service that requested disbursements of 

agency funds are accurate and legal. COs are personally responsible for the proper issuance of payments.

What is a Data Entry Operator?

Data Entry Operators (DEO) are federal employees who are responsible for payment request creation and 

editing using the Secure Payment System. Once a DEO submits a payment for certification, it is available 

for a CO to certify that payment. An individual may not be designated as both a DEO and a CO for the 

same Agency Location Code (ALC).

What is an Agent to Receive and Deliver Checks?

Designated agents are government employees who receive and deliver Treasury checks drawn on agency 

funds, as authorized in a Designation. Treasury prefers that agencies schedule all payments to be made 

by direct deposit to recipients’ accounts instead of paper checks. However, under some circumstances, it 

may be necessary for an agency to pick up or receive checks from a Treasury Financial Center, upon 

designating official’s approval, for direct delivery to the payee/recipient.

What is Certifying Officer training?

Certifying officer (CO) training provides new and experienced COs and members of the federal 

payment management community with the information needed to understand how to properly 

certify the validity of payments disbursed on behalf of their agency by the U.S. Department of the 

Treasury’s Fiscal Service. The training helps COs and members of the federal payment 

management community understand their individual and agency responsibility and accountability 

for ensuring payments are legal, proper, and correct. 

Fiscal Service released this training in April 2016 for the benefit of agency COs and other

payment staff. The training supplements the instructions found in the Treasury Financial 

Manual (TFM) at Volume I, Part 4A, Chapter 3000- Requirements for Scheduling Payments 

Disbursed by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service.

Who must complete this training?

Effective November 1, 2018, all COs, DEOs, and individuals designated as an “Agent to Receive and 

Deliver Checks,” who process payments through the Fiscal Service, are required to complete CO 

training. Each of these individuals, who must be government employees, will be required to affirm a 

current completion of CO training as part of each issuance of new or renewed credentials. Fiscal 
Service recommends, but does not require, that Non-Treasury Disbursing Office accountable officers

also complete this informative training.

What does CO training offer?

The CO training offers visually enhanced computer-based modules designed for ease of 

understanding, navigation, and ongoing reference. The course takes a few hours to 

complete, and provides a certificate upon successfully passing the exam at the end of the 

training. Fiscal Service developed the training as an on-demand resource with continual 

accessibility for all accountable officers and anyone involved in making federal payments. 

What will I learn?

The training is comprised of seven modules that cover subjects such as the history of the 

U.S. Department of the Treasury, the federal payment certification process, the 

responsibilities of a certifying officer, internal controls, federal shared service providers and 

their impact on the payment certification process, and payment certification systems.

How can I access this training?

COs and other payment staff can access the CO Training at https://fiscal.treasury.gov/cotraining. 

If you have any technical questions about accessing the training, please contact the Payments 

Call Center via email at payments@fiscal.treasury.gov.