I retired in March after 30 years as a US Naval Officer. It was the end of a rewarding career that included travel, challenging work and camaraderie, but I knew that it was also the beginning of a new post-military chapter. While I was excited about the possibilities and confident in my skills honed in …
Continue reading “My Military to Private Sector Transition – Seven Lessons Learned”
A Federal court recently struck a great blow to the validity of Teaming Agreements. Some Teaming Agreements, arrangements of understanding between Prime and Sub contractors, may now be unenforceable as contracts in Virginia and other states. Teaming Agreements are useful for defining the relationships between Prime and Sub contractors by defining the mutual expectations of …
Recently I wrote an article about the significant role that Contracting Officer’s Representatives (CORs) play in the acquisition process flow. In “Do COR’s Matter in Your Agency? Why they Should,” I advocated the importance of reassuring CORs that they are a valuable force within acquisition teams. This blog generated some really positive conversations, including with …
Continue reading “Four Ways One Agency Recognizes that CORs Matter”
The original implementation of DoD’s “Better Buying Power” initiative heavily promoted the use of Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract types. Many federal agencies adopted this approach with the intent to control costs and limit the Government’s risk exposure on acquisitions. This does not remove risk from the acquisition itself, and may not even reduce it. …
Continue reading “Three MORE Things to Consider When Choosing Contract Types”
Integrity Management Consulting and GovLoop are proud to present a 12-part series called “Conscientious Contracting: A Thoughtful Approach to Acquisition and Program Management,” that aims to address common challenges and achieve new efficiencies in government procurement. Integrity Matters will bring you occasional posts written by GovLoop’s Andrew Krzmarzick, featuring the expertise of Integrity subject matter experts and other professionals in acquisition. …
Lately it may seem like training in the Federal sector is under fire. From last year’s post-GSA clampdown on travel, to this year’s sequestration-driven furloughs and budget cuts that leave less time and money, training is often moving to the bottom of the priority list. But should it? Most front-line folks would say no. …
Continue reading “PSC President: Six Ideas for the Future of Federal Sector Training”
Being a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) can add a whole list of tasks and activities to a manager’s already busy day-to-day responsibilities. A lot of time can pass from the date of certification as a COR to the time when a procurement request (PR) package is needed to acquire products and/or services to carry on …
Do not assume anything when you are writing a task order against an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. Why? Ever write a task order and miss something or miss ensuring the proper contract language rigor is included? For example, what happens when a task order is written against an IDIQ contract and language requiring …
Continue reading “Writing a Task Order Against an IDIQ – Make Sure You’re Covered!”
Blogs criticizing the misuse and overuse of Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) source selections for services will flood your search engine results in seconds. Because integrity matters, let’s step back and ask the tougher question: How can we effectively apply LPTA source selection to complex services? Can we raise the bar for technical acceptability?
Integrity Management Consulting and GovLoop are proud to present a 12-part series called “Conscientious Contracting: A Thoughtful Approach to Acquisition and Program Management,” that aims to address common challenges and achieve new efficiencies in government procurement. Integrity Matters will bring you occasional posts written by GovLoop’s Andrew Krzmarzick, featuring the expertise of Integrity subject matter experts and …
Continue reading “4 Ways Acquisition Professionals Should Engage With Industry”
