Integrity

EVM – Communicating its value to the “big A” acquisition community

Being able to efficiently and effectively diagnose the health of an organization’s portfolio of contracts takes time and persistence. Earned Value Management (EVM), a project management technique for measuring project performance and progress, makes it possible. However, those in the federal sector, including EVM experts, need to do more to communicate its value for increased …

Blog Revisit: Crossing the Acquisition Package Finish Line

The original version of this blog was posted Aug. 5, 2014, written by Patricia Miller. Now, four years later, one of Integrity’s program managers, Dan Altobelli, revisits the ever-relevant topic. Read on for some industry standards from Patricia, and some updated must-dos from Dan. Even though it’s the dog days of summer in the “real world,” it’s …

Procurement: Meeting the PALT in Four Simple Steps (UPDATE)

Imagine working in a high stress environment where contract support for a mission critical program may expire at the end of the month and there is no backup plan. Your organization had plans to re-compete the contract earlier in the fiscal year, but the procurement package or requisition was not developed on time. Several documents …

Tricks or Treats? Depends on Cost Benefit Analyses

As you probably observed weekend, maximizing treats and minimizing tricks is a primary objective of the annual Halloween ritual; as is the case when making decisions. A properly performed Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) maximizes the high value information you take in and minimize the low value information to increase the odds of making sound decisions, which …

What Is Quality and How Is It Achieved In a Service Environment – Part Two

In Part I of my blog, I discussed the need to be able to measure performance to ensure  the product performs as required and processes are functioning properly to correct prior deficiencies.  I teed up the challenges associated with measuring performance in a service environment with the simple example of a restaurant dining experience.  The issue …

Successful Task Order Management – Start Early!

Employing best practices in Task Order Solicitation Management processes can help Government respond to constant challenges throughout the acquisition life cycle, particularly the acquisition planning phase.  The primary reason for using a coordinated effort to apply best practices among Government Program Managers, Contracting Officers, program officials, and industry stakeholders is to increase the probability of …

5 Ways to Improve Your Federal CPIC Process

Recently, the Integrity Matters blog asked the question, “Are You Making the Business Case for Federal Cybersecurity?” in an article about why and how to develop a business case through the Capital Planning Investment Control (CPIC) process in order to justify return on investment in cybersecurity programs. Now we ask the question, “Are You Making …

Procurement: Meeting the PALT in Four Simple Steps

Imagine working in a high stress environment where contract support for a mission critical program may expire at the end of the month and there is no backup plan. Your organization had plans to re-compete the contract earlier in the fiscal year, but the procurement package or requisition was not developed on time. Several documents …

Milestone Decisions: Checkpoints for Acquisition Success

Integrity just completed relocation to an expanded new headquarters this week, custom-built to meet the needs and goals of the business in 2015 and beyond. Like any major project, it involved complex planning, thousands of individual decisions, and frequent deadlines that had to be met to move on to the next phase, and ultimately project …

Seven Ways to Smooth Contract Transition

Change can be good when it brings innovative ideas and fresh enthusiasm, including in government contracting. But if not handled correctly, change can lead to bumps in the road or unexpected slowdowns. There are ways to smooth the path, however, during a handover of responsibilities. They involve focusing on both the transition of the contract …