Government agencies need the most innovative IT solutions, but they also need to “innovate with less.” That’s where Modular Acquisition comes in, taking a “small bites” approach to IT investment, which gives government fast access to the latest technology while lowering the risk of upfront spending on systems. The Agile approach is the most appropriate …
Continue reading “Think Agile in Modular Acquisition for IT”
Our Integrity experts each forecast one top trend for 2013. What emerging trends will dominate the next 12 months or more in acquisition and program management? And what should you know right now? Trending Up: Back to the Basics — Choosing the Right Contract Type Last November Mr. Frank Kendall, Under Secretary of Defense …
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In my first post about the OMB 300/53, I laid out the operational basics, the scoring, and important stakes behind managing the business case process. It’s not easy to achieve an all green scorecard at the end of this process. But, it is do-able, if you anticipate the challenges and have proactive strategies. Having supported …
Continue reading “OMB 300/53 Business Case: The Path to Green Scores, Part II”
Each year Program Managers are tasked with proving that investments align with agency mission and support business needs with low risk during the investment lifecycle. The OMB Budget Exhibit 300/53 is a business case that justifies the strategic and economic value of any investment, say for example, in major IT infrastructure. The business case helps organizations …
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During this period of fiscal uncertainty, characterized by continuing resolutions and the approaching “Fiscal Cliff,” many may turn to incremental funding as a means to manage scarce and unpredictable resources. Incremental contract funding is a useful financial tool because it forces the government to closely monitor costs. However, if not deliberately planned and carefully managed, …
Continue reading “Don’t Let Incremental Funding Drag Your Program over the Fiscal Cliff”
Professional sports have successfully used Performance Based Contracting. Baseball players get bonuses for such things as making the all-star team, or winning so many games as a pitcher. Football players sometimes have a contract bonus tied to the number of offensive or defensive plays in which they participate. Can the Federal Government have similar success …
Continue reading “Making Performance Based Service Acquisition Work for You”
For a better part of twelve years the federal budget has been pretty ample and programs were free to operate in a much more flexible environment. “Supplemental” allotments of funding were in large supply at the Department of Defense (DoD). Then the faucet began to close as the wars have begun to wind down and …
America’s national pastime just wrapped up with the San Francisco Giants sweeping the Tigers in the World Series. As I was preparing to speak at the NCMA Government Contract Management Conference (GCMC) on Supplier Relationships and Basic Agreements, I was struck with a baseball analogy to explain the power of these little-used Agreements:What if Giant Gregor Blanco’s …
If you’re interested in a different contracting technique that can save time, increase trust and improve communication, then check out my five W’s of Alpha Contracting.
Welcome to our new Integrity Matters blog. We want this to be a forum to share best practices and the latest thinking on acquisition and program management. We hope you will join in the conversation. Look for blog posts from our team of experienced Fellows and company leaders on everything from austerity to oversight to …
