Integrity

The Double Down Strategy of Contract Management Risk

In blackjack, there is a strategy known as doubling down, in which players double their bet to get one more card in addition to their two card hand. Doubling down increases players’ chances of winning, just like risk management increases the chances of success during a contract’s lifecycle. Risk is an inevitable part of any …

Fear of the FAR – Is It Getting in the Way of Doing Business?

Do 1,883 pages of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), comprised of 53 different Parts, dozens of forms, and a correction page feel like something to be feared? Does it keep you from buying what you need to support your agency? Many government decision-makers look at the FAR as a significant obstacle to their acquisitions, but at …

Welcome Aboard! Now what? – A Three-Step Process for Quickly Getting Your Team Up to Speed

After the excitement of a newly awarded contract, comes the implementation of the winning proposal.  Part of that is building the team to execute the plan and satisfy the contract requirements.  But what if the whole team isn’t available on Day One, or the team is new to the sector? A common risk to staffing …

Three R’s of Acquisition Reform

Acquisition Reform – Industry experts have compared it to Groundhog Day and a complicated system of pendulums shifting between priorities.  The descriptions may differ but one thing most agree on is that with federal acquisition becoming ever more complex, fixing it isn’t getting any easier.  In fact, Frank Kendall, the Under Secretary of Defense for …

How Integrated Product Teams Can Improve Performance and Save Money

In this time of tight budgets and mandates to do more or the same with less, the need for innovation through greater communication and cooperation is greater than ever.   The intelligent use of Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) that foster an organizational climate of cross-functional collaboration can drive innovation throughout your processes. This is accomplished by …

Using a Cross-functional Team for Effective Capital Planning Investment Control (CPIC)

It’s a commonly-used process, and yet so few manage to execute it effectively on a consistent basis. Capital Planning Investment Control (CPIC), if performed as intended, provides a strategy for capital planning that enables organizations to demonstrate and maximize value from scarce public resources. With the current funding environment, CPIC is ever-more important as a …

Applying Agile Methodologies to Acquisition Support – The Basics

Increasingly in today’s economic climate, Agile methodologies are the answer to the Government’s constant search for ways to do more with less. In its July 2012 report, “Effective Practices and Federal Challenges in Applying Agile Methods,” the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recognized that a growing number of federal agencies are using Agile techniques to develop …

Can Reverse Auctions Move Your Contracting Process Forward?

Reverse auctions, a relatively new contracting method used by the government to procure a variety of good and services where the price is the main factor, has caused much debate and provoked heavy criticism among contracting professionals in the last few years. Some believe that reverse auctions are an excellent method to streamline the procurement …

5 Steps to a Successful “Lessons Learned” Process

Integrity Management Consulting and GovLoop collaborated on a 12-part series called “Conscientious Contracting: A Thoughtful Approach to Acquisition and Program Management,” as well as a 25-page acquisition guide.  Both feature the expertise of acquisition professionals and Integrity subject matter experts. GovLoop’s Andrew Krzmarzick, writes about making Lessons Learned a critical part of your organization’s success. In our 25-page guide titled, “Addressing …

Why Key Word Searches May Not Identify the Best Job Candidate

As project leads and managers, we have all experienced a staffing vacancy on a project due to staff changes or project expansion. To fill our void, we post job descriptions on career pages and numerous “Job Boards” in an effort to reach a wide swath of people and generate a large pool of resumes to …