The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech is committed to supporting a new Department of Defense (DoD) directive aimed at achieving higher levels of small business participation in DoD contracting.
On February 10, 2012 Ashton B. Carter, the Deputy Secretary of Defense released a memorandum regarding “Advancing Small Business Contracting Goals in FY 2012.”
The memo (seen here) reiterates how essential small businesses are to our nation’s economic recovery because they produce more jobs, represent a major source of innovative solutions to warfighter needs that help maintain our status as the world’s finest military, and contribute more to gross domestic output.
Secretary Carter goes on to outline the significant steps the Department of Defense (DoD) has taken over the past year to aid the federal government in meeting its 23 percent statutory small business prime contracting goal.
Carter’s memo identifies all leaders who manage budgets and allocates funds for contracts in addition to contracting officers as being collectively responsible for achieving the 23 percent goal. To ensure that this collective responsibility is met, Carter announced that senior executives will be rigorously evaluated and held accountable. A mandatory performance requirement for supporting this goal includes language that “establishes a command or program climate that is responsive to small business concerns.”
One of courses offered by The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech (The Academy) directly supports this new DoD mandate. CON 260B-Small Business Programs, is a Defense Acquisition University (DAU) level 2 contracting course that goes a long way to ensure that those in the acquisition field – DoD and non-DoD agencies alike – are more aware of and responsive to small business concerns. Historically, this class was designed for small business specialists, however The Academy has fashioned this class so that it is applicable to all interested parties – senior executives, managers, contracting officers and contracting staff, small business specialists from all agencies, small business advocates, and large and small business concerns.
Literally, The Academy’s CON 260B is relevant to the training needs of everyone involved in the process of seeing to it that small businesses participate in government contracting and subcontracting opportunities.
The Academy offers CON 260B, a 3-day course, as an open enrollment course which virtually ensures seating for all registrants. Register here for the next CON 260B – Small Business Programs class at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
This 3-day course is also available for instruction at your site. For more information or to make arrangements, call 404-894-6109 or email info@ContractingAcademy.gatech.edu.
