contract formation

November 22, 2016 By AMK

GSA to offer cloud-based contract writing system next year

The General Services Administration (GSA) will offer a new service to federal agencies next year designed to speed up contract writing.

According to a blog post published on Nov. 15th, GSA will launch a cloud-based shared service contract-writing system that will “offer federal agencies a turnkey, comprehensive, contract writing and administrative solution.”

The commercial-off-the-shelf application will offer agencies an incentive to move away from standing up and maintaining their own contract writing systems, and its pay-as-you-go offers scalability and flexibility, according to GSA. In addition, high-volume users are eligible for tiered volume discounts through GSA’s buying power.

keep reading this article at: http://www.nextgov.com/cloud-computing/2016/11/gsa-offer-cloud-based-contract-writing-system-next-year/133188

September 30, 2016 By AMK

Learn about contract planning Nov. 14-18

Ever wondered how the Government plans its acquisition of products and services?

As a contractor, wouldn’t you like to gain insights into the process?
As a member of the acquisition team, don’t you need to learn how to conduct acquisition planning properly?

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech will address these questions, and much more, in a five-day class, “Contract Planning in the FAR” (CON 090-2) to be presented Nov. 14-18, 2016.

FAR This in-depth course covers all aspects of acquisition planning, including how to conduct market research, how to describe buying needs, and the preference for the acquisition of commercial and non-developmental items.

This course is the second module in a series of four educational modules that examine the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Government’s “procurement bible.”

For government contracting officers, this course is required to maintain a contracting warrant. A warrant is a written document providing a contracting officer with the limits of his or her authority. Per FAR 1.601-2, Contracting Officers have the authority to “enter into, administer, or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings” to the extent of the authority delegated to them by their warrant. Georgia Tech’s Contracting Education Academy offers a set of courses — each equivalent to Defense Acquisition University course standards — that help contractng officials maintain their warrants and enhance professional development.
For businesspeople who compete for and fulfill government contracts, Academy classes are equally pertinent. Contractor personnel who attend Academy courses gain real-world knowledge about how government officials are trained to formulate and administer contracts. Insights in these areas provide invaluable guidance pertinent to reaching greater success in competing for, winning, and fulfilling government contract work.

Georgia Tech offers the entire CON 090 course series in world-class facilities on its campus in midtown Atlanta. From groups of 10 or more, Georgia Tech also brings any of its government contracting courses to the workplace. Each of Georgia Tech’s courses in the CON 090 series have been certified as equivalent to Defense Acquisition University coursework, satisfying both FAC-C and DAWIA professional education certification programs.

For details on all classes, including the FAR Fundamentals course, please visit http://www.pe.gatech.edu/Subjects/Acquisition-Government-Contracting. To make arrangements for any of the courses to be taught at your place of work, email us at: info@ContractingAcademy.gatech.edu or give us a call at 404-894-6109.

May 10, 2016 By AMK

Contract planning and formation courses planned for June

Two of the most important elements of the federal contracting process — planning and formation — are subjects of courses to be offered in June 2016 on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech will present “Contract Planning in the FAR” (CON 090-2) on June 6 through 10, and “Contract Formation in the FAR” (CON 090-3) on June 20 through 24. Both courses are parts of a four-part series which examine the intricacies of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

Contract Planning

CON 090-2 covers all aspects of acquisition planning, including how government agencies conduct market research, how buying needs are described, and the government’s preference for commercial and non-developmental items.

Students learn the policies and procedures for acquisition planning; the policies pertaining to required and preferred sources of supplies and service; how to determine the appropriate type of contract, contracting technique, and terms and conditions; what socioeconomic programs apply; how to publicize a solicitation; and how to judge a contractor’s qualifications.

CON 090-3 goes deep into the different methods of federal contracting by 1) describing the principles of contract formation that apply to all methods of contracting, 2) comparing and contrasting the solicitation and evaluation of offers when using sealed bidding and competitive negotiation, 3) exploring some of the procedural requirements in making a contract award, and 4) exploring the policies and procedures pertaining to both bid protests and size status protests and exploring simplified acquisition procedures.

Who Should Attend

For government contracting officers, these courses are required to maintain a contracting warrant. A warrant is a written document providing a contracting officer with the limits of his or her authority. Per FAR 1.601-2, Contracting Officers have the authority to “enter into, administer, or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings” to the extent of the authority delegated to them by their warrant. Georgia Tech’s Contracting Education Academy offers numerous courses — each equivalent to Defense Acquisition University (DAU) course standards — that help contracting officials maintain their warrants and enhance their professional development.

For business people who compete for and fulfill government contracts, Academy classes are equally pertinent. Contractor personnel who attend Academy courses gain real-world knowledge about how government officials are trained to formulate and administer contracts. Insights in these areas provide invaluable guidance for reaching greater success in competing for, winning, and fulfilling government contract work.

Registration

For more information on these courses and to register, please visit:

CON 090-2 – https://pe.gatech.edu/courses/con-090-2-contract-planning-far
CON 090-3 – https://pe.gatech.edu/courses/con-090-3-contract-formation-far

Who We Are

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech is an approved equivalency training provider to the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) and provides continuing education training to Acquisition and Government Contracting professionals as well as to business professionals working for government contractors or pursuing opportunities in the federal contracting arena.

Georgia Tech offers the entire four-part CON 090 course series in world-class facilities on its campus in midtown Atlanta. For groups of 10 or more, Georgia Tech also brings any of its government contracting courses to your workplace.

For details on any of our courses, please visit https://pe.gatech.edu/subjects/government-contracting. To make arrangements for any of the courses to be taught at your place of work, email us at: info@ContractingAcademy.gatech.edu or give us a call at 404-894-6109.

November 10, 2015 By AMK

FAI releases flow charts and decision trees for contract formation and administration

The Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) released a “Smart Guide” for government contracting officials on November 9, 2015.

The Guide features 51 flow charts and decision trees associated with the federal acquisition process, grouped into two primary content areas: Contract Formation and Contract Administration.

In each of the sections, there are:

Tasks, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) references, and additional helpful information,
Flow charts and decision trees for each activity to visually demonstrate the tasks, and
Links to relevant FAI and Defense Acquisition University (DAU) training courses.

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech is an equivalency training provider for both DAU and FAI course work.

You can access the Contracting Professionals Smart Guide at: https://www.fai.gov/drupal/resources/contracting-professionals-smart-guide

July 25, 2015 By AMK

Learn about how government contracts are formed during week of August 31

What is the Government’s simplified acquisition process? What is meant by the term sealed bid? Did you know that the Government can enter into contracts on the basis of both competitive and noncompetitive negotiated arrangements? How does the Government deal with required and preferred sources of supplies and services? What must be done to ensure competition? What are the policies for policies and procedures for pricing negotiated contracts and contract modifications? What are the policies and procedures for filing bid protests?

Answers to these questions — including an explanation of the entire process federal agencies follow to formulate a contract — will be presented by Georgia Tech’s Contracting Education Academy during a one-week course, beginning August 31, 2015. The course is entitled CON 090-3: Contract Formation in the FAR.

The Contract Formation course is designed for contracting professionals, but is open to anyone who is interested in gaining insights into the federal acquisition process. Typically, both federal contracting officers and contractors take this course. This course provides vital instruction for Government contracting personnel as well as important insights for contractors.

By attending CON 090-3, students learn how to locate, interpret, and apply the acquisition regulations applicable to federal agencies. CON 090-3 is the third of four modules from CON 090 – Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Fundamentals. The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech offers CON 090 in four, one-week classes. Each module stands on its own, allowing students multiple opportunities throughout the year to complete the entire CON 090 course without the challenge of being away from work or home for an entire month.

The course consists of limited lecture, and is heavily exercise-based. Students should be prepared to dedicate about an hour each evening for reading.

For more information on this course and to register, please visit: http://www.pe.gatech.edu/courses/con-090-3-contract-formation-far.

Georgia Tech offers the entire CON 090 course series in world-class facilities on its campus in midtown Atlanta. For groups of 10 or more, Georgia Tech also brings any of its government contracting courses to your workplace.

For details on any of our courses, please visit http://www.pe.gatech.edu/Subjects/Acquisition-Government-Contracting. To make arrangements for any of the courses to be taught at your place of work, email us at: info@ContractingAcademy.gatech.edu or give us a call at 404-894-6109.