contract planning | The Contracting Education Academy

June 5, 2014 By AMK

To improve the contracting workforce, improve training

The need for additional staff resources is the most frequently cited response to improving government contracting. In recent years, considerable resources have been invested in hiring and educating our biggest asset, human capital. This additional staffing and education has so far met with mixed results. This is because people are only as effective as the experience and education they have received.

Contracting executives frequently mention the need to develop judgment, reasoning, and analytical skills, as well as to obtain real-world experience. These goals can be met through exposure to diverse acquisition and operational scenarios. Three years of varied contracting experience (simplified acquisition, major systems, source selection, and acquisition planning) is better than 10 years of doing the same, simplified, repetitive tasks over and over, yet still moving up the career ladder. When that situation occurs, specialists get up to senior levels but with limited experience and knowledge, inhibiting their ability to assume the leadership responsibilities they were intended to.

This occurs because agencies want to fill their positions, even though most applicants did not have the opportunity to obtain the necessary variety of experience, which may require moving from one position to another.

Many smaller agencies cannot offer internships or rotations to round out their experience because of the limited nature of their acquisition mission. In some cases, the agency or firm has the overall resources, but is not organized to manage professional development.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20140530/BLG06/305300015/To-improve-contracting-workforce-improve-training

February 27, 2014 By AMK

5 tips for hiring federal contractors

The process of hiring a government consultant/contractor isn’t easy, and most federal leaders and managers have to do it at some point in their career. Maybe they can’t get hiring authority to bring in new people. Maybe they need to jump start a new project or program with skills that aren’t available inside their office or agency. It’s a big decision, and many managers, especially those doing it for the first time, are uncertain about how to move forward.

Here are five tips to help make federal leaders more educated buyers:

1. Take some time to think about the problem and put aside the solution for a bit.

2. Talk to a few different trusted companies.

3. Understand procurement vehicles.

4. Pay attention to the evaluation criteria and personnel qualifications.

5. Keep another company in the wings.

See the details associated with each of these five tips and read the complete article at: http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2014/02/5-tips-hiring-federal-contractors/78884

February 18, 2014 By AMK

Acquisition planning is focus of March 3rd course

Want to learn about the Government’s policies and procedures for planning an acquisition? How does the Government deal with required and preferred sources of supplies and services? What must be done to ensure competition?

To answer these questions and many, many more, The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech is presenting a one-week course beginning March 3, 2014, entitled CON 090-2: Contract Planning in the FAR.

By attending this course, students will learn all the types of contracts that may be used in acquisitions, special contracting techniques, the impact of socioeconomic programs, the use of special contract terms and conditions, the implications of contractor qualifications, and proper advertisement procedures.

The course provides vital instruction for Government contracting personnel as well as important insights for contractors.

CON 090-2 is the second 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.

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.

August 7, 2013 By AMK

Government contracting courses for 2014 announced

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech (The Academy) has released its course calendar for calendar year 2014.

Representatives of both the government and private sectors will be pleased to learn that the courses include both traditional favorites as well as new offerings for 2014.

The Academy is an official training equivalency provider of the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). Since each of The Academy’s courses is DAU-equivalent, they satisfy the federal government’s FAC-C and DAWIA certification programs. In addition, continuing education units (CEUs) are granted by the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting Program (FAC-C) establishes graduated education, experience, and training standards for contracting professionals in all civilian agencies. FAC-C certifications are mutually accepted among all civilian agencies as documentation of accomplishment of these standards.
The Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) established a very similar, but not identical, program for the Department of Defense (DoD). Civilian agencies may accept DAWIA certification as equivalent to FAC-C certification.

Of particular interest to representatives of the business community is the fact that The Academy’s coursework has been tailored to be relevant to both government contractors and government contracting professionals. This makes The Academy’s classroom one of the few places anywhere where representatives of the private and government sectors can learn side-by-side about federal acquisition. As a result, students find Academy courses especially rich in content and lively in conduct.

Courses currently scheduled for 2014 include:

CON 090-1: Contracting Overview of the FAR (EASC 0901P)—This is the first of four modules from CON 090 – Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Fundamentals and is a limited lecture, exercised-based curriculum that takes a look at the Federal acquisition environment from a macro-level.
CON 090-2: Contract Planning in the FAR (EASC 0902P)—This is the second of four modules from CON 090 – Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Fundamentals and is a limited lecture, exercised-based curriculum that covers acquisition plans, market research, describing agency needs, and the preference for the acquisition of commercial and non-developmental items.
CON 090-3: Contract Formation in the FAR (EASC 0903P)—This is the third of four modules from CON 090 – Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Fundamentals and is a limited lecture, exercised-based curriculum that applies the relevant rules of FAR Part 13 and DFARS Part 213 to make an appropriate contracting decision.
CON 090-4: Contract Administration in the FAR (EASC 0904P)—This is the fourth and final module from CON 090 – Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Fundamentals and is a limited lecture, exercised-based curriculum that covers the various aspects of contract management to include contract modifications and contract closeout.
CON 090: Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Fundamentals (EASC 0900P)—FAR Fundamentals is a four week, resident, foundational course that provides a total immersion into the Federal Acquisition Regulation (Parts 1-53) and the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS).
CON 120: Mission Focused Contracting (EASC 0120P)—Learn the entire acquisition process, from meeting with the customer to completing the contract closeout process, applying leadership, problem-solving, and negotiation skills.
CON 170: Fundamentals of Cost and Price Analysis (EASC 0123P)—Learn to accomplish Cost-Volume-Profit analysis, calculate contribution margin estimates, and develop cost estimating relationships in order to accomplish an effective price analysis pursuant to FAR Subpart 15.4.
CON 260B: The Small Business Programs (EASC 0122P)—Learn the intricacies of the associated programs and initiatives that support the SBP and the DoD’s efforts to improve small business participation in prime contracting and subcontracting.
COR 206/222 – Contracting Officer Representative Course and the Contingency Contracting Environment (EASC 0124P)—The Contracting Officer’s Representative course provides a comprehensive review of the authority and responsibilities of the Contracting Officer Representative. It also addresses the role of the Contracting Officer’s Representative in the Contingency Contracting Environment.

To see each course’s scheduled dates, please click on the links above or visit: http://contractingacademy.gatech.edu/training.

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