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FAR Fundamentals course kicks off 2020

The New Year at the Georgia Tech’s Contracting Education Academy (The Academy) begins with a four-day course on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, covering the fundamentals of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

The course is being conducted at Georgia Tech’s world-class professional education facilities in the Global Learning Center located on campus in midtown Atlanta.

FARThis contracting overview of the FAR, covers Module 1 of the Defense Acquisition University’s CON 090: Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Fundamentals.

The course includes:

  • Identification of the basic principles of contracting by the federal government,
  • Access to and use of relevant on-line resources, and
  • Instruction on the location, citation, and interpretation of the FAR, the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), and other agency FAR supplements.

More information about this course is available at: http://www.pe.gatech.edu/courses/con-090-1-contracting-overview-far.  Complete registration information is located there, too.

Students attending Georgia Tech’s acquisition courses work in teams to tackle real-life contracting problems.

Originally designed exclusively for federal contracting officers, this course’s scope has been expanded by The Academy so that it is relevant to multiple audiences, including contractors seeking to learn more about the federal contracting process, federal officials who need to satisfy job-related continuous education requirements, and anyone seeking more information about the federal acquisition profession.

In all, there are four modules that make-up the CON 090 course series.  Information about the entire series can be found at: https://pe.gatech.edu/courses/con-090-1-contracting-overview-far.

The Academy’s complete list of government acquisition courses, and course scheduling, is at: http://contractingacademy.gatech.edu/training.

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech is an official equivalency training provider of the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) and the Federal Acquisition Institute.

Students attending CON 090 courses at Georgia Tech receive expert instruction, a printed Student Guide, helpful handouts, a deck of FAR Cards, and access to exclusive on-line resources.  Students earn 2.8 CEUs.  In addition, a complimentary breakfast in provided each class day.

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Academy provides customized instruction on small business certification to national association

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech provided four hours of intensive instruction to a group of 90 counselors on the topic of “Teaching Your Clients How To Obtain a Small Business Certification.”
Representatives of PTACs across the country attended the certification workshop.

The workshop, held in Washington, DC on Nov. 10th, was conducted as a part of the semi-annual national training conference held by the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC).  Members of APTAC work for procurement technical assistance centers (PTACs) across the country.  PTACs provide assistance to businesses — primarily small businesses — who wish to compete for government contracts.

Guest instructor and small business expert Steven J. Koprince conducted the workshop on behalf of the Academy.  He is the founder and former managing partner of Koprince Law LLC.    Earlier this year, he retired from active practice of law, but he continues to be involved in government contracting as a teacher and writer.  Koprince has served as an instructor for The Academy on previous engagements with APTAC and with the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).

Training materials included a certification handbook and a flash drive containing resources such as customizable training presentations.

The Academy’s program manager Alexis Kirksey provided an orientation to the workshop’s training resources.  Each attendee received a 100-page instruction manual on four different types of small business certifications, including fact sheets on each program, and a flash drive containing customizable PowerPoint presentations and dozens of other resource materials which PTAC counselors may use to counsel and train their clients.

The workshop’s objectives were:

  1. Learning the eligibility requirements for each small business category.
  2. Gaining insights into the preparation process for making a certification application.
  3. Identifying each of the steps of the application process.
  4. Learning how a small business can leverage certification in the federal marketplace.

The workshop provided an explanation of small business size standards, and then launched into a detailed examination of the 8(a) Business Development Program; the HUBZone Program; the Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Programs; and the Woman-Owned and Economically-Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business Programs.

Workshop participants learned about important concepts applied by the federal government in the certification process such as unconditional ownership and direct ownership.  In order to be eligible for certification, the owners must be in charge of such activities as strategic policy-setting, day-to-day management, and overall administrative responsibility for business operations.

Workshop attendees listen carefully to instruction provided by Steven J. Koprince.

The significance of what is known as “affiliation” was also a topic of the workshop.  Affiliation exists when one business controls or has the power to control another, or when a third party controls or has the power to control both businesses. Control may arise through ownership, management, or other relationships.  If another business controls a certification applicant’s business, this may be a disqualifier for small business certification.

Attendees also learned about all of the documentation requirements associated with each type of small business certification.  In addition, the workshop addressed what is called the “presumption-of-loss” rule, which provides that if a business misrepresents its small business size or status, there is a presumption of loss to the government equal to the entire value of any contract or subcontract received as a result of the misrepresentation.

Multiple paths exist for submitting certification applications.  Workshop participants learned about self-certification within the System for Award Management, certification through the Small Business Administration’s on-line portals, and certification through the Veterans Administration.

The workshop concluded with advice PTAC counselors can give to their clients about following-up on their certification applications and how to leverage their small business certifications once granted.  Tips included the need to research both federal spending and contract forecasts, the importance of responding to Requests for Information, and the roles played by Procurement Center Representatives, Small Business Officers, and Small Business Liaison Officers.  Also discussed was the use of certification branding, teaming and joint venturing, how to keep certifications updated, and participation in outreach events.

The Academy is available to conduct this and other customized training workshops on any topic associated with government contracting.  Contact us by email at info@ContractingAcademy.gatech.edu for further information.

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Make plans now for your professional development in 2020

By attending Georgia Tech’s hands-on, practical training, you will gain new expertise you can apply the day you return from class.

Staying up-to-date in the field of government acquisition is a challenge.  You can make a positive impact on your career by planning to attend courses now scheduled at the Georgia Institute of Technology’s world-class Global Learning Center in the coming year.  Course registration for 2020 is now open.

Featured courses include:

(Click on course titles for dates and registration details.)

  • Students attending Georgia Tech’s classes work in teams to tackle real-life contracting problems.

    FCN 190: FAR Fundamentals – Designed for both GS-1102 contracting personnel as well as aspiring government contractors, this 10-day course conveys basic knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), including how to apply the rules in order to make appropriate decisions at each step of the contracting process.  Curriculum supports the latest revisions to the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting Program.

  • CON 090-1: Contracting Overview of the FAR – Covers the identification of the basic principles of federal government contracting, including the structure and content of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and agency supplements.  Students learn how to locate, cite, and interpret regulations.
  • CON 090-2: Contract Planning in the FAR – Covers acquisition planning, market research, describing agency needs, the preference for commercial and non-developmental items, contract types, special contracting techniques, socioeconomic programs, special terms and conditions, contractor qualifications, and advertising requirements.
  • Our instructors are experienced acquisition professionals who share practical advice.

    CON 090-3: Contract Formation in the FAR – Covers policies and procedures for simplified acquisitions, sealed bidding as well as negotiated acquisitions, cost accounting standards, special contracting methods and emergency acquisitions, and the filing and handling of protests.

  • CON 090-4: Contract Administration in the FAR – Covers the fundamental concepts of contract administration including the handling of untimely or non-compliant performance, interpretation of clauses, contract modifications, payments, contract disputes and appeals, and complete or partial contract terminations.
  • CON 170: Fundamentals of Cost & Price Analysis – Conveys fundamental quantitative pricing skills, including seller pricing strategies, the Truth in Negotiations Act and how it mitigates government risk, application of Cost Accounting Standards Board (CASB) rules to negotiated contracts and subcontracts, and contract cost principles and procedures.  Covers cost-volume-profit analysis, contribution margin estimates, and cost estimating relationships.
  • Our students tell us our courses go far beyond check-the-box requirements.

    CON 243: Architect-Engineer Contracting – Focuses on contracting for architectural-engineering services, including acquisition planning, source selection, proposal analysis, contract award and work, and contract management. Specific topics and practical exercises convey knowledge of the Selection of Architects and Engineers statue, SF-330, the slate and selection process, the review of government estimates, liability, Title II services, modifications, and contracting officer’s technical representative responsibilities. 

  • CON 244: Construction Contracting – Focuses on contracting issues unique to construction, including acquisition planning, contract performance management, funding, environmental concerns, construction contract language, construction contracting in a commercial setting, the Construction Wage Rate Requirements statute, design/build methodology, basic schedule delay analysis, constructive changes, acceleration, construction contract quality management, and more.
  • Government contracting officials and business executives sit side-by-side to learn acquisition practices.

    COR 206/222: Contracting Officer Representative and the Contingency Contracting Environment – Covers the role and responsibilities of the COR in contract administration, including contract planning support, contract awards, contract changes and modifications, monitoring performance, expenditures and schedules, and ethical situations and cultural differences a COR may experience while deployed in a contingency operation. 

Explanation of Certification Programs

Each Academy course title that contains the designation “CON” or “COR” is DAU-equivalent and satisfies both the FAC-C and DAWIA certification programs.  Coursework with the “FCN” designation is approved by the Federal Acquisition Institute and satisfies the latest FAC-C certification requirements. In addition, continuing education units (CEUs) are granted for these courses by the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Courses Available at Your Location

All Academy courses and workshops are available for instructor-led on-site engagements at your location. To discuss arrangements for your group, please email us at info@ContractingAcademy.gatech.edu.  We’ll be happy to provide you with details.

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We were your source for news about government contracting in 2018

News articles on The Academy’s web site were read 79,583 times in 2018.

Compared to 2017, that represents a 37% increase in content viewed on our web site.

To you — our students, our clients, and visitors — we say Thank You!

We monitor visits to our web site to determine what interests our readers.  Some of the most popular web content was read hundreds and hundreds of times!  Just in case you missed something important last year, listed below are the top 15 most popular news stories, with each one hyper-linked to the full article.

2018’s Top Stories
  1. Higher limits on micropurchase, simplified acquisition thresholds okayed by CAAC
  2. Common feedback to unsuccessful bidders
  3. A practical program manager’s guide to requests for equitable adjustment
  4. SAM hacked: New vendor registrations require paper documentation
  5. When competitors see bid info, the public loses
  6. New rule allows other direct costs and order level materials on GSA Schedule task orders
  7. GAO sustains protest of $771 million Defense Intelligence Agency contract
  8. OTA contracts are the new cool thing in DoD acquisition
  9. How to cut costs and improve performance
  10. GAO sustains Oracle’s ‘other transaction authority’ protest
  11. GAO looks at NAICS code assignments, SBA clarifications, and industry views
  12. Bribes and kickbacks at Joint Base Charleston lead to sentencing
  13. Former COR and a contractor at Eglin Air Force Base plead guilty to conspiracy and bribery
  14. FAR rule implements higher dollar threshold for GAO’s protest jurisdiction over DoD, NASA, Coast Guard task orders
  15. Veterans Affairs wasted close to $2 billion on failed IT projects
The 15 Hottest Topics

What were the most popular topics viewed on The Academy’s web site during 2018?  They are listed below, each hyper-linked to corresponding resources:

  1. Negotiating Rules (10 basic bargaining rules followed by win/win negotiators)
  2. Simplified Acquisition (an explanation of what it is)
  3. Authority for Modifying a Contract (the rules for contract mods)
  4. Interagency Acquisition and GWACs (an explanation, with resources)
  5. Other Transaction Authority (a contract vehicle, growing in popularity, used to help federal agencies rapidly incorporate new technologies)
  6. Buy American Act (news of recent developments in the federal preference for the purchase of domestic supplies and the incorporation of domestic materials into construction projects)
  7. Bribery, Kickbacks and Fraud (news of corruption in government contracting)
  8. Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (trends in LPTA contracting)
  9. Rule of Two (what to do when the CO reasonably expects that at least two eligible small businesses will submit offers and that the award can be made at a fair and reasonable price)
  10. Fat Leonard (developing news about the contract corruption case involving more than 60 admirals and hundreds of other U.S. Navy officers)
  11. Fair and Reasonable Pricing (an explanation of this government standard)
  12. Acquisition Reform (news of the latest developments designed to streamline the federal acquisition Process)
  13. Acquisition Training (the need, the requirements, and the resources)
  14. Micropurchasing (news involving micropurchases)
  15. Acquisition Workforce (developments impacting the government’s acquisition workforce)
Worldwide Interest in the Contracting Academy

While 80 percent of visitors to The Academy’s web site come from all 50 of the United States and the District of Columbia, our analysis shows that personnel on U.S. military bases around the world — as well as contracting officials from federal agencies such as USAID, CDC and the State Department — are among the many international visitors to our site.

The Contracting Education Academy’s web site is popular worldwide. Last year (2018), 50,184 visitors consulted the Academy’s site 60,281 times — viewing our site’s content 79,583 times. Compared to the previous year (2017), these numbers represent a 49% increase in visitors, a 44% increase in visits, and a 37% increase in the content viewed. Our visitors came from all 50 states and 182 countries.
A Pair of New Year’s Resolutions

What do we recommend to you for the New Year?  Two things:

  1. Keep visiting The Academy’s web site for the very latest news and information on government contracting — there is new content posted every business day!  Bookmark this site: http://contractingacademy.gatech.edu/category/government-contracting-news
  2. Stay in touch with our latest training and educational offerings by regularly visiting our course and workshop listing here: http://contractingacademy.gatech.edu/training

Happy New Year!

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2019 dates added for professional education contracting courses

Government contracting and industry officials alike now can chart their professional education plans for 2019.

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech has updated its training calendar for 2019, and all new course dates are posted at: https://contractingacademy.gatech.edu/training.

Featured courses include:

(Click on course titles for dates and registration details.)

  • FCN 190: FAR Fundamentals – Designed for both GS-1102 contracting personnel as well as aspiring government contractors, this 10-day course conveys basic knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), including how to apply the rules in order to make appropriate decisions at each step of the contracting process.  Curriculum supports the latest revisions to the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting Program.
  • CON 090-1: Contracting Overview of the FAR – Covers the identification of the basic principles of federal government contracting, including the structure and content of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and agency supplements.  Students learn how to locate, cite, and interpret regulations.
  • CON 090-2: Contract Planning in the FAR – Covers acquisition planning, market research, describing agency needs, the preference for commercial and non-developmental items, contract types, special contracting techniques, socioeconomic programs, special terms and conditions, contractor qualifications, and advertising requirements.
  • CON 090-3: Contract Formation in the FAR – Covers policies and procedures for simplified acquisitions, sealed bidding as well as negotiated acquisitions, cost accounting standards, special contracting methods and emergency acquisitions, and the filing and handling of protests.
  • CON 090-4: Contract Administration in the FAR – Covers the fundamental concepts of contract administration including the handling of untimely or non-compliant performance, interpretation of clauses, contract modifications, payments, contract disputes and appeals, and complete or partial contract terminations.
  • CON 170: Fundamentals of Cost & Price Analysis – Conveys fundamental quantitative pricing skills, including seller pricing strategies, the Truth in Negotiations Act and how it mitigates government risk, application of Cost Accounting Standards Board (CASB) rules to negotiated contracts and subcontracts, and contract cost principles and procedures.  Covers cost-volume-profit analysis, contribution margin estimates, and cost estimating relationships.
  • CON 243: Architect-Engineer Contracting – Focuses on contracting for architectural-engineering services, including acquisition planning, source selection, proposal analysis, contract award and work, and contract management. Specific topics and practical exercises convey knowledge of the Selection of Architects and Engineers statue, SF-330, the slate and selection process, the review of government estimates, liability, Title II services, modifications, and contracting officer’s technical representative responsibilities. 
  • CON 244: Construction Contracting – Focuses on contracting issues unique to construction, including acquisition planning, contract performance management, funding, environmental concerns, construction contract language, construction contracting in a commercial setting, the Construction Wage Rate Requirements statute, design/build methodology, basic schedule delay analysis, constructive changes, acceleration, construction contract quality management, and more.
  • COR 206/222: Contracting Officer Representative and the Contingency Contracting Environment – Covers the role and responsibilities of the COR in contract administration, including contract planning support, contract awards, contract changes and modifications, monitoring performance, expenditures and schedules, and ethical situations and cultural differences a COR may experience while deployed in a contingency operation. 
Explanation of Certification Programs

Each Academy course title that contains the designation “CON” or “COR” is DAU-equivalent and satisfies both the FAC-C and DAWIA certification programs.  Coursework with the “FCN” designation is approved by the Federal Acquisition Institute and satisfies the latest FAC-C certification requirements. In addition, continuing education units (CEUs) are granted for these courses by the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Courses Available at Your Location

All Academy courses and workshops are available for instructor-led on-site engagements at your location. To discuss arrangements for your group, please contact us at info@ContractingAcademy.gatech.edu.  We’ll be happy to provide you with details.

Contracting Academy Logo
75 Fifth Street, NW, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30308
info@ContractingAcademy.gatech.edu
Phone: 404-894-6109
Fax: 404-410-6885

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