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January 4, 2021 By cs

On-line classes announced for 1st quarter of 2021

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech has announced four courses to be presented virtually during the first three months of 2021.

The courses to be presented are:

  • A Contracting Overview of the FAR (CON 090-1) – Jan. 19 – 22, 2021
  • FAR Fundamentals (FCN 190) – Feb. 1 – 12, 2021
  • Contract Planning in the FAR (CON 090-2) – Feb. 22 – 26, 2021
  • Contract Formation in the FAR (CON 090-3) – Mar. 8 – 12, 2021

Here’s a brief recap of each course, along with a link to price, registration and other details for each course:

A Contracting Overview of the FAR (CON 090-1) – Jan. 19 – 22, 2021 – 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.  More details here: http://www.pe.gatech.edu/courses/con-090-1-contracting-overview-far

FAR Fundamentals (FCN 190) – Feb. 1 – 12, 2021 – 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.   More details here: http://www.pe.gatech.edu/courses/con-090-2-contract-planning-far

Contract Planning in the FAR (CON 090-2) – Feb. 22 – 26, 2021 – 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.  More details here: http://www.pe.gatech.edu/courses/con-090-2-contract-planning-far

Contract Formation in the FAR (CON 090-3) – Mar. 8 – 12, 2021 – 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.  More details here: http://www.pe.gatech.edu/courses/con-090-3-contract-formation-far

A schedule of other courses coming up in 2021 can be found at: https://contractingacademy.gatech.edu/training/

Filed Under: Academy News Tagged With: acquisition planning, acquisition workforce, CON 090, CON 090-1, CON 090-2, CON 090-3, contract formation, contract planning, contracting officer, contracting officer's representatives, DAU, DFARS, FAI, FAR, FAR Fundamentals, FCN 190

May 18, 2020 By cs

Effectively communicating the acquisition impact

For far too long Contracting Officers (KOs) have been articulating in a rather underwhelming way the impact their acquisition efforts have on enhancing capabilities, mission success, and ultimately supporting the War­fighter.

The terms that KOs typically use to frame their support to the Warfighter involve detailing the dollars obligated and number or contract actions performed in support of the Warfighter. While this approach is used widely within the acquisition community to describe the efforts of contracting professionals, it does little to effectively illustrate the impact of contracting professionals or their teams’ contributions to the Warfighter. In order to effectively communicate/articulate their support with key stakeholders outside the acquisition community, contracting professionals need to change their words and approach and develop their message.

More specifically, they need to transform their message from a technical one to a dialogue that is relatable outside of the acquisition enterprise.

Operationalizing Contracting

An illustration of the need to change how the acquisition professional’s value is described is the concept of “operationalizing contracting,” which was introduced by Gen. Gustave Perna, Army Materiel Command Commanding General, in 2017.  In an online Army Contracting Command article, Perna shared his vision of operationalizing contracting by describing it as “… integrating and synchronizing contracting across the materiel enterprise in order to meet the Army’s priorities and the combatant commander’s priorities.” He adds, “It’s not about the number of actions and the dollars obligate …” but rather “… it’s about outcomes for the Soldier on the battlefield and for the Army.”

There is very little debate that a complex Base Life Support (BLS) or Logistics Civil Augmentation Program contract, valued at more than $1 billion, undoubtedly provides a significant capability to a combatant commander across all levels of warfare and warfighting functions. However, if contracting professionals continue to express their value to supported units in terms of dollars and actions, they will fail to illuminate the impact of less complex contracts that also greatly enhance a unit’s ability to train, fight, and win at the tactical and operational levels.

Training Environment

In deciding how to effectively communicate to their stakeholders, contracting professionals need to consider several things. One way to build a better framework for their communications to the non-acquisition community is to start with an understanding of the “why, what, and how” associated with the requirement being acquired for the supported unit. Frankly, contracting professionals are well versed in focusing adequate energies and efforts in understanding the what, as well as the how. But how much effort is dedicated to understanding why? Furthermore, are staffs and requirements developers prepared to provide the necessary information about why it is necessary to contract for a requirement or capability? Simply put, the stakeholders are singularly focused on the “what.” Having the information necessary to answer “why” is crucial to further contracting professionals’ communications. Equipped with that vital information, development can begin of an effective communications framework to utilize when interacting with the supported commanders and their staffs on requiring activities. Building an effective communications framework begins with fundamentals and requires an understanding of:

  • The levels of warfare (Field Manual [FM] 3-0, Operations).
  • The Phases of the Operation (FM 3-0).
  • The commander’s key tasks and intent.
  • Operational Contract Support (OCS) (Joint Publication 4-0, Joint Logistics).
  • The Warfighting functions (Army Doctrine Publication 3-0, Operations).

Doctrine is the language of our profession while the acquisition policies and regulations are a dialect. A focus on the use of doctrinal language should extend past the confines of Professional Military Education.

Practical Example

Let’s utilize the previously described contract action to help illustrate how to better effectively communicate contracting support in terms that are “operationalized.” Remember the BLS contract described earlier as valued at more than $1 billion? For illustrative purposes, let’s assume you are preparing a message for the Task Force (TF) Commander under a combatant commander. The TF staff described the BLS contract support as being necessary due to the Boots On Ground limitations established by the host nation (the why). Some other background information is necessary before we begin to build the communications framework.  Let’s assume that the audience for the discussion is the TF Commander and, for the purposes of this illustration, he is most interested in the impacts contracted support have in the strategic level of warfare.  Operation X is currently in Phase III, and one of the commander’s key tasks and intent for the current phase is to deny the enemy safe haven and freedom of movement throughout the Joint Operations Area (JOA).  As a contracting professional, you are primarily concerned with the BLS contract acquisition timeline. How do you communicate the significance within the OCS framework?

Based upon the process described above, a more effective method of describing your organization’s impact to the mission might look like this: Regional Contracting Center (RCC)-Operation X utilizes 15 acquisition professionals to provide administrative oversight of the BLS contract in country that provides mission critical contracted support to 10,000 Soldiers across six Camps/Bases. RCC-Operation X’s administrative oversight provides mission partners with secure and sustainable facilities and infrastructure that enhance their capability to plan and provide mission command across the JOA. RCC-Operation X’s support provides a platform to marshal and mobilize forces rapidly through the use of mission enhancing services such as maintenance, logistical resupply, and health services in order to deny the enemy safe haven and freedom of movement throughout the JOA. This contracted capability provides the commander with the ability to rapidly scale operations as necessary.

Value of Effective Communications

While changing the way contracting professionals express their value to the formation is one aspect of the issue, it is only one part. The other facet that requires some attention is the working relationship that contracting professionals have with requiring activities.  There is no denying that there is a continued reliance on contracted support by Army units on both the battlefield and home stations to meet their needs. It is critical that contracting professionals work as closely as possible with supported units from logistics planning to requirements development to help facilitate this reliance on contracted support. A concerted effort from all stakeholders is necessary to more effectively involve contracting professionals in the acquisition process. Increasing the involvement and touch points across staff functions coupled with an expectation of communication from contracting professionals that is grounded in doctrine will help set the conditions for success.

Increasing Opportunities

To develop this critical skill set, it is crucial to create opportunities, and the environment and situations that facilitate the contracting professionals’ use of a more effective framework for communicating their support of the Warfighter.  The cohesion, trust, and communication our maneuver commanders have with the contracting community can be helped significantly by increasing the contracting professionals’ involvement in Warfighter Exercises, Table Top Exercises, training rotations at combat training centers, and logistics planning. Relying on contracting professionals to develop the “language” only when deployed is not an effective training model.  We are, however, in luck, because the acquisition support that is provided to our mission partners at the Camps, Bases, Posts, and Home Stations provides us with an environment that is ripe with opportunities to train.

Conclusion

Finally, a simple example of changing the communications framework contracting professionals use is the pervasive use of the term “customer” when describing the units we support.  The use of the term conjures up images of “take a number and have a seat,” work hours posted on the door, and long lines at “customer service” sections.  This is not the image of a combat enabler that provides a diversity of enhancements, operational flexibility, and reduces vulnerabilities of the Warfighter across all warfighting functions.  More appropriate terms that should be used are, for example, requiring activity, mission partners, stakeholders or support unit.  Knowing when to use and when not to use certain terms can go a long way to better convey our value to the Warfighter as contracting professionals.

In closing, in order to fully articulate the impact contracting professionals have to the mission and Warfighter, it is critical that: 1) contracting professionals develop a relatable lexicon in describing their impact; 2) increase opportunities and touch points with supported units that facilitate practice in utilizing these skills for contracting professionals; and 3) adopt a simple change such as no longer using the term “customers” as the catalyst for change.


This article was authored by LTC Kevin P. Shilley, U.S. Army.  Shilley is Battalion Commander of the 902nd Contracting Battalion, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, in Washington State. Simultaneously, he is serving as the Chief of Contracting for Regional Contracting Center-Operation Inherent Resolve, Iraq, and is due to redeploy in March 2020. In 2008, he transitioned to the Army Acquisition Corps. His acquisition assignments include Contract Management Officer, Contracting Team Lead, Contracting Battalion Operations Officer, Program Integrator, Regional Contracting Center (Iraq), Contracting Battalion Commander. He is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act certified Level III in Contracting, and Level I in Program Management. He earned a master’s degree in Procurement and Acquisitions Management from Webster University.  The author can be contacted at Kevin.P.Shilley.mil@mail.mil.

Filed Under: Government Contracting News Tagged With: acquisition reform, acquisition support, acquisition workforce, communication, contracting officer, contracting officer's representatives, contracting officers, mission support, partnerships, procurement reform, stakeholders

February 14, 2019 By AMK

Former COR sentenced to 5 years in prison for conspiracy and bribery

Jerry T. Vertefeuille of Niceville, Florida was sentenced on Feb. 12th to 60 months in prison.  Co-defendant Christopher A. Carter of Fort Walton Beach, Florida is scheduled to be sentenced on February 15th. 

Vertefeuille pleaded guilty to conspiracy (to commit theft of honest services and wire fraud), bribery of a public official, and obtaining and disclosing procurement information.

Vertefeuille was a federal Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for the 96 Test Wing Maintenance Group (96 MXG) at Eglin Air Force Base.  His duties included overseeing maintenance work and initially approving purchases and invoices.

In 2007, Vertefeuille helped Carter, as the owner of TCC Services, Unlimited, LLC, win a paint booth maintenance contract, as well as multiple contract renewals.  Vertefeuille received kickbacks in exchange for approving Carter’s fraudulent invoices and recommending the renewal of TCC’s contract.

U.S. Attorney Keefe said: “Public corruption is an attack on the rule of law, which is the mission of the Department of Justice and the cornerstone of American government.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, is committed to upholding the public’s faith in honest services and enforcing high ethical standards.”

“Corruption in the government procurement process damages the public trust and ultimately degrades the warfighting mission of the Department of Defense,” commented Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin with the southeast field office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS).  “DCIS, along with our investigative partners, remains committed to pursuing and bringing to justice anyone who uses fraud and deception to undermine the critical missions of the Department of Defense and the safety of our communities.”

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/former-government-contracting-officer-representative-sentenced-60-months-prison

Filed Under: Government Contracting News Tagged With: bribery, conspiracy, contracting officer's representatives, COR, corruption, DCIS, deception, disclosure of procurement information, DoD, DOJ, Eglin AFB, ethics, Justice Depr., kickback, theft

December 31, 2018 By AMK

Contracting Officer Representative course coming-up week of March 18th

Contracting officer’s representatives, program/project managers, contracting officers, and industry contracting personnel — all should attend the Contracting Education Academy’s popular 5-day course offering entitled the Contracting Officer Representative and the Contingency Contracting Environment.
Students attending Georgia Tech’s classes work in teams to tackle real-life contracting problems.
Course Description

The Contracting Officer’s Representative course (COR 222), coupled with the Contingency Contracting Environment class (COR 206), provides a comprehensive review and detailed instruction on the role, responsibilities, authority, and limitations of authority of the federal government’s Contracting Officer Representative (COR).  Students learn the fundamentals of contracting regulations, types, phases, and other elements of contract administration.  Students are also coached on the ethical and legal factors that impact COR responsibilities in the normal course of business and in the Contingency Contracting Environment.

Upcoming Dates

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech is offering the COR course (COR 222/206) on March 18-22, 2019.  This course is taught at Georgia Tech’s world-class Global Learning Center in midtown Atlanta.

Who Should Attend

Contracting officer’s representatives, program/project managers, contracting officers, and industry contracting personnel who interface with contracting officers and contracting officer’s representatives.

Registration

For details on how to register, please visit: https://pe.gatech.edu/courses/cor-206222-contracting-officer-representative-course-and-contingency-contracting-environment

How You Will Benefit

You will learn:

  • How to review contract terms and conditions.
  • Each party’s role and responsibility in contract administration.
  • Proper documentation and approvals for contract changes and modifications.
  • How to monitor contract expenditures.
  • Contract close-out methodology.
  • How to manage ethical and legal issues in the contingency contracting environment.
Content
  • Recognizing the COR’s responsibilities in acquisition mission support planning.
  • Understanding the contract award process.
  • Tracking contract expenditures.
  • Monitoring contract schedule compliance.
  • Analyzing proposed contract changes.
  • Identifying the unique characteristics and monitoring protocols for construction contracts, major systems and R & D acquisitions.
  • Evaluating a contractor’s compliance with performance terms and conditions.
  • Handling cultural taboos in a contingency environment.
  • The process for reporting bribery, kickbacks and other illegal acts.
Materials

Provided to each student are a printed guide book with supplemental learning material, exercises, case studies, and handouts, and exclusive web-based materials.

What Students Say About This Course

Here’s a small sampling of feedback from students who have attended Georgia Tech’s COR 206/222 course:

  • “I got detailed knowledge and understanding of COR and CO duties and responsibilities.  I now have the knowledge I need to perform as a COR.”
  • “A very well-taught course.”
  • “The instructors are very knowledgeable.”
  • “Professional training providing insights and practical examples.”
  • “I valued the exercises — they helped a lot!  A wonderful course!”
  • “Great course — great instructors!”
  • “Excellent instruction.”
  • “I valued the format, facilities, and the instructor’s expertise.”
  • “Invaluable information — a mix of academic and real-world views.  Outstanding job.”
  • “Great job.  The knowledge of the instructors was remarkable.”
Additional Information

DAU logoThe Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech (The Academy) 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 federal contracting.  This course is DAU-equivalent training satisfying both FAC-C and DAWIA certification programs.

Filed Under: Academy News Tagged With: acquisition planning, acquisition training, acquisition workforce, contingency contracting, contract planning, contracting officer's representatives, COR, COR 206, COR 206/222, COR 222, DAU, FAR, Georgia Tech

July 16, 2018 By AMK

Plan now to attend the Contracting Officer Representative course in November

Contracting officer’s representatives, program/project managers, contracting officers, and industry contracting personnel — all should attend the Contracting Education Academy’s popular 5-day course offering entitled the Contracting Officer Representative and the Contingency Contracting Environment.
Students attending Georgia Tech’s classes work in teams to tackle real-life contracting problems.
Course Description

The Contracting Officer’s Representative course (COR 222), coupled with the Contingency Contracting Environment class (COR 206), provides a comprehensive review and detailed instruction on the role, responsibilities, authority, and limitations of authority of the federal government’s Contracting Officer Representative (COR).  Students learn the fundamentals of contracting regulations, types, phases, and other elements of contract administration.  Students are also coached on the ethical and legal factors that impact COR responsibilities in the normal course of business and in the Contingency Contracting Environment.

Upcoming Dates

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech is offering the COR course (COR 222/206) on November 26-30, 2018.  This course is taught at Georgia Tech’s world-class Global Learning Center in midtown Atlanta.

Who Should Attend

Contracting officer’s representatives, program/project managers, contracting officers, and industry contracting personnel who interface with contracting officers and contracting officer’s representatives.

Registration

For details on how to register, please visit: https://pe.gatech.edu/courses/cor-206222-contracting-officer-representative-course-and-contingency-contracting-environment

How You Will Benefit

You will learn:

  • How to review contract terms and conditions.
  • Each party’s role and responsibility in contract administration.
  • Proper documentation and approvals for contract changes and modifications.
  • How to monitor contract expenditures.
  • Contract close-out methodology.
  • How to manage ethical and legal issues in the contingency contracting environment.
Content
  • Recognizing the COR’s responsibilities in acquisition mission support planning.
  • Understanding the contract award process.
  • Tracking contract expenditures.
  • Monitoring contract schedule compliance.
  • Analyzing proposed contract changes.
  • Identifying the unique characteristics and monitoring protocols for construction contracts, major systems and R & D acquisitions.
  • Evaluating a contractor’s compliance with performance terms and conditions.
  • Handling cultural taboos in a contingency environment.
  • The process for reporting bribery, kickbacks and other illegal acts.
Materials

Provided to each student are a printed guide book with supplemental learning material, exercises, case studies, and handouts, and exclusive web-based materials.

What Students Say About This Course

Here’s a small sampling of feedback from students who have attended Georgia Tech’s COR 206/222 course:

  • “I got detailed knowledge and understanding of COR and CO duties and responsibilities.  I now have the knowledge I need to perform as a COR.”
  • “A very well-taught course.”
  • “The instructors are very knowledgeable.”
  • “Professional training providing insights and practical examples.”
  • “I valued the exercises — they helped a lot!  A wonderful course!”
  • “Great course — great instructors!”
  • “Excellent instruction.”
  • “I valued the format, facilities, and the instructor’s expertise.”
  • “Invaluable information — a mix of academic and real-world views.  Outstanding job.”
  • “Great job.  The knowledge of the instructors was remarkable.”
Additional Information

DAU logoThe Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech (The Academy) 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 federal contracting.  This course is DAU-equivalent training satisfying both FAC-C and DAWIA certification programs.

Filed Under: Academy News Tagged With: acquisition planning, acquisition training, acquisition workforce, contingency contracting, contract planning, contracting officer's representatives, COR, COR 206, COR 206/222, COR 222, DAU, FAR, Georgia Tech

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