DAU | The Contracting Education Academy

January 20, 2020 By cs

Take a look at our course line-up!

If you’re in the hunt for high-quality acquisition training at a reasonable price, look no further than Georgia Tech.

The courses we offer are in high demand among contracting professionals — both within government and in the private sector. And all are approved by the Defense Acquisition University and the Federal Acquisition Institute.

Plus, all of our courses are offered in our world-class Global Learning Center on the Georgia Tech campus in midtown Atlanta. All courses also offer resources and amenities found nowhere else.

Take a look at what’s coming up in just the next few months:

Contract Planning in the FAR (CON 090-2) – February 3-7, 2020 – Covers how government agencies conduct market research and rely on businesses to provide information, how the government’s buying needs must be described, and the government’s preference for commercial and non-developmental items.
Architect and Engineering Services Contracting (CON 243) – Feb. 10-14, 2020 – Focuses on acquisition planning for A&E services, the slate and selection process, proposal analysis, contract award, the review of government estimates, liability, Title II services, modifications, contract management, and the contracting officer’s technical representative’s responsibilities.
Contract Formation in the FAR (CON 090-3) – Mar. 16-20, 2020 – 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.
Construction Contracting (CON 244) – May 4-8, 2020 – 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.

Click on the course titles above for complete pricing and registration details.

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

Discover the Georgia Tech Difference!

Benefits of attendance include expert instruction, a printed Student Guide to be used back on the job, valuable handouts, and exclusive electronic resources. In addition, a complimentary breakfast is served each morning, along with snacks throughout each day. For groups of 10 or more, Georgia Tech offers discounts.

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.

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.

Courses Available at Your Location

All Academy courses and workshops are available for instructor-led 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.

January 7, 2020 By cs

DoD releases long awaited policy on mid-tier acquisition

After three years and a serious reprimand from Congress, the Defense Department finally released its guidance for the processes governing middle-tier acquisition.

***Click on image above to download document.***

The Dec. 30, 2019 instruction, signed by defense acquisition and sustainment undersecretary Ellen Lord, gives DoD agencies direction for when and how to use middle-tier acquisition, and explains leadership responsibilities for the contracting method.

The DoD guidance, at least temporarily, allays concerns from Congress and the Government Accountability Office about unclear oversight of middle-tier acquisition.

The document doesn’t really tell readers much more than is already known about the process, but rather codifies the way DoD uses it, and then leaves a large part of the way the method is used up to the individual defense agencies.

DoD explains that the Defense Acquisition University will create a companion guide in the near future to expand upon the guidance.

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/contracting/2020/01/dod-releases-long-awaited-policy-on-mid-tier-acquisition/

January 1, 2020 By cs

Challenged with navigating the FAR? Learn how Jan. 28-31

Georgia Tech’s Contracting Education Academy (The Academy) is presenting a four-day course, beginning on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, covering all of the fundamentals of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), including how to navigate the FAR’s 2,000 pages.

By attending, you’ll also learn all about each of the federal agencies’ supplements to the 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.

This 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 and how they’re structured in the FAR,
Access to and use of relevant on-line resources, including tools developed exclusively by Georgia Tech, and
Instruction on how to locate, properly cite, and interpret 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.

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 complete 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.

December 16, 2019 By cs

Don’t miss our comprehensive contract planning course in February!

Whether you represent government or industry, this is your chance to learn how the Government plans its acquisition of products and services!

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

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech will address these questions, and many more, in a comprehensive five-day class, “Contract Planning in the FAR” (CON 090-2) to be presented February 3 – 7, 2020.

The course will be presented at the world-class Global Learning Center in midtown Atlanta. Registration details are here.

This in-depth course covers all aspects of acquisition planning, including:

How government agencies conduct market research and rely on businesses to provide information,
How the government’s buying needs must be described, and
The government’s preference for commercial and non-developmental items.

This course is the second in a series of four educational modules that examine the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Government’s “procurement bible.” Because of Georgia Tech’s unique instructional approach, the four modules can be taken in any order.

Why Have So Many Contracting Officials Taken This Course?

For government contracting officials, this course is required to earn and maintain a contracting warrant. A warrant is a written document providing a contracting officer with the limits of his or her authority. Per FAR 1.602-1, 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 (DAU) course standards — that help each member of the acquisition workforce maintain their warrants and enhance their professional development.
For business people who compete for and fulfill government contracts, Academy classes are just as pertinent. Contractor personnel who attend Academy courses gain real-world knowledge about how government officials are trained to formulate and administer contracts. Insights into these areas provide invaluable guidance for reaching greater success in competing for, winning, and fulfilling government contract work.

Improve Your Win Rate — **Government and industry representatives sit side-by-side in small group settings to learn government contracting fundamentals at Georgia Tech’s Global Learning Center.**

For details on all of Georgia Tech’s government contracting classes, including the FAR Fundamentals course series, please visit: https://contractingacademy.gatech.edu/training

December 3, 2019 By cs

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).