FAI | The Contracting Education Academy

September 6, 2018 By cs

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:

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.

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 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.

August 20, 2018 By cs

Federal acquisition workers rate themselves highly on most skills

The government’s civilian acquisition workforce, long under pressure to improve hiring and modernize its skill sets, is feeling more satisfied with its own effectiveness, according to the latest biennial Acquisition Workforce Competency Survey released last week.

***Click on image above to see report.***

Considered the most comprehensive version of the survey yet (an 83 percent increase in response rates across agencies), it showed that the buyers rated themselves highest for issuing contract order changes and modifications, awarding contracts and competition. Also rated highly were inspection and acceptance and business acumen, said the results analyzed by a partnership between the White House Office of Federal Procurement Policy and the Federal Acquisition Institute.

Areas rated the lowest in proficiency included negotiating forward pricing rates agreements and contracting in contingent or combat environments.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.govexec.com/contracting/2018/08/federal-acquisition-workers-rate-themselves-highly-most-skills/150611

July 12, 2018 By cs

Experience ‘full immersion’ in the FAR during two weeks in September

The Federal Acquisition Institute’s newest and most comprehensive course offering, FCN 190 – FAR Fundamentals, is now scheduled for presentation on the Georgia Tech campus in mid-September 2018. The course provides students with a comprehensive review of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

Registration information may be found by clicking here. The course spans a two-week period, September 17 – 28, 2018.

By attending the FAR Fundamentals course, students learn the federal government’s policies and procedures for acquisition planning, source selection, and contract administration. Students work through realistic, scenario-based problems by identifying the relevant regulations, guidance, provisions and clauses that govern the federal contracting process.

The FCN 190 – FAR Fundamentals course was created in response to changes in the government’s professional development standards for federal contracting officials. An OMB Memo on the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting Program establishes what’s known as the FAC-C (Refresh) program. The effective date of the FAC-C (Refresh) was October 1, 2014. Details of the training standards established under the FAC-C (Refresh) program can be seen by clicking here.

FAI has verified that the FCN 190 – FAR Fundamentals course offered by The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Techmeets the requirements for delivery of the new FAC-C (Refresh) Level I certification requirements. Georgia Tech is also an approved Defense Acquisition University (DAU) equivalency provider, offering DAU-equivalent training that satisfies both FAC-C and DAWIA certification programs

Registration information appears here. The course is also available, on a contract basis, for presentation both on-campus at Georgia Tech and on-site at government facilities.

June 6, 2018 By cs

Plan now to attend contract cost and price analysis course in July

Georgia Tech’s course on the Fundamentals of Cost and Price Analysis (CON 170) features an in-depth review of the market research process. By attending, students gain fundamental quantitative pricing skills.

The 10-day course is being offered on July 9 – 20, 2018 on the Tech campus in the Global Learning Center in Midtown Atlanta. Registration details can be seen here.

Attendees will learn how to accomplish Cost-Volume-Profit analysis, calculate Contribution Margin Estimates, and develop Cost Estimating Relationships to achieve effective price analysis pursuant to FAR Subpart 15.4. These are the skills needed to negotiate pricing of contracts, subcontracts, and contract modifications.

Georgia Tech’s course includes an examination of the regulations and processes governing the use of cost analysis and requiring certified cost and pricing data.

After learning the basic elements of price and cost analysis, students receive instruction on how to build and defend a pre-negotiation objective, including a minimum and maximum pricing objective with a Weighted Guidelines Assessment. Students also learn how to defend pricing objectives by practicing face-to-face negotiations.

By attending, you’ll learn how to:

Identify the Government’s Pricing Objective
Review an Independent Government Cost Estimate
Apply Price-Related Factors
Review General Cost Principles on Allowability
Evaluate Direct and Indirect Costs
Determine the Applicability of Cost and Price Analysis
Practice Cost and Price Analysis Techniques
Conduct Cost Realism Analysis

Attendees receive expert instruction, a printed guide to be used back on the job, valuable handouts, and exclusive web-based resources. A complimentary breakfast is provided each morning, along with snacks throughout each class day.

This is a federal core course, required for FAC-C and DAWIA certification. Register here.

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech is an official Defense Acquisition University (DAU) equivalency training provider. Georgia Tech’s coursework also is recognized by the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI).

April 24, 2018 By cs

Two popular classes scheduled for June

Need to know the role of a Contracting Officer Representative? And how about contract formation — exactly how does the government put together its contracts?

Whether you are a member of the government’s acquisition team — or a contractor navigating the government’s acquisition process — you need to know the answers to these questions.

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

Fortunately, The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech provides all the answers — in two popular classes in June.

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. This course is scheduled to be held June 11 – 15, 2018 on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta.

The Contract Formation in the FAR course (CON 090-3) is the third of four modules from CON 090 – Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Fundamentals. It explores the simplified acquisition process, the sealed bidding process, contracts entered into on the basis of both competitive and noncompetitive negotiated arrangements, the required and preferred sources of supplies and services, what must be done to ensure competition, the policies for policies and procedures for pricing negotiated contracts and contract modifications, as well as the policies and procedures for filing bid protests. This course is scheduled to be held June 18 – 22, 2018 on the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta.

Both courses consist of limited lecture, and are heavily exercise-based. Students get the opportunity to learn the Federal Acquisition Regulation by working through many real-life scenarios. Students also are given access to many exclusive on-line resources.

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.

For more information on the Contracting Officer Representative course (CON 206/222) and to register, please visit: http://www.pe.gatech.edu/courses/cor-206-222-contracting-officer-representative-course-and-contingency-contracting-environment.

For more information on the Contract Formation in the FAR course (CON 090-3) and to register, please visit: http://www.pe.gatech.edu/courses/con-090-3-contract-formation-far.