FAR | The Contracting Education Academy

February 26, 2019 By cs

Hill AFB’s FARSite to go away on Oct. 1st

It’s been accessed on-line more than 2.3 billion times since its launch in mid-1996. But on Sept. 30th of this year, it will be retired.

The “it” is the popular and functional FARSite search engine, maintained by Hill Air Force Base near Ogden, Utah, and it is going to be “transitioned” into the FAR search site at Acquisition.gov effective Oct. 1, 2019.

This news was recently released on the FARSite in a tersely-written two sentence announcement: “FARSite.hill.af.mil is being actively transitioned to Acquistion.gov. FARSite will be available in the current location through 30 Sep 2019.”

Unofficial But Useful

While the FARSite is widely used by acquisition officials in both government and industry sectors, it never was regarded as the “official” site for the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and agency FAR supplements. Instead, it was regarded as the authoritative source for the Air Force FAR Supplement (AFFARS) only. The FAR search engine at Acquisition.gov, maintained by the General Services Administration (GSA), holds the title of the “official” FAR website.

Despite its unofficial status, FARSite has been popular because of its functionality. For instance, FARSite provides the ability to search both the FAR and any agency’s FAR supplement simultaneously. This contemporaneous searching functionality enables users to see search results from two or more sources displayed side-by-side, a feature especially useful when researching the application of a specific FAR provision or clause in a particular agency’s solicitation or contract.

The Unknowns

It is not known at this time whether the simultaneous search capability will be integrated into Acquisition.gov. There is no information about the transition on the Acquisition.gov website. Currently, Acquisition.gov only allows for searching of the FAR and the GSAM — the General Services Acquisition Regulation. The site provides a list of each of the other FAR supplements, hyperlinked to individual agency websites. Some of these links lead to general agency websites where further searching is necessary, and where the links lead directly to an agency’s FAR supplement, the information is presented in non-uniform formats (e.g., HTML and PDF).

For many years, the FARSite published monthly usage reports. In the last month these data were published — July 2017 — over 12 million hits were recorded, comprised of over 3 million individual page views by 53,000 unique visitors. Military branches made up the bulk of the users in that month but, notably, visitors from GSA and Lockheed Martin appear on the Top 25 users list.

The status of another useful feature of the FARSite is unknown in the transition to Acquisition.gov, namely the integration of Class Deviations to the FAR. Currently, the text on the FARSite includes a display of DoD Class Deviations where they are applicable to a particular provision or clause. No such cross-reference appears at Acquisition.gov.

The fate of the FARSite has been in question for more than a year. On Jan. 3, 2018, the webmaster for FARSite retired. At that time, the following message was posted: “For now FARSite will continue as you see it. However due to new AF policies, FARSite’s location will eventually change which introduces unknows that could impact the site in the future. If you have any issues, concerns or opinions as to the sites direction contact USAF SAF/AQC.” Faced with many questions following that announcement, a new message was posted on Mar. 1, 2018: “The FARSite team remains committed to updating the site and providing accurate, current, and complete postings of the FAR and its many supplements. If you have any questions feel free to contact the FARSite Webmaster at Hill.Farsite@us.af.mil.”

Despite that statement last year, it appears that the plug will be pulled on the FARSite this year at midnight, Sept. 30th.

See an important update to this article here.

February 20, 2019 By cs

2 modules of popular FAR course offered in April

The focus will be on how the government plans and forms its contracts when The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech rolls out two courses in April 2019. Both government contracting officials and government contractors will benefit from these course offerings.

The comprehensive five-day class, “Contract Planning in the FAR” (CON 090-2) will be presented April 8 through 12, 2019.

Then, on April 29 through May 3, “Contract Formation in the FAR” (CON 090-3) will be presented.

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

As a member of the government’s acquisition team, don’t you need to know how to conduct acquisition planning — and award contracts — properly?
As a contractor, wouldn’t you like to gain insights into the government’s contract planning and awards processes?

Both courses will be presented at Georgia Tech’s world-class Global Learning Center in midtown Atlanta. Course and registration details for the courses can be found by clicking on the following links:

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 provided each morning, along with snacks throughout each day.

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 full FAR Fundamentals course series, please visit http://www.pe.gatech.edu/Subjects/Acquisition-Government-Contracting.

February 19, 2019 By cs

Learn how the government administers its contracts during week of June 24th

Now you have the opportunity to attend a week-long course at Georgia Tech that comprehensively covers the federal contract administration process.

The course — Contract Administration in the FAR — begins Monday, June 24 and concludes Friday, June 28, 2019. Registration details may be found at: https://pe.gatech.edu/courses/con-090-4-contract-administration-far.

**Students work in teams to answer questions and solve problems involving contract administration.**

Who Should Attend

Government contracting officials will learn not only the rules but the best practices in contract administration. And, this course satisfies required FAC-C and DAWIA certification programs.
Business people, including those to aspire to become federal contractors, will learn how to use the power of being an incumbent to win future contracts as well as how to protect contractual interests.

How You Will Benefit

You will learn:

The fundamental concepts of government contract administration.
The rights of the parties when contract performance is not timely.
Both the government’s and the contractor’s rights when contract performance comes into question.
The policies and procedures for preparing and processing contract modifications.
How to apply the requirements of applicable contract clauses in various contracting scenarios.
The applicable payment clauses and invoicing procedures.
The policies and procedures for filing and processing contract disputes and appeals.
The policies and procedures pertaining to the complete or partial termination of contracts for the convenience of the government or for default.
All pertinent parts of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) having to do with contract administration.

Content

Fundamentals of contract administration
Contract modifications
Administration of selected terms and conditions
Delays and how to handle them
Quality assurance
Payment and cost allowability
Disputes and appeals
Terminations — for convenience and for default
Closeout procedures and requirements

Materials, Resources and Amenities

Each student receives a printed Student Guide, exercises, updated supplemental information, and exclusive access to web-based student resources. A complimentary breakfast is provided each morning, along with snacks throughout each day.

Additional Information

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech (The Academy) is an approved equivalency training provider to the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) and the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI). Our courses satisfy both the FAC-C and the DAWIA certification programs. The coursework also provides students the opportunity to earn continuing education unit credits (CEUs) for acquisition and contracting professionals as well as business professionals pursuing contract opportunities in the federal contracting arena.

More Information and To Register

For more information on this course, please visit: https://pe.gatech.edu/courses/con-090-4-contract-administration-far

February 11, 2019 By cs

Proposed FAR amendment makes whistleblower protections permanent

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) is being amended to make permanent a “pilot program” of whistleblower protections established in 2013.

When announcing this move, the government affirmed its commitment to enhanced whistleblower protection for government contractor employees and clarified existing rules.

Whistleblower protections for contractor employees were first added to the FAR as part of reforms mandated by the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994. These provisions remained unchanged until September 2013, when an interim rule implemented a four-year pilot program to enhance these protections under contracts with civilian agencies (while temporarily suspending the original provisions). The proposed rule implements Congressional direction to make the pilot program permanent. DoD, NASA, and the Coast Guard have their own whistleblower protection system codified in 10 U.S.C. 2409.

Under the pilot program, now being made permanent, a contractor or subcontractor employee who believes he or she was discharged, demoted, or discriminated against for making a covered disclosure may file a complaint with the agency’s Inspector General within three years of the alleged reprisal. The initial whistleblower protection regulations had encompassed only disclosures to a Member of Congress, an authorized agency official, or the Department of Justice of information “relating to a substantial violation of law related to a contract.”

Keep reading this article at: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=775878

January 30, 2019 By cs

The new ‘other transactions authority’ guide — Helpful, but not enough

The Department of Defense recently published a new guide to Other Transactions Authority (OTA) contracts.

The guide attempts to answer a number of questions associated with the policies and practices surrounding OTAs. It partially succeeds, but it also falls short of providing the details both contracting officers in government and industry representatives need to use OTAs with confidence and alacrity.

Two helpful things the guidance makes clear are that OTAs are in fact contracts and that they are still likely to be very complicated contracts.

There is a perception in some quarters that OTAs are a magic wand that can eliminate the difficulties of doing business with the government. The guide implicitly refutes that premise as it correctly catalogues the many details anyone contemplating an OTA vehicle has to consider.

OTAs have real virtues, but they basically just substitute the world of commercial contracting for the world of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) contracting. Anyone who has ever attempted to read a commercial contract for say a real estate sale or for cellphone service has some idea of how complex a commercial contract can be.

OTAs can simplify doing business with the government substantially, but a good contract is a good contract and a bad contract is a bad contract, independent of whether it is FAR based or an OTA.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/frankkendall/2019/01/03/the-new-other-transactions-authority-guide-helpful-but-not-enough