federal contracting | The Contracting Education Academy

February 22, 2021 By cs

Why systemic bias exists in government contracting programs

President Joe Biden issued an executive order to advance racial equity and support underserved communities.

The executive order promotes racial equity and emphasizes that advancing that ideal requires a systemic approach to embedding fairness in the decision-making process; it encourages agencies to recognize inequities in their policies and programs and work to redress them. Agencies are required to assess whether and to what extent their programs and policies perpetuate systemic barriers to opportunities and benefits for underserved communities.

The underlying emphasis here is that programs and initiatives that are meant to support, grow and allow the underserved communities to prosper are often hindered, and obstacles are created which prevent the full impact of the programs to be realized.

Too often, congressional initiatives to support underserved communities are implemented in regulations, programs, procedures and processes in such a way that all but neuter the intended outcomes. At best, under the mantra of ensuring that the benefits flow to the intended recipients, well-intentioned civil servants implement the programs in such a way to “protect” the underserved either from themselves or from would be charlatans, thus negating or totally eliminating the intended impact. At worst, maligned bureaucrats can’t stand by and witness government programs generate wealth for minorities and the underserved communities, and thereby create procedural roadblocks, hurdles and sand traps.

There are countless examples of the above, but I will provide one for illustrative purposes. Consider the intended benefits of the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program.

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/commentary/2021/02/why-systemic-bias-exists-in-government-contracting-programs/

July 31, 2020 By cs

Agencies could use improvement in contracting forecast data

According to an industry group study, most federal agencies aren’t sharing details about their upcoming acquisitions needs as well as they could.

**See PSC’s full Scorecard by clicking on image above.**

The federal government has room to improve in providing effective contracting forecasts to industry, according to the Professional Services Council, which represents some 400 companies that work with federal agencies.

PSC’s second Federal Business Forecast Scorecard, which evaluated 60 agencies on 15 “key attributes” necessary for an effective forecast, found 28 of the agencies reviewed “needed improvement,” while five agencies—including the Air Force, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Agriculture Department — do not provide forecasts.

PSC rated 16 agencies as “good,” which represented an improvement from PSC’s 2019 forecast.

“PSC is pleased to see substantial improvement in several agencies even as we continue to encourage all federal agencies to refine the information made available to industry,” Alan Chvotkin, PSC executive vice president and counsel, said in a statement. “Clear project needs enable contractors to plan for the needed personnel and resources to compete successfully for U.S. government contracts, thus resulting in better proposals and shorter award decision timelines allowing programs to commence in timely fashion. The benefit to agencies is that companies can prepare better and earlier in the procurement lifecycle to perform on contracts. Agency needs are met, measurable results are achieved, and competition keeps costs down.”

Keep reading this article at: https://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2020/07/agencies-could-use-improvement-contracting-forecast-data/167043/

July 20, 2020 By cs

Agencies expected to spend almost $200 billion on acquisition in FY20’s fourth quarter

The fourth quarter spending surge is upon us, and it appears the federal acquisition community isn’t just focused on getting money out the door, but request for proposals, too.

Agencies are expected to spend $194 billion between now and Sept. 30, according to Bloomberg Government. Departments will spend a big chunk of that total on technology — $28 billion — and on professional services — $32 billion.

But this has been a trend for some time.

“The $182 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 spending obligations is about a $7 billion decrease from 2018, but fiscal 2019 represents about a $30 billion increase since 2016,” BGov said in a recent webinar. “Spending in the last month of the fiscal year is usually more than that of July and August combined.”

Of that $194 billion expected to go out the door in Q4 2020, BGov estimates that agencies will spend $101 billion in September, the most in one month since 2018 when they spent $99 billion.

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/reporters-notebook-jason-miller/2020/07/agencies-expected-to-spend-almost-200b-on-acquisition-in-q4-2020/

July 8, 2020 By cs

Federal contract spending reaches its highest level ever in fiscal 2019, marking 4 straight years of growth

Spending is expected to increase even more for fiscal 2020, exceeding $600 billion even before coronavirus stimulus funding is included.

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

Federal contract spending grew for the fourth year in a row to reach $597 billion in fiscal 2019, its highest level yet and a 6% increase over the previous year, according to newly released data. Spending is expected to exceed $600 billion in fiscal 2020, without even including spending on economic stimulus funds in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The data, compiled by Bloomberg Government, encompasses prime and unclassified contract spending. Bloomberg released the findings in the ninth annual BGOV200 report, which ranks the top 200 federal contractors. The report analyzes market trends, contractors’ performance and other dynamics among 92 federal agencies in 20 purchasing categories during fiscal 2019.

The agencies with the biggest gains in contract spending in fiscal 2019 included: the Housing and Urban Development, Commerce and Defense departments, and the General Services Administration. Some of the top markets were: facilities and construction; professional services; information technology and aircrafts, ships/submarines and land vehicles.

The 200 companies won the same share of total contracts as in 2018 and 2017, which was 64%. The top six companies — all in the defense industry — were: Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co., General Dynamics Corp., Raytheon Co., Northrop Grumman Corp. and United Technologies Corp. This was the same as last year, except McKesson Corp. was number six in 2018 and this year it ranked seventh. In 2019, 37 companies entered the top 200 for the first time.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.govexec.com/management/2020/06/federal-contract-spending-reaches-its-highest-level-ever-fiscal-2019-marking-4-straight-years-growth/166484/

February 25, 2020 By cs

How much do you want to become a ‘FAR master’?

Whether you are a government contracting official or a government contractor, your success hinges on your mastery of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) — the rules that must be followed in acquiring goods and services.

*Don’t miss the opportunity to learn all about the FAR — side-by-side with your peers.*

The FAR’s rules are voluminous — 2,000 pages in all, plus hundreds of supplemental rules tailored to individual agencies throughout the federal government. How can you be expected to find these rules, grasp their meaning and, most importantly, apply them properly?

Fortunately for you, Georgia Tech has the courses that will teach you all you need to know. And, best of all, our instruction is based on practical application, so you will return to your job equipped with the skills and knowledge to confidently navigate all aspects of contract planning, contract formation, and contract administration.

Our FAR coursework is based on training originally developed by the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). It’s been enhanced by Georgia Tech to provide the know-how actually needed by acquisition professionals like you. And, best of all, our comprehensive coursework is broken-up into modules so that you can learn conveniently, based on your priorities and at your own pace.

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech (The Academy) offers its comprehensive FAR course in four, one-week classes. Each “module” focuses on a different aspect of the FAR and, best of all, the modules may be taken in any order. This means you have multiple opportunities throughout the year to complete the entire course without the challenge of being away from your job or home for an entire month.

The Academy’s foundational course focuses on four distinctly different aspects of the FAR:

Contracting Overview of the FAR (CON 090-1) introduces the FAR and how to navigate all of the acquisition regulations. This four-day course answers the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the FAR. This module is considered the most challenging lesson in the course, as it provide hands-on training on the FAR’s structure, meaning, and proper application.
Contract Planning in the FAR (CON 090-2) presents information on the policies and procedures for the acquisition of supplies and services from required or preferred sources. Key topics in this lesson include the use of required sources, use of existing contracts, and required participation by small businesses.
Contract Formation in the FAR (CON 090-3) goes deep into different methods of contracting by: 1) comparing and contrasting the solicitation and evaluation of offers in sealed bidding and competitive negotiation, 2) exploring the procedural requirements of making a contract award, and 3) explaining simplified acquisition procedures as well as the policies and procedures for handling bid and size status protests.
Contract Administration in the FAR (CON 090-4) covers the basic principles of contract management, including making contract modifications, administration of selected terms and conditions, handling delays, quality assurance procedures, making payments, addressing disputes and appeals, and contract terminations and closeouts.

**Students are exposed to realistic case studies and get a chance to work in groups to tackle real-life problem-solving exercises.**

Click on any of the course titles listed above to see course schedules and pricing. And see our exclusive Student Resources page for a detailed outline of the content covered in each of our four FAR course modules.

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. Plus, you’ll earn Continuous Education Units from Georgia Tech as well as credit toward Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) and Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting Program (FAC-C) training requirements.

All courses are conducted in Georgia Tech’s world-class Global Learning Center, conveniently located in Midtown Atlanta. Interested in us bringing our coursework to you? Simply contact us at info@ContractingAcademy.gatech.edu — we will be happy to speak with you about scheduling and quantity discounts.