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Why you can’t run government like a business

For years, politicians have been telling us the federal government needs to operate more like a business, but can a private sector leader truly be a great public sector leader? Is the reverse true?

Good to GreatSuccessful leadership in business or government requires a mastery of communication and negotiation skills, and an ability to engender trust and credibility. But routinely ignored are the different responsibilities and skills required.

When private sector leaders are tapped for government service, they must recognize that different skills are needed for success. The high wire act of learning on the job can be disastrous for both the office holder and citizens.

Jim Collins, author of Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t (HarperCollins 2001), wrote a monograph entitled Good to Great and the Social Sectors: Why Business Thinking is not the Answer. It explores the differences in detail. Collins writes that social sector organizations look to the private sector for leadership models and talent, which may be a mistake, “because of the checks and balances that exceed the capacity of private sector leaders in their facilitative leadership capacity . . . Indeed, perhaps tomorrow’s great business leaders will come from the social sectors, not the other way around.”

Keep reading this article at: http://m.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2016/04/why-you-cant-run-government-business/127213

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More mythbusting needed around industry-government communications

The continued inability of agencies to provide truly educational debriefings to contractors when they lose out on a contract is one of the biggest problems with federal procurement.

Jason MillerTime and again, I’ve written about debriefings as the one outstanding issue for how agencies could easily avoid bid protests and help industry down a continuous improvement path.

Well, there might just be some light at the end of this contracting tunnel. Anne Rung, the administrator in the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, said at the recent Acquisition Excellence conference that she’s working with the Chief Acquisition Officer’s Council to share some debriefing best practices governmentwide.

OFPP“Industry communications ranges from the informal to the formal and so we are looking across the whole range on things we can do better and to identify those best practices,” Rung said. “From the informal, it’s even events like this. It’s sitting down with the leaderships of the companies to get their input to the more formal channels like Acquisition 360, where we are asking for specific input on specific IT acquisitions or through the series with ACT-IAC. I think we are trying to identify some of those best practices and put them out as a second generation Mythbusters.”

Keep reading this article at: http://federalnewsradio.com/industryassociations/2016/03/mythbusting-needed-around-industry-government-communications/

See the OFPP’s “Mythbusting Memorandums” at:

 

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Aerospace opportunity conference to be held in Savannah on Sept. 15

Industry, government, and academia are collaborating to host a Supplier Opportunities and Aerospace Resources (SOAR) Conference on September 15, 2015 in Savannah, Georgia.

aerospaceDuring this aerospace industry supplier event, businesses will be able to:

  • Connect with other suppliers, to major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and to resources available to manufacturers in Georgia.
  • Promote company capabilities to OEMs.
  • Attend informative workshops to build skills and become more competitive.

Speakers and presenters include representatives from Gulfstream Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and Georgia Tech.

Breakout workshops will be held on a variety of topics as well as a uniquely-designed match-making event for aerospace suppliers to connect to OEMs through one-on-one networking sessions.

Conference Details:
  • Date: September 15 (Registration ends Sept. 8)
  • Time: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Check-in at 8:00 a.m.)
  • Location: Coastal Georgia Center, Georgia Southern University, 305 Fahm St, Savannah, GA 31401
  • Price: $40 (lunch included)
  • Registration: http://bit.ly/1Pmy4OH

Sponsors of the event include the Georgia Center of Innovation for Aerospace, the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) at Georgia Tech, the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA), the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC), the Georgia Small Business Development Center (GaSBDC), the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD), and Georgia Power.

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With Academy’s help, Oklahoma business advisors learn GSA Schedule process

Sixteen business counselors from the Oklahoma Bid Assistance Network (OBAN) recently participated in a two-day workshop on the intricacies of the GSA Schedule process.

OBAN provides marketing and technical assistance to Oklahoma businesses interested in selling products and services to federal, state, local and tribal governments.  OBAN’s mission is to create jobs and expand the economy in Oklahoma by providing resources to Oklahoma businesses.

Sixteen Oklahoma-based business counselors benefited from instruction about the GSA Schedule process provided by consultants from The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech.
Oklahoma-based business counselors benefited from instruction about the GSA Schedule process provided by consultants from The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech.

The counselors gathered on March 3 and 4, 2015 on the campus of the Francis Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma City to receive advice about how they can guide their business clients through the proposal process to win a GSA Schedule contract.  The instruction covered prerequisites to the process, decision-making in the selection of the appropriate Schedule and Special Item Numbers, preparation of the required proposal narratives, financial requirements, negotiations, award, and contract administration.

Consultants from The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech provided templates and engaged Workshop attendees in the actual preparation of a proposal to GSA.  OBAN counselors were asked to imagine themselves as real businesses working through the process — actually preparing proposal documentation for GSA’s review.

Here’s what OBAN representatives had to say about the workshop:

  • “This was a very thorough overview of the GSA proposal process.  I valued the instructors’ knowledge of the subject material and willingness to deviate in order to address all questions.”
  • “I valued the presentation, the discussions, and the hands-on training.”
  • “Great workshop — the information, the handbook, and the templates.”
  • “I received instruction on all the steps in the preparation of a GSA proposal, including templates and writing exercises to help me understand the challenge.”
  • “I valued the discussions, practical examples, and the eOffer demonstration.”
  • The resource materials will prove to be very valuable as I counsel my clients.”
  • “I valued the in-depth conversations resulting from Q&A throughout the workshop, along with the breakdown of the full proposal process.”
  • “Valuable templates with coaching in an open Q&A format.”
  • “I received an in-depth overview of the proposal response process, along with best practices, possible roadblocks, and resources to help expedite an accurate and complete response.”
  • “This was an in-depth workshop that covered the entire GSA proposal process — I valued the knowledge of the instructors and the detail of the workbook we received.”
  • “Excellent instruction and insight from very knowledgeable people who have actually successfully submitted proposals to GSA.”

Groups interested in arranging for the GSA Schedule workshop, or other government contracting instruction, to be brought to their community may contact The Contracting Academy at Georgia Tech at 404-894-6109 or info@ContractingAcademy.gatech.edu.

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Delaware businesses benefit from Academy’s instruction

A group of Delaware business people braved snowy conditions on the morning of February 26th to gather at the Biotechnology Institute on the main campus of the University of Delaware (UDEL) to learn about the significance of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to their participation in federal contracts.

The educational workshop was hosted by the PTAC of Delaware Program, part of the University of Delaware’s Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships, Small Business Development Center.  UDEL’s Juanita Beauford made arrangements for the workshop to be conducted by representatives of The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech (The Academy).

The businesses were provided with a half-day of intensive instruction on how to use the FAR, along with insights into how the government plans, forms, and administers its contracts.  Each participant was provided with a 190-page workbook mirroring the workshop’s content, along with FAR flash cards and a contract administration pocket guide.  “We’re confident the attendees will find the workshop’s materials to be useful desktop references for years to come,” pointed out Chuck Schadl, group manager for government contracting services at The Academy.

Delaware workshop participants received expert instruction and resources on the business implications of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
Delaware workshop participants received expert instruction and resources on the business implications of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

Lead instructor Kevin Grimes led the business group through a thorough examination of the FAR and its implications for contractors.  Covered topics in the “Complete FAR Guide for Businesses” workshop included:

  • Market research and how the government defines its needs.
  • Commercial item determinations and acquisition strategies.
  • The concept of full and open competition.
  • The Simplified Acquisition Procedures.
  • The government’s small business policy.
  • The principles of contract formation.
  • Solicitation and evaluation of offers.
  • Source selection, debriefings, and protests.
  • Adjustments in contract terms, modifications, and claims.
  • Quality assurance, acceptance, and payment.
  • Disputes, appeals, and contract terminations and close-outs.

Highlighted during the workshop were 24 “Win Tips” — informational resources and strategies designed to help businesses better understand contracting standards in order to win contracts with the government.  Workshop participants also were given access to an exclusive web site where government contracting resources are maintained for the business community.

Business groups interested in arranging for the “Complete FAR Guide for Businesses” workshop to be brought to their community may contact The Contracting Academy at Georgia Tech at 404-894-6109 or  info@ContractingAcademy.gatech.edu.

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Phone: 404-894-6109
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