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August 19, 2019 By AMK

Comprehensive contract planning course being conducted Oct. 7-11

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 October 7-11, 2019.

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.

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.

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

Filed Under: Academy News Tagged With: acquisition training, acquisition workforce, CON 090, contract planning, DAU, FAR, FAR training, Georgia Tech, market research, training resources

April 3, 2019 By AMK

ATF rushed sole-source contracts without market research, watchdog finds

In its efforts to meet small business contracting goals, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives neglected proper market research and record-keeping before awarding sole-source contracts, a watchdog found.

“Proper documentation is necessary to show that ATF safeguarded federal funds, furthered the purpose of small business programs, and complied with sole-source contracting authorities,” wrote the Justice Department inspector general in a report released on March 14th.

“ATF did not maintain complete contract files and could not demonstrate that it had conducted required market research before awarding several sole-source contracts,” auditors found in a review of 16 sole-source contracts totaling $56 million to nine small businesses in 2016-2017.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.govexec.com/contracting/2019/03/atf-rushed-sole-source-contracts-without-market-research-watchdog-finds/155640/

Filed Under: Government Contracting News Tagged With: acquisition planning, ATF, DOJ, IG, Justice Dept., market research, OIG, small business, sole source

February 22, 2019 By AMK

Bots could be climbing another rung on the workforce ladder

Bots have been making some headway in the government workforce, performing the kinds of mundane, clerical, routine tasks that make the people who do them feel less than human.
But robotic systems may soon take it up a notch, gaining new responsibilities with basic but essential procurement duties.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently issued a request for information looking for robotics and intelligent process automation applications in the commercial sector. The robots would need to perform tasks such as evaluating proposals, automating market research, performing cost and price analyses, carrying out modification actions, and issuing price negotiation memoranda. The Pentagon’s top research arm isn’t proposing that robots run the show or take people’s jobs, but it is talking about the kind of jobs that might move robots up a theoretical pay grade from what they’ve been doing.

DARPA said it wants to look into the possibility of using the “operational efficiency and functional capabilities” of such systems to perform “routine administrative tasks and document generation in the government procurement process.”

Keep reading this article at: https://www.governmentciomedia.com/bots-could-be-climbing-another-rung-workforce-ladder

Filed Under: Government Contracting News Tagged With: acquisition reform, bots, cost and price analysis, DARPA, market research, modification, negotiated price, procurement reform, proposal evaluation, RFI, streamlined acquisition process

February 20, 2019 By AMK

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:

  • “Contract Planning in the FAR” (CON 090-2)
  • “Contract Formation in the FAR” (CON 090-3)

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.

Filed Under: Academy News Tagged With: acquisition training, acquisition workforce, CON 090, contract planning, DAU, FAR, FAR training, Georgia Tech, market research, training resources

January 28, 2019 By AMK

DARPA looks to procurement bots

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is looking for a few good bots to help with procurement.

In a request for information posted Jan. 23, DARPA said it wants information on off-the-shelf options for robotic and intelligent process automation tools that can increase efficiency and expand its ability to manage routine administrative tasks such as proposal evaluation, market research, cost and price analysis and documentation related to price negotiations.

DARPA is also considering integrating robotic process automation into Defense Department IT systems, including the System for Award Management, Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System and the Standard Performance System/Procurement Desktop-Defense. Respondents are asked to provide available information on the software’s security and any interoperability limitations it might have with existing government systems.

Keep reading this article at: https://gcn.com/articles/2019/01/24/darpa-rpa.aspx

Filed Under: Government Contracting News Tagged With: acquisition management, acquisition reform, acquisition strategy, artificial intelligence, bots, cost and price analysis, CPARS, DARPA, DoD, IT, market research, negotiation, procurement reform, proposal evaluation, robotics, SAM

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