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Learn how the government administers contracts during week of Aug. 6th

Before summer ends, 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, Aug. 6 and concludes Friday, Aug. 10, 2018. 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).
Content
      • Contract administration basics
      • Contract modifications
      • Administration of selected terms and conditions
      • Delays
      • Quality assurance
      • Payment and cost allowability
      • Disputes and appeals
      • Terminations
      • Closeout
Materials

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 government contracting professionals as well as business professionals working for the government or pursuing 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

 

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ICE broke contracting rules in establishing its largest detention facility

The nation’s largest immigrant detention facility was procured improperly, according to a watchdog report, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2014 using an existing agreement with a town in Arizona as a vehicle to establish the center 900 miles away in Texas.

Since 2014, ICE has spent $438,000 annually for Eloy, Ariz., to serve solely as a middleman for a 2,400-bed detention facility in Dilley, Texas, according to the Homeland Security Department’s inspector general. The agency first contracted with the city of Eloy in 2006 to establish the Eloy Detention Center, which the city subcontracted to a company called CCA. ICE reached the agreement with Eloy through a process known as an intergovernmental service agreement, or IGSA.

After an influx of unaccompanied minors and families illegally crossed the border in 2014, ICE looked to boost its detention capacity in south Texas. The agency asked CCA and another contractor to submit proposals for a facility, but only CCA responded. The contractor negotiated directly with ICE on the provisions of the agreement. Rather than create a new contract, ICE went to the city of Eloy and requested that it modify its IGSA to enable CCA to run the South Texas Family Residential Center. The Eloy City Council gave its consent, and the agreement was altered. The provision was set to expire in October 2016, but ICE extended it until 2021.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.govexec.com/oversight/2018/02/ice-broke-contracting-rules-establishing-its-largest-detention-facility/146278

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Learn how the government administers contracts during week of Dec. 4th

You have the opportunity before year’s end 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, Dec. 4 and concludes Friday, Dec. 8, 2017.  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).
Content
      • Contract administration basics
      • Contract modifications
      • Administration of selected terms and conditions
      • Delays
      • Quality assurance
      • Payment and cost allowability
      • Disputes and appeals
      • Terminations
      • Closeout
Materials

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 government contracting professionals as well as business professionals working for the government or pursuing 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

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Sticks and stones: How words and terms of art can hurt the contracting profession

Contracting professional need precision in words and terms, as contract interpretation turns on minute differences in terminology and definitions. 

mastery-of-words-oct-2016Misuse of terms of art in the contracting profession leads to confusion, misunderstanding, and pernicious misconceptions.  Clarity in contracting language improves professionalism and avoids inefficient or wasteful procedures.

Words, terms of art, and definitions do not get the respect they deserve.  People calling themselves contracting professionals blithely misuse them.  Seasoned practitioners — who should know better — stay silent and allow bad habits to persist.

This article turns the spotlight on several frequently misused and abused terms of art, but it is not an exhaustive list.

Read on to explore several flagrantly abused terms of art regarding justifications and scope of the contract: http://www.wifcon.com/analy/Sticks_and_Stones.pdf

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To contract better, does government need more in-house experts?

I was recently interviewed by Raj Sharma, CEO of Censeo, which provides consulting services on procurement management in the public and non-profit sectors, in connection with a project he was working on talking with various procurement luminaries inside and outside government about key competencies government procurement officials need.

Prominent on my list was the ability to evaluate and negotiate contract modifications, known colloquially as “change orders.” For any major contract, mods are a way of life, and a staple of contract management.  For longer-term contracts, the modified contract often ends up bearing only a small relationship to what originally was signed.

And the content of those modifications has a huge influence on a contract’s success. For example, does the mod water down the original terms of the contract due to the contractor contending performance was impossible?  How is the modification priced? (There is a widespread view, captured in the phrase “buy in and get well,” that aggressive pricing during source selection is often counteracted by generously priced mods.)  And  though I didn’t mention it in the interview, I also should have added that an analogous key competency is evaluating the product or service the contractor submits — since problems in that area can often lead to major modifications.

I was taken aback when Sharma told me I was the first interviewee to mention the ability to manage mods as a key competency.

Keep reading this article at: https://fcw.com/blogs/lectern/2015/10/kelman-contracting-expertise.aspx

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