Planning | The Contracting Education Academy

November 23, 2018 By AMK

Advice on running a government agency like a startup, from someone who’s tried it

The White House recently formed the Office of American Innovation, which has a stated focus on “implementing policies and scaling proven private-sector models to spur job creation and innovation.”

It’s a familiar idea: A SWAT innovation team is created, ready to inject new thinking into a burdensome bureaucracy.

It certainly sounds familiar to Greg Godbout, a former U.S. presidential innovation fellow and a cofounder of 18F, a digital services office within the U.S. General Services Administration. 18F was borne, in part, out of the Obama administration’s attempts to funnel startup-style ingenuity into the government, particularly after the disastrous launch of Healthcare.gov. Godbout was executive director at 18F before departing to become chief technology officer for the EPA. He is now the CEO and cofounder of cBrain North America.

The Harvard Business Review asked Godbout about how innovation teams work in government. Following are excerpts of our conversation, edited for length and clarity.

Keep reading this article at: https://hbr.org/2017/04/advice-on-running-a-government-agency-like-a-startup-from-someone-whos-tried-it

September 30, 2016 By AMK

Learn about contract planning Nov. 14-18

Ever wondered how the Government plans its acquisition of products and services?

As a contractor, wouldn’t you like to gain insights into the process?
As a member of the acquisition team, don’t you need to learn how to conduct acquisition planning properly?

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech will address these questions, and much more, in a five-day class, “Contract Planning in the FAR” (CON 090-2) to be presented Nov. 14-18, 2016.

FAR This in-depth course covers all aspects of acquisition planning, including how to conduct market research, how to describe buying needs, and the preference for the acquisition of commercial and non-developmental items.

This course is the second module in a series of four educational modules that examine the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Government’s “procurement bible.”

For government contracting officers, this course is required to maintain a contracting warrant. A warrant is a written document providing a contracting officer with the limits of his or her authority. Per FAR 1.601-2, 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 course standards — that help contractng officials maintain their warrants and enhance professional development.
For businesspeople who compete for and fulfill government contracts, Academy classes are equally pertinent. Contractor personnel who attend Academy courses gain real-world knowledge about how government officials are trained to formulate and administer contracts. Insights in these areas provide invaluable guidance pertinent to reaching greater success in competing for, winning, and fulfilling government contract work.

Georgia Tech offers the entire CON 090 course series in world-class facilities on its campus in midtown Atlanta. From groups of 10 or more, Georgia Tech also brings any of its government contracting courses to the workplace. Each of Georgia Tech’s courses in the CON 090 series have been certified as equivalent to Defense Acquisition University coursework, satisfying both FAC-C and DAWIA professional education certification programs.

For details on all classes, including the FAR Fundamentals course, please visit http://www.pe.gatech.edu/Subjects/Acquisition-Government-Contracting. To make arrangements for any of the courses to be taught at your place of work, email us at: info@ContractingAcademy.gatech.edu or give us a call at 404-894-6109.

February 25, 2015 By AMK

IT buying experiments preview ‘Acquisition of the Future’

“Acquisition of the Future” is an initiative that seeks to frame a vision in which acquisition creates significant new value for the government through fresh approaches, modern technologies and a new generation’s capabilities.

Participants include a growing number of federal executives, industry leaders, notable academics and rising acquisition professionals who have been meeting since 2013 to create a framework for what federal acquisition can become, to meet the demands of the Collaboration Age — and beyond.

Acquisition of the Future supporters are continuing their quest to find and capture real-world examples that uncover emerging trends. AOF leverages these initiatives to demonstrate the new value that vibrant, forward-focused federal acquisition can provide, and that model the strategic decision-making and investments required now to transform the future.

Especially in the realm of information technology, such experiments are emerging everywhere. That’s not surprising, because technology is one of the chief disruptors driving change and creating higher expectations in government, society, industry and our economy. Because IT is evolving so rapidly, government has difficulty acquiring, modernizing and maintaining it in a way that keeps pace with innovation and commercial best practices. And current government buying processes and culture make it difficult for agencies to keep apprised and take advantage of the pace of technological innovation. Consequently, IT is a hotbed of acquisition experimentation.

Keep reading this article at: http://fcw.com/articles/2015/01/22/preview-acquisition-of-the-future.aspx

March 23, 2014 By AMK

Academy explains FAR to business counselors at national conference

On March 23rd, The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech conducted a comprehensive workshop on the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) for 150 counselors from procurement technical assistance centers (PTACs) from across the country.

The workshop was conducted in San Francisco in conjunction with the spring training conference of the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC).

APTAC selected The Academy to create an educational workshop entitled “The Complete FAR Guide for PTAC Counselors.” The workshop provided a focused and comprehensive review of those portions of the FAR that are most pertinent to the work PTAC counselors do to assist their clients.

The workshop instruction was complemented by an 202-page manual produced by The Academy exclusively for APTAC members as well as a special web page where FAR resources are available for download.

Each workshop attendee received a 202-page manual explaining pertinent parts of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

The FAR is the federal rule book governing all acquisitions made by the government. Contracting officers from virtually every federal agency follow the FAR each time they purchase any product or service, ranging from office supplies to major military systems. Understanding these rules is essential not only for those who issue contracts but also for those who are awarded government contracts.

In designing the workshop and the printed Guide, the Academy’s curriculum development team analyzed the 2,000-page FAR and selected those portions most critical to the success of businesses engaging, or hoping to engage, in government contract work. The Academy’s team then developed training modules and materials designed to assist PTAC counselors in their work with those businesses. “The workshop held in San Francisco was an outgrowth of one conducted by the Academy in Atlanta in April of last year,” the Academy’s program manager Donna Bertrand pointed out. “We were very proud to be invited back.”

PTACs are funded, in part, by the Defense Logistics Agency to provide counseling and assistance to businesses seeking to compete successfully in federal, state and local government contracting. More than 95 PTACs — with 300 local offices — form a nationwide network of procurement counselors who provide businesses advice about the government marketplace. More details on PTACs can be found at: http://www.aptac-us.org.

“This workshop conveys not only technical knowledge but also insights into the government’s acquisition process,” commented instructor Kevin Grimes. “Attendees come away with a complete set of tools they need to help their clients compete for and win contracts.”

Reaction to the March 23rd training session was unanimously positive. “The post-workshop evaluations reflect that 100% of the participants feel the workshop met or exceeded their expectations,” said Chuck Schadl, who oversees the Contracting Education Academy as well as Georgia Tech’s PTAC. “In fact, 75% of the participants said that the workshop exceeded their expectations.”

Here is a sampling of what attendees had to say:

“I got tons of really great info to immediately use in helping my clients.”
“What I got was beyond my expectation — I’m so glad for this opportunity!”
“I expected a tedious analysis and explanation of various FAR clauses. Instead, this was a very engaging and informative presentation with lots of information useful to counseling clients.”
“I valued the approach to learning a somewhat difficult topic, and all the solid reference points.”
“This was a fun, informative and relevant workshop. I value the instructor’s knowledge, sense of humor, great presentation style, and Georgia Tech’s amazing resources.”
“This was a good and quick presentation on a huge topic. Very good speaker who kept it moving. A wonderful reference guide.”
“This course needs to be presented every year because the FAR is something that must be repeated multiple times.”
” A lot of good information and resources!”
“A fantastic presentation on the FAR, loaded with great information. Georgia Tech programs are always good.”
“This presentation was presented in a way that was easy to follow.”
“I need more training like this.”
“Awesome seminar and resources!”
“I need this refresher once a year — also need this class for my clients.”
“I like that the presentation was tailored to help us counsel our clients.”
“I need more classes by Georgia Tech!”
“This was an outstanding session. I got an excellent hard copy resource book plus access to exclusive links and websites.”
“The workbook is a great value.”
“Excellent training on the FAR.”
“I received a dynamic and engaging review of the FAR that gave me a ton of tools to take back and better assist my clients.”
“It was a pleasure to sit in this class.”
“This training exceeded my expectations. I really like the way it was laid out. The booklet will be a great tool which I will use a lot.”
“The resources provided will be invaluable to me.”
“I value the professionalism and clarity of the instructor and the course materials.”

At the conclusion of the workshop, each attendee was presented with a certificate of completion and was awarded 0.3 CEUs from Georgia Tech.

Feel free to contact The Academy for help with your next educational workshop. Call 404-894-6109 or email: info@ContractingAcademy.gatech.edu.

August 19, 2013 By AMK

Procurement officials should involve themselves in budgeting process

The public procurement profession has historically focused on how money is spent. That’s very logical. Since these folks purchase goods and services that represent 15 to 20 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in a given year, it only makes sense. We are talking about billions of dollars here.

But it is not enough for today’s procurement professional to know where the money is going; they also need to be aware of where it comes from. Being knowledgeable about the agency budget is an important part of public procurement. In past years, we have tended to wait for program managers to secure the necessary funding and then for the finance office to “bless” the purchase. Only then would we become concerned. Not only did procurement think it was somebody else’s role, so did others in the organization.

Keep reading this article at: http://americancityandcounty.com/fiscal-management/staying-budget

The White House recently formed the Office of American Innovation, which has a stated focus on “implementing policies and scaling proven private-sector models to spur job creation and innovation.”

Ever wondered how the Government plans its acquisition of products and services?

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