PTAC | The Contracting Education Academy

July 27, 2015 By AMK

Massachusetts business advisors take advantage of GSA Schedule workshop

Counselors from across Massachusetts benefited from participation in The Academy’s GSA Schedule Workshop on July 23 and 24, 2015.

Business counselors from the University of Massachusetts PTAC participated in an intensive 2-day GSA Schedule workshop conducted by Georgia Tech.

The business counselors — representatives of the Massachusetts Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) — received guidance, advice, and hands-on consulting on the GSA Schedule proposal preparation process. The PTAC is a part of the Small Business Development Center Network at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Participants were given access to exclusive templates and sample narratives based on successful GSA Schedule offers, and well as a step-by-step workbook.

Lead instructor Alexis Kirksey shared her personal experiences in the preparation and management of GSA Schedules.

The federal General Services Administration (GSA) awards about $50 billion in blanket contracts known as “Schedules” to hundreds of companies each year. According to the GSA, 80 percent of Schedule contractors are small businesses who are successful at 36% of those sales. The process to win one of these contracts begins with a proposal, an arduous task that typically takes several months to prepare.

Thanks to Georgia Tech’s workshop, a GSA proposal can be completed in a matter of a few days. Some businesses have actually submitted their proposals during the two-day workshop. Others have easily completed and submitted their proposals in as little as 30 days.

Workshop participants participated in the actual preparation of a GSA Schedule proposal.

For the University of Massachusetts PTAC counselors, learning the Schedule proposal process represents an enhancement of their business advisory skills. The Academy’s instructors engaged the counselors in the preparation of an actual MOBIS Schedule proposal, recently consolidated by GSA along with several other Schedules into the 00CORP Schedule.

Here’s a sampling of what the UMass counselors had to say about Georgia Tech’s workshop:

“I expected an in-depth overview of the Schedule application process, and that is what we received.”
“I valued the ‘off-the-script’ discussions and comments by the instructors.”
“I got in-depth, step-by-step instructions with screen shots, the required steps, and documents on how to prepare and complete a proposal for a GSA contract.”
“I would definitely recommend this to other PTACs and small businesses.”
“A great informative and interactive workshop! Excellent instructors!”
“The examples, the scenarios, and the personal experience that was shared were very helpful. The workbook and screen shots were excellent.”
“I got valuable tips as a PTAC Counselor to help clients navigate the various sections of a GSA solicitation and proposal — and much, much more!”
“Thank you for a high-value training session!”

Chuck Schadl, Georgia Tech’s group manager for government contracting services, emphasized the significance of hands-on instruction. “Learn-by-doing is one of the most effective instructional methods. That’s why we conduct our GSA Schedule Workshop using templates, practical tips, and advice based on real-life experiences. We immerse Workshop participants in the actual proposal preparation process.”

For more information about the GSA Schedule Workshop, please visit: http://contractingacademy.gatech.edu/gsa-schedule-workshop

To register for an upcoming Workshop, please visit: https://epay.gatech.edu/C20793_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=100

May 13, 2015 By AMK

Government contract specialists across Iowa learn techniques from The Academy

Government contracting specialists from all corners of Iowa gathered in Des Moines on May 6, 2015 to receive instruction from The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech.

Iowa State University’s Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) invited Georgia Tech to conduct a workshop entitled “Counseling Businesses for Government Contracting Success” for members of their Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP).

Georgia Tech instructors met in small groups with government contracting specialists at Iowa State to walk them through a series of techniques designed to make them better counselors to their business clients.

The workshop was developed based on research conducted by The Academy that revealed that government contracting counselors perform at the peak of effectiveness when they:

Take the time to listen to their client’s needs and objectives.
Accurately address client needs.
Deliver a “reality check” diplomatically.
Communicate essential information.
Counsel clients not only effectively, but in a time-efficient manner.
Organize themselves to teach complex things in a simple way.
Anticipate the need to have to deal with difficult situations and people.

Thus, the workshop was centered on seven principles every PTAP counselor should adopt, and provided practical ideas for implementing each one of them.

Workshop participants worked in small teams to address a series of real-life case studies in order to learn how to implement better counseling skills.

Gathered in Des Moines, members of the Iowa Procurement Technical Assistance Program display the “Seven Principles of Counseling” with Georgia Tech’s manager of Government Contracting Services Chuck Schadl and Instructor Kevin Grimes.

November 10, 2014 By AMK

Academy returns to D.C. to train business counselors

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech returned to the nation’s capital on November 9th to provide training to 160 counselors who work for Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs) across the country.

PTACs — supported by the Defense Logistics Agency and local hosts in 300 cities in the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico — work with tens of thousands of businesses who seek advice on how to identify and win government contracts. The trade group that represents PTACs — the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC) — is holding its membership training conference in Washington, D.C., this week (November 9-12, 2014).

Academy Instructor Kevin Grimes explains the "Seven Principles of PTAC Counseling" to an audience of 160 counselors from across the country. — Academy Instructor Kevin Grimes explains the “Seven Principles of PTAC Counseling” to an audience of 160 counselors from across the country.

For the first day of the conference Georgia Tech’s Contracting Academy designed and presented a customized, four-hour training session entitled “Counseling Businesses for Government Contracting Success.” The session consisted of limited lecture, instead relying heavily on a series of seven instructor-guided case studies which class participants worked-through in teams. The case studies reinforced “The Seven Principles of PTAC Counseling” which the Academy developed based on research conducted earlier in the year.

Participants in the training also were given the opportunity to develop “personal action plans” during the workshop, setting goals for improving their individual performance as business counselors in the coming year. The Academy provided action plan templates and suggested performance improvement ideas throughout the workshop. A set of electronic resources also were made available to the counselors on a web site designed especially for them.

One popular feature of the training session was a game, developed by the Academy’s instructional design team exclusively for participants, called “Government Lingo Bingo.” Each workshop attendee was given a unique bingo card, containing a set of acronyms associated with government contracting. Based on the instructor’s use of acronyms during the workshop, participants circled corresponding acronyms on their cards. Any time during the workshop participants had a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line of circled acronyms, they called out “Government Lingo Bingo!” But the game didn’t end there. Only if they could correctly state what each acronym stood for, did participants win a prize.

PTAC personnel from across the country learned counseling skills. — PTAC personnel from across the country worked in 20 teams on 7 case studies prepared by the Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech.

Each student was also given a 90-page workbook containing a detailed discussion of counseling techniques, including a “Glossary of Government Contracting Terms” to encourage them to look-up and learn new government terminology.

In post-workshop evaluations, 97% of attendees rated the session met expectations or exceeded expectations.

This is the fourth time the Academy has been invited by APTAC to provide half-day training to its general membership. The Academy’s instructor Kevin Grimes conducted the November 9th workshop. Chuck Schadl, Group Manager of Government Contracting Services, and Donna Bertrand, the Academy’s Program Manager, coordinated workshop details.

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.

November 10, 2013 By AMK

Business counselors receive Academy’s instruction on managing a government contract successfully

How unusual is it for a business to put more time into winning a government contract than planning to manage one?

The answer to this question — unfortunately — is that, all too often, contractors give little thought to planning for contract performance. Because of this, some contractors run into contract performance problems and end up damaging relationships with government agencies as well as spoiling their chance to win follow-on contract work.

To address this problem, The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech (The Academy) designed a four-hour workshop entitled, “Establishing Partnerships with the Government.” The workshop was presented for the first time on November 10, 2013 in Washington, DC.

More than 125 counselors from procurement technical assistance centers (PTACs) across the country attended this training. The workshop was held in conjunction with the fall training conference of the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC).

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. Ninety-eight PTACs — with over 300 local offices — form a nationwide network of dedicated procurement professionals working to help local businesses in the government marketplace.

The Academy’s workshop instruction was complemented by a 121-page manual produced by The Academy exclusively for APTAC members as well as a special web page where contract administration and training resources are available for download.

Student Guide — Workshop participants received a detailed manual, access to a website, and other resources developed exclusively by The Academy.

The Academy has conducted training for APTAC before. “We were honored to once again conduct training for the elite corps of PTAC counselors who advise businesses about government contracting,” stated Donna Bertrand, The Academy’s program manager. “PTAC counselors provide vital assistance to businesses, especially small businesses, nationwide.”

In designing the workshop and the printed manual, the Academy’s curriculum development team analyzed the entire federal contract post-award process and selected those elements most critical to the success of businesses engaging in government contract work. The Academy’s team then developed the training workshop and materials designed to assist PTAC counselors in their work with those businesses.

Of special value to the trainees is a special pocket guide distributed during the workshop. Entitled “30 Tips for Successful Completion of a Government Contract,” the pocket guide consists of 30 one-page tips that they can pass along to their clients.

The Academy’s instructor, Kathy Cames, was pleased to share her knowledge of the government contracting process with the PTAC counselors. “My goal,” she said, “was to provide insights and practical experience to PTAC counselors so they can provide good advice to their clients in advance of winning a government contract. After all, it can be too late to plan after winning a contract.”

125 PTAC counselors received expert instruction from The Academy's senior instructor Kathy Cames. — 125 PTAC counselors from across the country gathered in Washington, DC to receive expert instruction from The Academy’s senior instructor Kathy Cames.

In all, The Academy presented 13 specific “PTAC Tools” during the workshop — each designed to educate PTAC counselors about a specific aspect of the FAR that is especially important to PTAC clients.

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

Click on the image below to see the table of contents of the printed Guide which served as the outline for The Academy’s workshop:

Counselors from across Massachusetts benefited from participation in The Academy’s GSA Schedule Workshop on July 23 and 24, 2015.

Government contracting specialists from all corners of Iowa gathered in Des Moines on May 6, 2015 to receive instruction from The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech.

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