Contract Management articles from April 2002

Contract Management archives from April 2002

Unity works! (President's Forum).(Brief Article)(Column)
April 1, 2002... The events of September 2001 inspired a profound revelation for me-the awesome power of unity. From the rubble of a national tragedy we saw people, communities, and nations unite with a renewed clarity of what was really important,...

What's your EQ. (Professional Development).(emotional intelligence quotient)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Are you under-appreciated at work? Despite your education and skills, is your career losing steam? The problem may be your emotional intelligence quotient (EQ). Studies show that EQ outranks IQ as a determinate for job performance and...

Strategic sourcing--the future of outsourcing in the DOD: "Strategic sourcing" is helping the DOD take steps to absolve itself of the inherent difficulties with A-76 and move in to a world that allows them to be more innovative and flexible.
April 1, 2002... The Department of Defense (DOD) has taken decisive steps toward reforming the way it conducts its outsourcing programs. In December 2001, they submitted a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), stating their intent not to comply...

Performance-based contracting incentives: Myths, best practices, and innovations; As the federal government strives to outsource more goods and services, the effective use of performance-based contracting becomes increasingly important.
April 1, 2002... Performance-based Contracting is one of the hottest topics in federal government contracting, but it is not new. Government surveys have revealed widespread service contracting problems, including deficient statements of work, poor contract...

Best value under A-76: It's the comparison that counts.
April 1, 2002... The A-76 cost comparison process was intended to ensure that the government did not compete with its citizens. In reality, however, most guidance available focuses on conducting that very "competition" between the public and private sectors....

Commercial activities: To bid or not to bid.
April 1, 2002... Government executives must understand how the industry thinks when making decisions on how to spend their bid and proposal budgets and which pursuits will attract competition Failure to recognize industry dynamics will directly influence the...

Boosting the bottom line through strategic partnerships: Strategic partnerships can help contract managers ensure they are getting the most out of their contracts.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Strategic partnerships often are the secret to success in the contract management/procurement industry. Typically forged between procurement or contract management offices and their vendors, such partnerships enable contract managers to...

Costs of stockholder suit defense--is it worth it? (Case Commentary).(Rockwell International Corp.)
April 1, 2002... When it merged with a wholly owned subsidiary, The Boeing Company, Rockwell International Corporation (Rockwell) changed its name to Boeing North American, Inc. As Rockwell, it was involved in a variety of corporate misconduct incidents in...

A closer look at competitive solutions. (E-Business).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... If you are interested in a simple purchase order tracking management system or a contract tracking management system (or both) and need to start immediately, GBC Global at www.gbcglobal.com offers some good solutions. GBC Global (GBC)...

The Contract Tickler: A nifty tool for the contract manager. (Information Technology).(Evaluation)
April 1, 2002... Over the last decade, information technology (IT) has greatly affected each of us. Increased automation and improved communication capabilities have provided organizations with business development relationships for activities that were...

Small business size standards revised. (Small Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... As of February 22, 2002, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has increased the small business size standards for almost all of the North American Industrial Classification System. Those size standards not changed were for (1) agriculture,...

FAR Part 12 and performance-based contracting. (Small Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The Department of Defense issued an interim rule with request for comments in December to permit it to treat certain performance-based contracts and task orders as contracts for the procurement of commercial items under the Defense Federal...

Preferred subcontracting sources. (Small Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Federal Acquisition Circular 2001-02 contains a provision effective February 19, 2002, that amends the FAR to add a new preference for award of subcontracts under service contracts to nonprofit workshops designated by the Committee for...

Regulatory compliance more expensive for small businesses. (Small Business Briefs).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... SBA's Office of Advocacy has released a report that federal regulatory costs on U.S. business grew to $497 billion in 2000, and that these costs fell disproportionately on small business. The report, by W. Mark Cram and Thomas D. Hopkins,...

Upcoming small business conference. (Small Business Briefs).
April 1, 2002... The SBA is planning to host a conference in Washington, D.C., in July 2002, on the topic of Tax Policy and Small Business: New Firm Formation, Growth, and Survival. The keynote speaker will be Dr. R. Glenn Hubbard, chair of the Council of...

Buy American Act--help for United States manufacturers. (Government Corner).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... For many years, government contractors have had to cope with a welter of laws and regulations that address the manufacturing country of products supplied to the federal government. In some cases, these laws--including the Berry Amendment...

In search of innovators: Can acquisition reform really happen? (Speaking Out).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Slicing through the red tape of the acquisition process has long been the desire of most worker bees within the contracting profession. It is unfortunate--most managers within the contracting profession have a preference for creating red...

False Claims Act: Expanding or narrowing influence? (Education).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... If your local school district overcharges the federal government and becomes the subject of a fraud inquiry, at least this bill is one that you as a taxpayer do not have to pay. That is what a recent court of appeals held in a...

Top book pick for contractors. (Book Review).
April 1, 2002... Federal Contracting Made Easy (Management Concepts, 2001) by Scott A. Stanberry, CPA, covers the fundamental aspects of federal government contracting. Since 1992, Stanberry has specialized in auditing and accounting services for commercial...

Signing on our second corporate member with the New Year. (NCMA Corporate Profile).
April 1, 2002... PorteraGC, a division of Portera Systems headquartered on the West Coast in San Diego and on the East Coast in Reston, Virginia, became NCMA's second corporate member on January 1, 2002--a New Year's addition! With more than 10 years...

Pricing and negotiating a time & material subcontract. (Case Study).
April 1, 2002... The following actual case study illustrates the perseverance that is sometimes necessary to resolve a contractual conflict. Achieving an amicable and reasonable solution in the sometimes-difficult relationship between a prime and...

Bill regarding Services Acquisition Reform introduced in house. (Legislation).
April 1, 2002... Representative Tom Davis introduced a bill in the House of Representatives titled "Services Acquisition Reform Act of 2002." This legislation is generally intended, among other things, to make improvements with respect to procurement of...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue final rule regarding notification of noncompliance with CAS. (Regulations).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration (GSA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) issued a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) regarding notification of...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue final rule regarding non-displacement of qualified workers under certain contracts. (Regulations).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The DOD, GSA, and NASA issued a final rule regarding the revocation of an executive order (E.O.) on the non-displacement of qualified workers under certain contracts. On October "20, 1994, President Clinton signed E.O. 12933, which required...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue final rule regarding final contract voucher submission. (Regulations).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The DOD, GSA, and NASA issued a final rule amending the FAR to encourage contractors to submit final contract vouchers in a timely fashion. As previously reported, the agencies issued a proposed rule, in response to a finding that the leading...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue proposed rule, regarding online information on contracts intended for use by multiple agencies. (Regulations).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The DOD, GSA, and NASA issued a proposed rule amending FAR Part 5 (Publicizing Contract Actions) by adding Subpart 5.6 (Publicizing Multi Agency Use Contracts), which requires contracting activities to pro vide an online database at...

DOD issues final rule regarding veteran reporting requirements. (Regulations).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The DOD issued a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) Part 209 (Contractor Qualifications), Part 212 (Acquisition of Commercial Items), Part 213 (Simplified Acquisition Procedures) Part 217...

DOD issues proposed rule regarding enterprise software agreements. (Regulations).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The DOD issued a proposed rule amending the DEARS Part 208 (Required Sources of Supplies and Services) by adding Subpart 208.74 (Enterprise Software Agreements), which prescribes policies and procedures regarding the acquisition of commercial...

GAO issues advance notice of proposed rulemaking regarding revision of bid protest regulations. (Regulations).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... The General Accounting Office (GAO) issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, stating that it is reviewing and revising its bid protest regulations. The GAO provides procedures for contractors who believe that a federal government...

New! Contract Management Certification and Accreditation Board. (NCMA Association News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Recently, NCMA's Board of Directors overwhelmingly approved a proposal to create an administratively independent Contract Management Certification and Accreditation Board. This new board will oversee all aspects of NCMA's certification...

Erratum. (NCMA Association News).(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2002... Contract Management magazine truly regrets the following error in the January 2002 issue, "Chapter Presidents' insert." Steven Schiffman is president of the Brisbane Chapter, not the Western Australia Chapter.

CMI studies...now available. (NCMA Association News).(Contract Management Institute)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... Contract Management Institute (CMI) has published two key report studies to date, Performance Metrics for the Contract Management Discipline (June 2001) and A Survey of Contracting and Purchasing Professionals: Emerging Demands on a Changing...

New contract professionals: Supporting the next generation. (NCMA Association News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... NCMA's Northwest Florida Chapter awarded three scholarships for the 2001 fall term at a luncheon meeting in October. These scholarships are designated for those students attending Troy State University or the University of West Florida who...

Be sure to check out NCMA's: Online recommended reading. (NCMA Association News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... (WITH AMAZON.COM) For easy ordering of this month's book or other products, visit NCMA's Web site, www.ncmahq.org, and click on the Amazon.com link in the lower left-hand corner. By accessing Amazon.com through our site, you, give...

NCMA will come to you! We can tailor our programs to meet your needs. (NCMA Association News).
April 1, 2002... Every year NCMA trains more than a thousand people right at their own workplace. We've presented courses at: * Motorola * SAIC * The Boeing Company * National Reconnaissance Office * Southern Florida Water Management...

CM 2002 editorial calendar.
April 1, 2002... SEPTEMBER Article Due: May 15, 2002 Commercial Contracting Customer service standards, marketing and business development, strategies for capturing specific markets, UCC, purchasing strategies, purchasing organizations, mergers...

Call for volunteer speakers and instructors. (National Contract Management Association).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2002... Now there's an even easier way to volunteer as a speaker--the NCMA Speaker Roster is available online. All you need is the desire to share your knowledge and experience with others, access to the Internet, and a Web browser. NCMA has a...

Training for the new millennium. (NCMA Association News).
April 1, 2002... Protection of Intellectual Property Rights Once you go beyond the world of government contracting and move into commercial contracting, your knowledge of intellectual property (IP) rights needs go beyond just understanding technical data...