Contract Management articles from August 2005

Contract Management archives from August 2005

Defining the boundaries of our promises.(LEADERSHIP FORUM)(Column)
August 1, 2005... While networking recently, the topic of "what do you do" came up. My friend was somewhat familiar with the contract management profession, but she remarked that it wasn't widely known. When I agreed with her, she asked me. "When you were in...

Deleting e-mail could result in huge liability.(PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT)
August 1, 2005... Many people in corporations and government agencies may think that they know the definition of a "document." The scope of their general understanding is usually that a "document" is generally printed on 8.5 X 11 paper that is sometimes stapled,...

Releases of government liability in settlement agreements: an abuse of power; No particular words are mandated by the FAR to make the release effective--it just suggests language. Thus, the contractor should include necessary exceptions to the waiver of liability in the release at the time of the modification negotiation.
August 1, 2005... Definitization of bilateral contract modifications after a negotiated settlement of a contractor's claim for equitable adjustment requires that the contracting officer include in the supplemental agreement a release similar to the following:...

10 principles for receiving high-quality legal services: as a contractor, you deserve to receive the best representation the legal community has to offer--here are a few tips and things to consider to get what you want.(Cover Story)
August 1, 2005... The world of government contracts is ripe with points of legal contention. Faced with a thorny legal issue, many contractors wisely turn to counsel for help in guiding them through the maze of applicable legislation and regulation, as well as...

Preserving contractor rights under changes clauses: as a contractor, learn how to provide notice, how the notice requirements are enforced, and some resulting lessons.
August 1, 2005... Contracts are predictions. Intended to govern the future relationship between parties, the reality is that contracts run into unanticipated conditions and events, necessitating changes. The more complicated the purpose of the contract, the more...

Reorganizing GSA: here's a brief background of the FSS and FTS and some problems and criticisms concerning the two programs--then the responses and reforms by Congress and the GSA.(General Services Administration)
August 1, 2005... As the 21st century gets underway, efforts are progressing within Congress and the Executive Branch to merge the single largest supplier of information technology to federal agencies with the largest supplier of goods and services to federal...

Recent changes to FAR and CAS that affect Government Contract Costs: the federal government is constantly reviewing, revising, and issuing regulations. As contracts professionals, it is important to stay informed on all the changes, as they have a direct impact on our projects.
August 1, 2005... Government contractors (and the federal employees who oversee their performance) watched as the rules affecting how contract costs are recorded and billed continued to evolve during calendar year 2004. Between January 7 and December 28, 2004,...

Compliant or competitive--how about both? Don't let becoming compliant hinder your competitive advantage.
August 1, 2005... Are you less competitive due to compliance obligations? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The "S" word has caused and continues to cause corporate America to lose its competitive advantage, due to increased compliance burden and a need to instill...

University outreach series: UVA trains government contractors for more than 30 years.(University of Virginia)
August 1, 2005... This article is the second in a series, profiling colleges and universities around the nation that offer undergraduate and graduate education in contract management and related disciplines. Look for the next article in our series in the...

Post-liberation Iraqi procurement processes, Part 2 of 2: reconstruction takes on a whole new meaning as we attempt to institutionalize an efficient health care system. Creating an atmosphere where professionals can offer opinions and make decisions takes time.(Column)
August 1, 2005... This is the second of two articles in which I recount my personnel experiences with the health care procurement system in Iraq from July 2003 to January 2004. The first article, published in the July 2005 issue of Contract Management, detailed...

New techniques, same skills: never underestimate the power that one keystroke can have in this technological age--it could determine whether or not you get the bid.(CASE STUDY)
August 1, 2005... In the electronic age, the contract manager must continue to employ the old skills of follow-through and attention to detail. The seeming comfort that can be drawn from seeing information posted on a Web-based interactive contract management...

Prohibition removed.(CASE COMMENTARY)
August 1, 2005... To build an aquatic training facility at the U.S. Naval Station in Everett, Washington, a cast-in-place pool tank was required. The two-step request for proposals (RFP) required "cast-in-place," and there was language that specifically...

Oracle and the sales side of contract management.(INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... This product was reviewed in June 2005. In another life, I spent hours in front of an amber text CRT, typing queries and running reports on an Oracle 2.0 database. Back then, I was impressed with the speed and power of the system's...

House moves to consolidate Boards of Contract Appeals.(Legislation)
August 1, 2005... On its own initiative, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) included several provisions in H.R. 1815, the House version of the FY 2006 National Defense Authorization Act, dramatically changing the structure of the various Boards of...

Senate proposes consolidation of all DOD service contracting to save money.(Legislation)
August 1, 2005... The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) included a provision in S.1042, the FY 2006 National Defense Authorization Act, which would require the secretary of each military department to establish a Contract Support Acquisition Center to act...

OMB memo requires use of strategic sourcing in federal agency acquisitions.(Regulations)(Office of Management and Budget)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... On May 20, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a policy memorandum to federal agencies requiring them to apply strategic sourcing principles to acquisitions to maximize government-buying power. Strategic sourcing is the...

New rule would require past performance evaluations to consider subcontracts administration.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The DOD, GSA, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) proposed a rule on June 21, 2005, amending FAR Section 15.305 to require past performance evaluation of certain orders, and to ensure that subcontracting management is...

Certain Alaskan native corporations & Indian tribes to count for subcontracting goals.(Regulations)
August 1, 2005... On June 3, 2005, DOD, GSA, and NASA proposed a rule amending the FAR, which would permit subcontracts awarded to certain Alaskan native corporations (ANCs) to be counted towards a contractor's goals for subcontracting with small businesses and...

Rule amends cost principle and standard Re: deferred compensation and post-retirement benefits.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The DOD, GSA, and NASA announced a final rule amending the FAR on June 8, 2005, to revise cost principles for deferred compensation other than pensions and post-retirement benefits other than pensions. The rule amends both the cost principle in...

FAR amendment changes cost principles Re: sale and leaseback transactions.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The DOD, GSA, and NASA announced a final rule on June 8 that amends the FAR's contract cost principles for gains and losses on disposition or impairment of depreciable property or other capital assets, depreciation costs, and rental costs. This...

New exception for cost and pricing data proposed for modifications to non-commercial items.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... On June 3, the DOD, GSA, and NASA proposed a rule amending FAR 15.403-1 to implement new exceptions to the general prohibition on obtaining cost or pricing data for non-commercial modifications of commercial items. The new rule implements...

New rule allows certain performance-based contracts and task orders to be treated as commercial items.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The DOD, GSA, and NASA announced on June 8, 2005, that they had adopted without change an interim rule published on June 18, 2004, relating to performance-based contracting for services contracts (see 69 Fed. Reg. 34226). The new rule amends...

New FAR rule authorizes and encourages government contractor employee telecommuting.(Regulations)
August 1, 2005... On June 8, the DOD, GSA, and NASA published a final rule amending the FAR to authorize and encourage telecommuting for government contractors. The new rule adopts an earlier interim rule without change (see 69 Fed. Reg. 59701, 10/5/04). The new...

Proposed rule would change contract cost principle Re: allowability of depreciation costs.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The DOD, GSA, and NASA proposed a rule on June 13, which would revise the contract cost principle regarding depreciation. The proposed rule changes the language regarding the allowability of depreciation costs of reacquired assets involved in a...

DOD revises approval threshold for placement of noncompetitive orders under FSS.(Department of Defense)(Federal Supply Schedules)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... On June 2, the DOD proposed an amendment to Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to update and clarify requirements for competition in the placement of orders under Federal Supply Schedules and multiple-award contracts. The...

DOD proposes rule Re: contractors preventing illicit trafficking of persons.(Regulations)
August 1, 2005... The DOD proposed an amendment to the DFARS on June 21 to implement policy that prohibits activities on the part of DOD contractor employees that support or promote trafficking of persons. On January 30, 2004, the deputy secretary of defense...

Labor department amends compliance procedures for certain socioeconomic policy areas relating to government contractors.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The Department of Labor announced a final rule on June 22 revising the regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to give the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) authority to use additional...

Every day: millions of people depend on one agency to get their work done.(General Service Agency)
August 1, 2005... Innovative Online Tools Leverage the power of the Internet to Power Up your buying process with GSA's suite of Online Tools. Online Tools are designed to shorten the time and reduce the costs associated with getting what you need. GSA...

Corporate learning solutions.(EDUCATIONAL PARTNER PROFILE)
August 1, 2005... This profile features one of our partners, Corporate Learning Solutions (CLS). CLS Details As a small, disabled veteran, woman-owned business (SDVOSB), CLS offers more than 20 courses leading to certificates in commercial contracting,...

NCMA corporate membership.(National Contract Management Association)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... NCMA corporate members enhance their industry image as premier businesses in the contract management community. Learn how your company can take advantage of our growing resources by joining our corporate members. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Volunteerism in America.(NCMA ASSOCIATION NEWS)
August 1, 2005... The success of NCMA is based on the dedication, professionalism, and many contributions of the members--this is especially exemplified through its many volunteers. Without the original NCMA volunteers, this organization would never have been...

Certificate of Ethics Education: available NOW!
August 1, 2005... Making legally and ethically appropriate decisions is crucial in today's highly scrutinized business environment. To help contract professionals improve their skills and knowledge, we have worked with LRN, the leading ethics and compliance...

Latest AFIT thesis award winner.(Air Force Institute of Technology)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Each year, NCMA selects and awards one graduate student of the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio, for excellence in thesis research and study. Nanci R. Pigeon, senior master sergeant, USAF, was the...

CM magazine 2006 editorial calendar.(Contract Management)(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... December -- Articles Due: Sept. 1, 2005 Customer Relationship Management Processes, tools, and proven practices of sales organizations/teams to build successful business relationship with their customers... January -- Articles...

Education and networking on University campuses.(NCMA ASSOCIATION NEWS)
August 1, 2005... Introduction Fellow SWR Director Ed Velasquez and I recently had the opportunity to meet with a group of students from Dr. John Wyatt's government contracting program at Cal Poly Pomona to discuss a presentation the group would be doing at...

NCMA's 2005-2006 educational conference calendar.(National Contract Management Association )(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... Attendance at NCMA's conferences offer you: * ways to stay in touch with contemporary issues, * exposure to best practice models, * opportunities for networking with those in the same field, * career growth programs, and *...

Atlanta chapter: the Phoenix rises again.(NCMA Chapter Profile)
August 1, 2005... Relocating to a new city is something many contracting professionals do each year. The details and stress of settling into a new job and home can be staggering. The Situation Imagine if you settled into your new environment, however,...

E-courses.(online course )
August 1, 2005... With the support of our new on-line learning partner, VCampus, we are proud to offer you virtual courses to support the NCMA Certification Program. On-line learning is a flexible, affordable, and effective way to meet your continuing education...

Space City Chapter members receive Johnson Space Center's highest honors.(Award of Excellence)
August 1, 2005... On May 4, 2005, several members of the Space City Chapter of NCMA were honored by the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) at an awards ceremony held at the Teague Auditorium located at JSC in Houston, Texas. These chapter members received the...

2005 ICAF award winner.(Industrial College of the Armed Forces)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The Industrial College of the Armed Forces at the National Defense University in D.C., announced this year's award-winning thesis, The Evolution of Contracting in Iraq: March 2003-March 2005, by Jack Cunnane, LTC. His primary faculty adviser...

In memoriam: Stephen Boger of sooner chapter.(NCMA ASSOCIATION NEWS)(Obituary)
August 1, 2005... Stephen Edward Boger, 57, of Edmond, Oklahoma, passed away on June 8, 2005. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend to all who knew and loved him. He was born in 1948 in Dayton, Ohio to William and Kathleen Boger....

Contract Management Week--additional proclamations.(National Contract Management Association news)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... This year, the NCMA Board of Directors declared April 25--May 1, 2005, to be Contract Management Week. The purpose of CM Week is to call attention to the contract management profession and its members' accomplishments. NCMA celebrates CM...

Cape Canaveral chapter.
August 1, 2005... At their June dinner meeting, they awarded six $1,000 scholarships to business management and contract management students in the local area. (L-R) Larry Scotney, Scholarships Chairperson, and then awardees Deborah Andrade-Trask, Carolynn...

Rio Grande & Tysons Corner chapter.
August 1, 2005... It's not every day that the executive director and the former national president of NCMA get to hit the road on their Harleys... but that was what Neal Couture (left) and Gary Zura (right) did to arrive at the 2005 World Congress in...

NCMA around the world.
August 1, 2005... Two NCMA Middle Georgia Chapter members--Mickie Cranford, president-elect of the chapter, and Misty Holtz, scholarship chair--are pictured during a recent visit to Krakow, Poland, for a WR-ALC C-130 Product Directorate business trip. ...