Contract Management articles from March 2002

Contract Management archives from March 2002

Reader response corner.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Using Performance-Based Contracting Bob Law is correct when he states that performance-based contracting (PBC) "has been lurching forward" in the federal government ("Coming Full Circle," Contract Management, December 2001). Many agencies...

Not simply government and commercial. (President's Forum).(National Contract Management Association)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Approximately two years ago, NCMA embarked on the journey of expanding its membership base and programming to serve those professionals practicing contract management in the commercial marketplace. It was hoped that our association would be...

A look at performance appraisals and pay. (Professional Development).
March 1, 2002... There is no substitute for work performance. You can have all the qualifications and training in the world, but without solid work accomplishments, you are wasting your time. Most new hires start in entry-level positions, providing the...

Managing change in construction contracting: Efficient information management can improve contract management and administration to avoid or minimize losses from disputes. (Cover Story).
March 1, 2002... Without a secure contract baseline, a construction firm's abilities may mean little. Establishing clear boundaries in the contract between the client and contractor will ensure the contractor's right to collect money from delays and changes...

Strategy-Driven service contacting: Emphasizing an enterprise strategy over methodology in its service contracting needs allowed a mid-sized DOD installation to increase services while halving work order cycle time and improving employee morale.
March 1, 2002... Contracting officers (COs) throughout the government have heard the drumbeat of acquisition reform. One of reform's goals is to provide COs with more flexibility to build strategies and contracts that will deliver more value to their customers....

Total System Performance Responsibility: Transferring greater Project responsibility to the contractor can help the government reduce costs and improve quality and service levels.
March 1, 2002... The quest for the perfect acquisition is similar to a field commander's quest for the decisive battle plan. The field commander develops a tactical level strategy after defining the operational objective. Likewise, the program manager (PM)...

Enterprise contract and commitment management.
March 1, 2002... While each contract is different, creation and approval processes as well as a set of commitments need to be regularly managed across contract types. With contract and commitment management software, significant improvements can be made to...

Just-In-Time: Revisiting a popular management technique.(inventory control)
March 1, 2002... Once almost revered as "the answer" to minimizing inventory costs and risks, this important technique and its limitations have been subjected to 30 years of practical use and academic research. Just-in-time (JIT) is a Japanese...

Toward a Collaborative Contract Management Architecture: Implementing a straightforward solution to a multi-dimensional contract management problem that will provide support over the duration of a contract requires a unified approach.
March 1, 2002... Each year, more than a million families decide to build a new home. During the process, the families face myriad decisions. Depending on the cost of the home, there could be from a few dozen to a few hundred product, finish, and option choices...

Equitable Price Adjustment for terminations. (Case Commentary).
March 1, 2002... The 1992 indefinite-quantity contract for the overhaul of armament handling equipment between Deval Corporation (Deval) and the Naval Aviation Department Operations Center (NAPOC) in Patuxent River, Maryland, had a one-year term with an...

The World at your fingertips. (E-Business).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Hughes Global Services, at www.hughesglobal.com, provides end-to-end satellite communications (SATCOM) services to government entities, both domestic and international, and also to certain private sector customers. To do this, Hughes Global...

A Virtual contract administrative assistant. (Information Technology).(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
March 1, 2002... "Real solutions--real results." This is Indigo Information Systems' (Indigo) motto for their ConTrack software product. Here is a highlight of some of its features. This contract management software was built mainly for the private sector....

Contract consolidation. (Small Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Federal government contract consolidation and bundling initiatives are enabling the government to reduce its contract administration burden. One example is the Naval Sea Systems Command's consolidation of contracts for professional support...

National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2002. (Small Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Public Law 107-107, The National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2002, signed and enacted December 28, 2001, contains several provisions of interest to small businesses. The full text of the legislation is available at...

Federal assistance programs. (Small Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The federal government provides grants to state and local governments and other organizations to manage the distribution of assistance according to local needs. A catalog of these federal assistance programs is provided at www.cfda.gov. The...

HUBZone GWAC to be awarded. (Small Business Briefs).(government-wide agency contract)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Federal Services Administration Federal Technology Service intends to award a government-wide agency contract (GWAC) for information technology solutions as a multiple award indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity procurement restricted to...

Commerce Business Daily. (Small Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... As of January 4, 2002, the government's publication of the Commerce Business Daily has been terminated. All federal government requirements to provide access to public notices of procurement actions more than $25,000 will not be met through...

Small Business set-aside. (Small Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The Federal Acquisition Regulation requires that simplified acquisitions be reserved for small business concerns, and any acquisition over that threshold may be set aside for them if there is a reasonable expectation that at least two...

Tips on preliminary hearings--Part III. (Alternative Disputes Resolution).
March 1, 2002... This is the last article in a three-part series appearing in CM magazine from January to March 2002 on preliminary hearings, usually associated with the early stages of a "unique" ADR method of commercial arbitration. Previous ADR tip...

Working the Web for contract management solutions. (Speaking Out).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Advanced technologies now allow an efficient cost-effective implementation of computer-based management tracking systems for all kinds of contracts we use each day. As we know, contracts play a central part in every organization, and with the...

President Bush signs DOD Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 specifying minimum qualifications for contracting officers. (Legislation).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... On December 28, 2001, President Bush signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2q02 (Pub. L. No. 107-107). (See "Final Edition," CM, February 2002, discussing Pub. L. No. 107-107.) This law includes Section 824...

Bills regarding contractor indemnification for responding to World Trade Center attacks introduced in House. (Legislation).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Representative John Sweeney has introduced bills, titled "World Trade Center Worker and Contractor Protection Act" and "World Trade Center Worker and Contractor Protection Act of 2001," in the House of Representatives: If enacted, these bills...

Bill regarding purchase of electronic components introduced in House. (Legislation).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Representative Louise M. Slaughter has introduced a bill, titled "Keep America Secure Act," in the House of Representatives. If en acted, this bill would prohibit the Secretary of Defense from purchasing equipment that contains electronic...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue final rule to amend FAR and implement E.O. 13123. (Regulations).
March 1, 2002... The DOD, General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have issued a final rule that amends the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) by implementing Executive Order 13123 (Greening the...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue final rule to amend FAR and extend JWOD subcontract preference to service contracts. (Regulations).
March 1, 2002... The DOD, GSA and NASA have issued a final rule amending the FAR to extend the priorities of the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act (JWOD) to service contracts (41 U.S.C. 48). The JWOD provides that government agencies that intend to procure commodities or...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue proposed rule regarding Hazardous Material Safety Data. (Regulations).(Department of Defense; General Services Administration; National Aeronautics and Space Administration)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The DOD, GSA, and NASA have issued a proposed rule to amend the FAR to revise and clarify the language discussing the policies and procedures for the submission of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) by contractors. FAR Subparts 23.3 and...

DOD, GSA, NASA, and other agencies issue proposed rule regarding governmentwide debarment and suspension in non-procurement activities. (Regulations).(Department of Defense; General Services Administration; National Aeronautics and Space Administration)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... The DOD, GSA, NASA, and other agencies have issued a proposed rule to change and amend (1) the governmentwide rules for debarment and suspension in non-procurement activities; and (2) the governmentwide rule implementing the Drug-Free Workplace...

NASA issues proposed rule regarding non-commercial Representations and Certifications in simplified acquisitions. (Regulations).(National Aeronautics and Space Administration)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... NASA has issued a proposed rule to amend the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) to create a unified set of representations and certifications for the acquisition of non-commercial items within the simplified acquisition threshold. According to NASA, FAR...

NCMA Fellows Network Newsletter.(National Contract Management Association)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2002... Council of Fellows--Taking the Lead The Council of Fellows held its most recent of three yearly meetings at the East Coast National Conference at the Tysons Corner Sheraton Premiere on December 5th. The council meets in connection with...

NCMA Association News.(National Contract Management Association)
March 1, 2002... Recognizing One Fellow: A Leader among Leaders The last third of 2001 heralded a new NCMA Outstanding Fellow--Dominique B. Myers, CPCM. Accepting this award at the East Coast National Conference in early December, Myers won this high honor...

CM 2002 Editorial Calendar.
March 1, 2002... JULY Article Due: April 1, 2002 Intellectual Property Software rights and licensing, technology transfer, international protection, copyrights, patents, trademarks, data rights, trade secrets, limited use versus restricted rights,...