Contract Management articles from March 2005

Contract Management archives from March 2005

Spring into NCMA!(LEADERSHIP FORUM)(National Contract Management Association)
March 1, 2005... It's getting to be that time of year when we can say goodbye to winter and look forward to spring! For me, spring is a time of rejuvenation--of making plans, resolutions (much more so than New Year's), and generally becoming more energetic....

Perfecting your leadership qualities.(PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT)
March 1, 2005... All effective leaders have these positive qualities in common: consistency, approachability, and spontaneity. In addition they can handle criticism, have good listening skills, and don't shy away from holding people accountable. Though...

The coming transformation: contracting organizations as professional service firms; In the coming transformation, contracting organizations will need to advance from being just functional departments to add value by providing business solutions for customers.(Cover Story)
March 1, 2005... "If you don't like change, you're going to like irrelevance even less." --General Eric Shinseki, Former Chief of Staff, U.S. Army We've heard it a thousand times--change is inevitable, and if we don't adapt to change quickly we'll become...

Contract management systems: tackling the legal; Corporate counsel should be more concerned with contract management--integrating a comprehensive solution that matches the complexity of the business transactions and numerous issues that can cause snags.
March 1, 2005... As a company grows, the volume and complexity of its relationships increase exponentially. The contracts that describe these relationships have touch points to multiple functions--for example, sales, finance, and legal. As a result, effectively...

Establishing mutual equity for buyers & sellers with e-sourcing: explore strategies, tactics, and best practices that buyers and sellers can follow to create and maintain balance, producing value on both ends of the purchasing spectrum.(E-Sourcing)
March 1, 2005... In traditional sourcing situations, buyers and sellers are inherently at odds. On one hand, buyers are mainly interested in driving down costs and receiving the highest return on investment (or the biggest bang for the buck). On the other hand,...

An analysis of industry's perspective on the recent changes to Circular A-76: despite the A-76 changes, there's still much to do to fully achieve an efficient and effective competition between public and private sources.
March 1, 2005... The U.S. federal government spends more than $150 billion every year on services, making it one of the world's largest purchasers. Because of the large dollar value and the vast number of public and private sector jobs involved, deciding on the...

FAR workshop: a specially developed program for contractor and Government representatives.
March 1, 2005... Course includes an explanation and demonstration of how to use to FAR online for research, reference, and updating. Two concentrated days on how to understand and use the Federal Acquisition Regulation in your daily contracting activities...

World Congress 2005.
March 1, 2005... Hyatt Regency/Phoenix Civic Plaza * Phoenix, Arizona * April 25-27 * www.ncmahq.org Sarbanes-Oxley, homeland security, SAB101, war on terrorism... rarely in history have the headlines been so full of issues and crises touching our...

Government purchase cards: on-line ordering; Learn more about the security of on-line purchasing and how the government (buyer) can maximize purchase card on-line transactions and save hundreds of millions of dollars.
March 1, 2005... First-Hand Experience [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My motive for writing this article stems from an experience I had supporting a government agency that shall remain unnamed. The importance of the experience is that it's most likely...

The importance of self-governance by Iraq contractors: it is imperative that companies have effective self-governance mechanisms in place before competing for Iraq reconstruction contracts.(INTERNATIONAL CONTRACTING)
March 1, 2005... The United States' commitment to rebuilding Iraq represents the largest expenditure of federal funds for nation-building since the "Marshall Plan," which followed World War II. Motivated by the prospect of profitable work, large and small...

E-Courses.(online education)(Brief Article)
March 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...

Governance meetings schedule.(World Congress 2005)(Calendar)
March 1, 2005... Hyatt Regency/Phoenix Civic Plaza * Phoenix, Arizona * April 23-26 * www.ncmahq.org Board of Directors Meeting Saturday, April 23, 2005, from Noon-6:00 pm Hyatt Regency, Phoenix, AZ The NCMA Board of Directors is the primary...

Top 10 DOD acquisition law changes for 2005.(FEDERAL CONTRACTING)(Department of Defense)
March 1, 2005... Each year, Congress tinkers with the procurement laws in the National Defense Authorization Act. Known this year as "The Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005," it became Public Law 108-375 (1) on October 28,...

NCMA Audio Seminar: share-in-savings (SIS) contracts.
March 1, 2005... Wednesday, March 30, 2005 Noon-1:30pm (ET) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Register now: www.ncmahq.org/education/audio.asp Registration fee: $150.00 SHARE-IN-SAVINGS CONTRACTS, which generate nearly as much controversy as outsourcing...

NCMAjobs.com is better than ever ...
March 1, 2005... With more than 150 contracting jobs available, you cannot afford to miss our career site. Some recently posted positions include: * Central Procurement & Contracts Admin. Manager Multnomah County Portland, OR *...

Termination settlement authority.(CASE COMMENTARY)
March 1, 2005... Army Missile Command (MICOM) contracted with Hughes Missile Systems Company (Hughes) for the delivery of a quantity of missile guidance sections and related cable assemblies for a firm fixed price. In January 1995, when Raytheon Company...

NCMA's 2005 educational conference calendar.(National Contract Management Association)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
March 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 *...

Senate begins consideration of Bioshield II.(Legislation)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... On January 24, 2005, Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) introduced the "Protecting America in the War on Terror Act of 2005." Title I is called the "Biopreparedness Act of 2005," which dramatically expands the vaccination development and medical...

SBA extends comment period on proposed rule: restructure small business size standards.(Regulations)
March 1, 2005... The Small Business Administration (SBA) has extended its deadline for comments on a proposed rule to restructure its small business size standards. As previously reported, on March 19, 2004, SBA published a proposed rule to establish its small...

NASA issues final rule: contractor data rights under SBIR and STTR contracts.(Regulations)
March 1, 2005... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has issued a final rule to amend the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS), by adding an Alternate III to the "Final Scientific and Technical Reports" clause for use in contracts awarded under the...

DOD issues interim rule amending DFARS re: international trade agreements.(Regulations)
March 1, 2005... The Department of Defense (DOD) has issued an interim rule to amend the DFARS to (1) implement new free trade agreements with Australia and Morocco, (2) revise terminology relating to international trade agreements and the Trade Agreement Act,...

DOE proposes worker safety & health regulations for contractors at DOE sites.(Regulations)(Department of Energy )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a proposal to establish worker safety and health regulations to govern contractor activities at DOE workplaces. This proposal implements section 3173 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY...

DOE: final rule on procedural rules for assessment of civil penalties against doe contractors and subcontractors for classified information security violations.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... DOE has issued a final rule establishing the procedural rules for the assessment of civil penalties against DOE contractors and their subcontractors for classified information security violations. This rule implements section 234B of the Atomic...

State Department sharply increases registration fees for arms brokers; Changes renewal periods.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... On December 8, 2004, the State Department announced an interim rule amending the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to increase registration fees and change the registration renewal periods. The old regulations allowed...

GSA issues final rule: jurisdiction over tariff and tariff-related disputes.(Regulations)
March 1, 2005... The General Services Administration (GSA) has issued a final rule to amend the GSA Acquisition Regulations (GSAR) to add a utility contracts clause that supplements the disputes clause in the FAR. FAR Subpart 33.2 establishes the procedures and...

Department of Transportation to reissue Transportation Acquisition Regulations.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The Department of Transportation (DOT) is reissuing the Transportation Acquisition Regulations (TAR). DOT states that this interim rule reflects changes in the TAR to update and remove references to obsolete policies, procedures, and...

SBA terminates waiver of Nonmanufacturer Rule for Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... SBA has terminated the waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule for Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing based on its recent discovery of small business manufacturers for this class of products. This termination will require recipients of...

The NCMA certification program: the standard of excellence for contract management professionals.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... You made a smart decision when you obtained NCMA professional certification--now protect your career investment. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Your NCMA certification designation has afforded you a mark of distinction and demonstrates not...

NCMA 2005 national education seminars (NES) series.(National Contract Management Association)
March 1, 2005... Best Contracting Practices for Business "Best Contracting Practices for Business" is for those in government or commercial contracting. This interactive seminar examines and offers best practices in building highly successful contract...

Use of time and materials (T & M) and labor hours (LH) contracts for procurement of commercial services under Part 12 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).(NCMA ASSOCIATION NEWS)
March 1, 2005... In July 2004, the NCMA Board of Directors created a new permanent Public Policy Committee to monitor, analyze, and communicate developments and issues affecting the contract management profession. The committee is responsible for monitoring...

Contract Management Learning Center.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The NCMA Contract Management Learning Center (CMLC) is a virtual community for learning, dedicated to the professional development of private and public contract management professionals. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The CMLC is FREE to NCMA...

Be sure to check out NCMA's: on-line recommended reading (with Amazon.com).(National contract Management Association)
March 1, 2005... For easy ordering of this month's book or other products, visit www.ncmahq.org, log in as a member, click on publications, and see the "Book of the Month." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] By accessing Amazon.com through our site, you give NCMA...

Foundations of the certification program; Part 2 of 3: practice or job/task analysis--methodology and results.(NCMA ASSOCIATION NEWS)
March 1, 2005... The foundation of a valid, reliable, and legally defensible professional certification program is the performance of a well-constructed job analysis study. NCMA engaged Schroeder Measurement Technologies, Inc. (SMT) to conduct this analysis....

NCMA's triumphs: learning from the past.(NCMA ASSOCIATION NEWS)(National Contract Management Association)
March 1, 2005... In 2004, NCMA celebrated its 45th anniversary--a noteworthy milestone for any organization. It proved to be a memorable year with many successful events (the retirement of an old governance structure and the birth of a new one, a highly...

Chapter reaches around the world to Iraq.(NCMA ASSOCIATION NEWS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Anaheim Area Chapter members Gae Boutin and Joyce Detki have sent 45 care packages to the troops in Iraq over the last several months. How have they accomplished this? By first putting a solicitation for donations in one of the...

Bethesda/medical chapter.(CHAPTER BULLETIN BOARD)
March 1, 2005... Co-president Prasad Karunaharan (right) and Chapter NES Registrar Patti Collins (left) thank Gregg Garrett for his Best Practices in Contracting NES that he led for the chapter near the end of 2004. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

La/south bay chapter.(CHAPTER BULLETIN BOARD)
March 1, 2005... Naval Postgraduate School President Rear Admiral Patrick Dunne (right) presents the CFCM certificate to LCDR Brett Stevens (center) at a recent awards ceremony--Stevens also just earned his MBA with a concentration in acquisition and contract...

Midlands chapter.(CHAPTER BULLETIN BOARD)
March 1, 2005... These two members of Midlands don't take their volunteer role in the community lightly--here, Stephen Johns (center) and Will Caffaro (right) help out at one of the local Open Door Missions, serving food to the area's homeless. ...

Corporate membership.
March 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] ...