Contract Management articles from May 2004

Contract Management archives from May 2004

A critical CM foundation.(President's Forum)(contract management)
May 1, 2004... One of the current buzz phrases going around the last couple of years is "better, faster, cheaper." As professional contract managers, we are challenged to provide the business management expertise to make "better, faster, cheaper" come true....

The successful RFP: a bidder's perspective.(Professional Development)(request for proposal)
May 1, 2004... Budget creep. Missed schedules. Misunderstandings. All of these project glitches happen occasionally. You can avoid a lot of these headaches, however, by perfecting the way you request proposal information from bidders. Listening to...

Moving beyond an "adequate" accounting system: does your company have a business dashboard? Build and use your accounting system to ensure business success.
May 1, 2004... What thoughts come to mind when you think about accounting departments and accounting systems? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Accounting is only for the bean counters to worry about. * Accounting is not important--just get the technical...

Recent changes to FAR and CAS: effects on government contract cost accounting; The past year has brought about many changes in the rules--and interesting proposals are still in process.(Federal Acquisition Regulation)(Cost Accounting Standards)
May 1, 2004... Whether policy-makers called it "streamlining" or "transformation," the regulatory framework governing how contractors account for contract costs was revised several times over the past 12 months. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FAR Part 31...

Preaward accounting system surveys: establishing and maintaining an adequate accounting system is not only important but also required in the contract regulations.
May 1, 2004... Many government contractors understand, based on their experience and knowledge of the regulations, the importance of establishing and maintaining an adequate accounting system. But some are not aware of the regulatory requirements for doing...

IR & D versus contract costs--resolved at last? All contractors who have IR & D programs need to reexamine charges--using internal audit teams, independent outside accountants, or outside counsel.
May 1, 2004... Are you like many other contract professionals who are perplexed by the rules governing the proper charging of independent research and development (IR & D) costs? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Oftentimes, when claims of mischarging are...

Is your estimating system asking for trouble? Prepare your estimating system for the scrutiny of government contracts.
May 1, 2004... Companies that routinely submit bid proposals to government procuring agencies understand the importance of preparing timely, adequately supported, and accurate cost estimates. Reliable cost estimates are often the foundation on which...

Understanding financial covenants.(Finance)
May 1, 2004... Borrowers sometimes fail to understand the use of financial covenants by banks, the ways in which the covenants are derived and applied, and the protections that covenants can provide the borrower as well as the bank. What Are Financial...

How much is certification worth?(Certification)(National Contract Management Association )
May 1, 2004... How valuable is earning a certification? Aside from social value, can a monetary value be placed on it? A recently released survey from Careerbank.com illustrates the value of certification. Their 2003 salary survey asked the question, "Do...

Cost limitation rules.(Case Commentary)(Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Department of Energy)
May 1, 2004... Martin Marietta Energy Systems, which became Lockheed Martin Energy Systems (ES), had a prime contract with the Department of Energy (DOE), acting for the U.S. Air Force. ES then awarded a subcontract to John M. Cockerham and Associates,...

NCMA national education seminar (NES) series: participation at each NES seminar earns you .7 CEUs or 7 CLPs!(Calendar)
May 1, 2004... Award-Term Contracting Using award-term contracting, recompetition can be avoided by establishing criteria at contract onset that reward quality performance with additional contract periods. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about this...

Asset management headaches? Here's a Remedy.(E-business)(Remedy's Asset Management software)
May 1, 2004... It's 8:00 a.m. Monday morning. You unlock your office door, turn on the light, and hang up your coat. Already, there's tension in the air. Your voicemail light is flickering ominously. Glancing quickly at your e-mail queue, you see messages...

Technical insight: review of C/S Solutions.(Information Technology)
May 1, 2004... When a company bids on a large government project, it must demonstrate that it has a structured and disciplined approach to management that includes authorizing and planning work, tracking progress/costs, reducing risk, and estimating cost at...

Disabilities and GSA's Language Schedule.(General Services Administration's Case Study)
May 1, 2004... In the United States, there are 22 million people with disabilities that prevent them from reading ordinary print. Of those 22 million, 7.7 million cannot see print, and 14.3 million possess a learning or cognitive disability that prevent them...

Bill to protect American workers from competition of foreign workforces for performance of federal and state contracts in Senate.(Legislation)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Senator Norm Coleman has introduced a bill, titled "U.S.A. Jobs Protection Act of 2004," in the Senate. The bill would amend 41 U.S.C. 403 et seq., Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act, to protect American workers from competition of...

Bill for certain companies who outsourced previous five years--ineligible for federal grants, contracts, and loan guarantees in House.(Legislation)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Representative Maxine Waters has introduced a bill to make certain companies that have outsourced jobs during the previous five years ineligible for the receipt of federal grants, federal contracts, federal loan guarantees, and other federal...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue interim rule regarding purchases from Federal Prison Industries.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) issued an interim rule to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement section 637 of Division F of...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue request for comments regarding application of Brooks Act to mapping services.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The DOD, GSA, and NASA issued a request for comments on whether guidance in the FAR addressing the application of the Brooks Act to mapping services should be amended. The FAR currently requires application of the Brooks Act's qualifications...

DOD issues final rule regarding buy-to-budget acquisition of end items.(Regulations)(United States. Department of Defense)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... DOD adopted as final, without change, an interim rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement Section 801 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (Pub. L. No. 107-314). Section...

DOD issues final rule regarding multiyear contracts for supplies.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The DOD issued a final rule amending the DFARS Subpart 217.1 to implement Section 820 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (Pub. L. No. 107-314). Section 820, among other things (1) allows the DOD to obligate funds for...

DOD issues final rule: transactions other than contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements for prototype projects.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The DOD issued a final rule to implement section 822 (Follow-on production Contracts for Products Developed Pursuant to Prototype Projects) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (Pub. L. No. 107-107). Section 822...

DOD issues interim rule: contract period for task and delivery order contracts.(Regulations)(United States. Department of Defense)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The DOD issued an interim rule amending the DFARS Subparts 216.5 and 217.2 to implement Section 843 of National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Pub. L. 108-136). Section 843 amends the general authority for task and delivery...

DOD issues proposed rule regarding contract performance outside United States.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... DOD issued a proposed rule to amend DFARS to address issues related to contract performance outside the United States. This rule proposes amendments to the DFARS to add policy relating to contracts that require contractor employees to accompany...

NASA issues final rule on performance period limitations.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... NASA issued a final rule that amends the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) 1817.204(e)(i) by clarifying that the five-year limitation on contract types applies to all procurement award instruments including agreements, orders under a Federal Supply...

NASA issues proposed rule, re-issuance of NFS subchapter E.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... NASA issued a proposed rule to amend the NFS by removing from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) those portions of the NFS containing information that consists of internal agency administrative procedures and guidance that does not control...

SBA issues proposed rule regarding restructuring of size standards.(Regulations)(United States. Small Business Administration)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) proposes to modify its small business size standards by establishing size standards in terms of the number of employees of a business concern for most industries and SBA programs. This change will...

Postal service issues proposed rule: purchase of property and services.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The U.S. Postal Service proposes to amend its regulations to implement the acquisition portions of its transformation plan (April 2000) and the similar recommendations of the president's commission on the United States Postal Service (July...

The year in review: NCMA thanks these Executive Council leaders who have generously offered their time and talents over this past year to guide and grow the association. We asked them to share the highlights of their term experience.(NCMA Association News)(National Contract Management Association)
May 1, 2004... Thomas E. Kelkis, CPCM Past National President [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "It has been an exciting, educational, and fulfilling experience. A relatively small investment of time has yielded an extraordinary amount of personal and...

National Achievement Award: two committees named awardees this year.(NCMA Association News)(National Contract Management Association)
May 1, 2004... With glowing recommendations, these members of the following committees have earned the National Achievement Award's high merits this year. Each committee was nominated and won the award for different reasons--but all the winners show the same...

CM magazine 2004 editorial calendar.(Calendar)
May 1, 2004... September--Articles Due: June 1, 2004 Commercial Contracting--Best Practices Best practices in creating customer service standards, marketing, sales, business development, strategies for capturing specific markets, purchasing...

NCMA's 2004-2005: educational conference calendar.(Calendar of Events)(Calendar)
May 1, 2004... 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 *...

Ethics article wins top magazine prize of year.(Association News)(Charles J. Delaney Memorial Award)
May 1, 2004... Certainly with the dissembled transactions that many corporations have dealt over the past years now coming to light, business ethics is quite the hot topic. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Three NCMA members took this opportunity to write a...

Chapter bulletin board.(Association News)
May 1, 2004... BETHESDA/MEDICAL CHAPTER Lloyd Mustin of XL Associates (left) spoke to the chapter on "Enhancing Your Value in the CM Profession," and was congratulated by Tine McGuire (president) with this certificate of appreciation. [ILLUSTRATION...