Contract Management articles from November 2005

Contract Management archives from November 2005

It's time to engage.(Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act 1994)(Clinger-Cohen Act 1996)
November 1, 2005... Every 10 years or so, the federal procurement system undergoes a series of sweeping changes designed to remedy perceived weaknesses in the system. The last major reformation, enacted in the mid- to late-1990s with the Federal Acquisition...

Working positively with negative people.(professional development)
November 1, 2005... We all deal with negative people in the workplace, which can make a difficult job even more frustrating. While your tendency might be to avoid them, this is often impossible in a team environment. What if you're required to cooperate with...

IT systems acquisition and implementation--management as an investment portfolio: a well-run IT investment portfolio will deliver strong project management results every time--cost, schedule, and performance within 10 percent of objectives.(acqusition and implementation of Information Technology Management )
November 1, 2005... Acquiring and successfully implementing IT systems within an organization on an enterprisewide basis can be a risky business. With generally tight budgets in most organizations (particularly government), there are more than enough competing...

Communications contracts don't fit the mold: companies should apply the technology and expertise to understand and control their communications spend, starting with procurement until the end of the contract.
November 1, 2005... On-line auctions have been gaining popularity with contract managers and purchasing executives because they expedite the purchasing process and deliver lower costs. They are particularly effective for commodities and other easily specified...

Performance-based acquisition requires the six disciplines of performance-based management[TM]: performance-based acquisition and management requires an inherent shift in an agency's culture, from one focused on control and oversight, compliance, and direction, to one focused on partnership, collaboration, performance, and--ultimately--results.
November 1, 2005... When using performance-based acquisition, it is important to establish certain organizational disciplines to prepare for the effective management of the acquisition after the contract has been awarded. In short, performance-based acquisition...

The OMB is calling for increased accountability: ESI has the answer.(Office of Management and Budget)(Educational Services Inc)(performance based approach for service contract)
November 1, 2005... GAIN THE ESSENTIAL SKILLS YOU NEED TO SUCCEED [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In May 2005, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released Letter 05-01, a memo calling for contracting and purchasing professionals to demonstrate...

"The Ts and Cs of Technology Escrow".
November 1, 2005... In response to Contract Management's July 2005 article on the "Ts and Cs of Technology Escrow," a reader wrote in to thank us for providing an article that was far more comprehensive than prior articles on the same topic. However, some...

An overview of share-in-savings contracting: there can be benefits to SIS contracting in this era of large budget deficits and limited resources--however, with the public's money at stake, it is vital for agencies to make wise decisions when awarding SIS contracts and task orders.
November 1, 2005... Federal agencies spend billions of dollars annually on information technology. (1) Increasingly, agencies are seeking to use performance-based contracting methods, which allow government contractors to design the best solutions for outcomes...

NCMA 24th annual Government Contract Management Conference.(National Contract Management Association)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Improving the Procurement Process: Getting the Bang for the Buck December 5-6, 2005 * Sheraton Premiere * Tysons Corner, Vienna, VA Connect with business, legislative, and political professionals to see how innovative acquisition...

World Congress 2006; Achieving high performance in global business: leadership, outsourcing, & risk management.
November 1, 2005... Attend this event for the opportunity to network, share information, and learn about contract management trends, technology, best practices, and updates on legislation that affect your day-to-day job. Keynote Presenters Janet...

Contract life-cycle management--do you have a handle on yours? Get a handle on your contract life-cycle management, without spending more time!(a study of contract life cycle management of companies )
November 1, 2005... So you have heard of contract lifecycle management and like most other industry trends, it has a three-letter acronym, CLM. In short, CLM is the process that your organization goes through from the very beginning of when a request is submitted...

Get the skills you need NCMA Audio Seminar Series.
November 1, 2005... Register Today: www.ncmahq.org/education/audio.asp [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Registration Fee: $150.00 MOST OF US WOULD AGREE that career training is absolutely essential--especially when you consider new legislation, policy changes,...

Beyond performance-based acquisition, Part 4 of 4: the creation of the high-performance organization will serve as the next major paradigm shift, in both public and private sector, a mark of excellence in the organizational evolution toward a higher level of business performance.(high-performance organization )
November 1, 2005... The other three parts in this series ran in May, July, and September 2005 issues of CM magazine. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hamish McRae, in his best-selling book, The World in 2020: Power, Culture, and Prosperity, stated: The success of...

E-courses.
November 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...

DFARS comes into the 21st century: topping the scales at more than 1,400 pages, the DFARS needed to slim down to be more agile.
November 1, 2005... When the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations Supplement (DFARS) was created, President Ronald Reagan had won a second term, Springsteen's "Born in the USA" was the number-one album, and American sprinter Carl Lewis won four gold medals...

NASA procurement launches standardization, integration, and modernization.(CASE STUDY)
November 1, 2005... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has pushed the boundaries of science and engineering for nearly 50 years. Now, NASA's exploration vision will be supported using a new Web-based, state-of-the-art contract management...

Win $5,000 with the ESI International Contracting Award.(National Contract Management Association)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Once again, in 2006, NCMA and ESI International, in cooperation with the contracting community, will award $5,000 to a commercial or government contracts professional who has contributed significantly to acquisition operations or acquisition...

Procurement Round Table 2006: Elmer B. Staats Young Acquisition Professional Excellence Award.
November 1, 2005... For the fourth year, the Procurement Round Table, in cooperation with the senior procurement executives, will award $5,000 to a young federal acquisition professional who has contributed significantly to acquisition operations or acquisition...

Foiled expectations.(CASE COMMENTARY)
November 1, 2005... The fixed prices and estimated quantities of the 1990 contract between the Corps of Engineers (COE) and T & W Edmier Corporation (T & W) were $4,775,790, to excavate a flood control reservoir and new river channel in Deerfield, Illinois. The...

Take the express lane to Sarbanes-Oxley compliance: this e-business was reviewed in September 2005.(financial compliance about the public companies )
November 1, 2005... Since financial compliance and reporting under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 will require more resources for public companies, the software market is responding to this critical need by providing solutions that automate the reporting processes...

Bush signs FY05 Emergency Supplemental in response to Hurricane Katrina.(Legislation)
November 1, 2005... On September 8, 2005, President Bush signed into law the Second Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act to Meet Immediate Needs Arising from the Consequences of Hurricane Katrina. The legislation provides $51.8 billion (in addition to $10...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue final rule permitting copy of original power of attorney to be sufficient evidence to bind a surety.(Regulations)
November 1, 2005... The Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration (GSA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have issued a final rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to establish that a copy of an...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue final rule amending FAR provisions related to accounting for unallowable costs.(Regulations)
November 1, 2005... DOD, GSA, and NASA have issued a final rule amending the FAR provisions related to accounting for unallowable costs. As previously reported, the agencies issued a proposed rule on May 22, 2003, to revise FAR 31.201-6 (Accounting for unallowable...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue final rule expanding relocation cost principles.(Regulations)
November 1, 2005... DOD, GSA, and NASA have issued a final rule amending the FAR relocation cost principle to permit contractors the option of being reimbursed on a lump-sum basis for the following three types of employee relocation costs: (1) costs of finding a...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue final rule revising training and education cost principle.(Regulations)
November 1, 2005... DOD, GSA, and NASA have issued a final rule amending the training and education cost principle of FAR 31.305-44. As previously reported, the agencies issued a proposed rule on May 15, 2002, to make the costs associated with training and...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue interim rule amending FAR IT security provisions to conform to E-Gov Act of 2002.(Regulations)
November 1, 2005... DOD, GSA, and NASA have issued an interim rule amending the FAR to implement the information technology security provisions of the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FIMSA) (Title III of the E-Government Act of 2002 (E-Gov...

DOD, GSA, and NASA issue interim rule canceling SDB price evaluation adjustment for civilian agencies except NASA and Coast Guard.(Regulations)
November 1, 2005... DOD, GSA, and NASA have issued an interim rule amending the FAR to cancel for civilian agencies, except for NASA and the Coast Guard, the Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) price evaluation adjustment. Originally authorized under the Federal...

DOD, GSA, and NASA propose to amend FAR provisions related to management and disposition of government property in possession of contractors.(Regulations)
November 1, 2005... DOD, GSA, and NASA have proposed a rule to amend the FAR provisions related to the management and disposition of government property in the possession of contractors. According to the agencies, the proposed amendments reflect a life cycle,...

DOD, GSA, and NASA propose rule to expand permissible uses of time-and-materials and labor-hour contracts.(government contracts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... DOD, GSA, and NASA have proposed a rule to amend the FAR to authorize the use of time-and-materials (T & M) and labor-hour (LH) contracts for certain categories of commercial services under specified conditions. This proposed rule would...

DOD, GSA, and NASA propose to amend FAR payment provisions under T & M and LH contracts for noncommercial items.(United States. Department of Defense)(United States. General Services Administration)(United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
November 1, 2005... DOD, GSA, and NASA have proposed a rule to amend the FAR payment provisions relating to T & M and LH contracts for noncommercial items. First, the rule proposes to amend FAR 16.307 (Contract Clauses) to require the inclusion of the Allowable...

DOD issues final rule increasing threshold for contractors to provide cooperative agreement holders a list of contractors' employees responsible for entering into subcontracts.(Regulations)
November 1, 2005... DOD has issued a final rule, implementing Section 816 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2005, to amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations Supplement (DFARS) to increase the threshold, from $500,000 to $1 million, at which a...

DOD issues interim rule to require additional training for contractor personnel interacting with detainees.(Regulations)
November 1, 2005... DOD has issued an interim rule amending the DFARS to require that DOD contractor personnel who interact with detainees receive training regarding applicable international obligations and laws of the United States. The rule implements Section...

DOD issues interim rule requiring contractors to notify contracting officer if IRS levy will jeopardize contract performance.(Regulations)
November 1, 2005... DOD has issued an interim rule amending the DFARS to require DOD contractors to notify the contracting officer promptly if the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) imposes a levy that will jeopardize contract performance. According to DOD, this...

DOD proposes to amend DFARS provisions related to acquisition planning, selection, and use of contract types, exchange, and acquisition of government-owned IT and use of special contracting methods.(Regulations)
November 1, 2005... DOD has proposed a series of rules relating to its DOD Transformation initiative, undertaken to change the purpose and content of the DFARS to include only requirements of law and relocate certain text to the DFARS companion resource available...

DOD issues final rule amending DFARS to permit DESC to perform its own contract administration functions.(Regulations)
November 1, 2005... DOD has issued a final rule amending the DFARS to permit the Defense Energy Support Center to perform contract administration functions for the contracts it awards. Specifically, this final rule amends DFARS 242.202(a)(i) to reflect a...

NASA proposes to require SBIR and STTR contracts undergo recertification of program compliance prior to final payment.(United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... NASA has proposed a rule to amend the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS) to require NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contractors to complete a recertification of program compliance prior to...

OFPP issues request for comments regarding exemptions from CAS for contracts performed entirely outside United States.(Regulations)
November 1, 2005... The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) has issued a Staff Discussion Paper (SDP) and request for comments regarding a provision providing an exemption from the Cost Account Standards (CAS) for contracts executed and performed entirely...

President Bush suspends Davis-Bacon Act in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.(Regulations)
November 1, 2005... On September 8, 2005, President Bush issued Presidential Proclamation 7924 to suspend Subchapter IV of Chapter 31 of Title 40, United States Code (the Davis-Bacon Act), which provides for minimum wages to various classes of laborers and...

NCMA 2005 National Education Seminars (NEW) series.
November 1, 2005... NEW! Performance-Based Acquisition DATES AND LOCATIONS National Date: 12/7/2005 Site: Sheraton Premiere Hotel, Tysons Corner, VA Registrar: Denise Richards 800-344-8096, ext. 408 drichards@ncmahq.org ...

Investing the past into the future.(NCMA Chapter Profile)
November 1, 2005... The NCMA Picatinny Chapter has a history rich in accomplishment. The chapter is named after the Picatinny Arsenal, which traces its roots to the late 1800s and is located in the beautiful rolling hills and lakes of northern New Jersey. This...

D.C. chapter CFCM study group: big success!(Certified Federal Contracts Manager)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Want to learn how to make your certification study group a hit? See how Robert Cooper, CPCM, Fellow, has contributed to his chapter, colleagues, and the profession as a whole. For the past five years, Cooper has led a CFCM prep class that...

Columbia Basin Chapter.(National contract management association)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Bill Avedovech (center) won the Columbia Basin Chapter's Golden Nugget Award for 2004-2005, for his outstanding contributions since joining NCMA in March 1998. He has held local chapter offices and served as both northwest region director and...

Members around the world.(CHAPTER BULLETIN BOARD)
November 1, 2005... This past August, NOVA Chapter member Chris Reno, CPCM, Fellow, took a break from his MBA studies at the University of Chile in Santiago to hit the slopes on the EI Colororado volcano--at elevation 3,333 meters (10,936 ft) above sea level. ...

Norfolk, VA-area chapter.(CHAPTER BULLETIN BOARD)
November 1, 2005... Chapter President Joe McGrenra welcomes Board of Advisor member, Charles E. Rumbaugh, who kicked off the program year with "How 'Baseball Arbitration' Is a Valuable Tool for Contract Professionals." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The NCMA certification program: the standard of excellence for contract management professionals.(National contract management association)(Brief Article)
November 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 only...

Space City/Houston Chapter throws 40th anniversary celebration.(national contract management association)
November 1, 2005... Members and guests dressed in festive tropical island wear to help celebrate four decades of the chapter's commitment to excellence in the field of contracting. The event was held on Friday, May 6, 2005, at the South Shore Harbor Resort and...

CM magazine 2006 editorial calendar.
November 1, 2005... March -- Articles Due: Dec. 1, 2005 International Procurement Tender offers and acceptance. Letters of credit, international financing, United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), Export Controls,...