Contract Management articles from October 2001

Contract Management archives from October 2001

Enhancing NCMA's Image.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Last April, NCMA's nationally elected officers met to decide on strategic objectives for 2001-2002 program year. "Enhancing NCMA's image" made the cut after serious debate about how to best focus corporate energy. Choosing the objective,...

READER RESPONSE CORNER.
October 1, 2001... Affirmative Action is Legal; Racial Preferences Are Not I was confused by the article titled, "Affirmative Action: The New Rules," published in the May 2001 CM. Until CM published Gary Mutzabaugh's editorial in the August issue...

E-Learning--Is It Worth It?
October 1, 2001... Educational achievement has always been a cornerstone of professional development. Earning a bachelor's degree, advanced degree, or even a certificate of specialized study increases one's earning potential and job security. It also opens...

The Agency Level Protest.
October 1, 2001... Increasingly, contractors are looking for more meaningful, informal, and less costly ways to resolve pre-contract disputes. The agency protest forum could meet these needs. Sometimes government contractors will have legitimate complaints...

ADR: When Should You Use It?
October 1, 2001... Despite some statutory considerations discouraging alternative dispute resolution, most disputes are ideally suited for this streamlined resolution process. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is proving to be a serious and effective tool...

Requests for Equitable Adjustment.
October 1, 2001... Used for years by the private sector, requests for equitable adjustment are finally finding their way into government use. If government action or lack of action has cost your organization time or money on your government contract, you may...

Blowing the Whistle on Fraud.
October 1, 2001... What contract managers choose to do when confronted with fraud greatly affects their future, both professionally and financially. Robert Neargarder knew there was a problem when he saw internal company documents that showed his company...

Should You Appeal to the ASBCA?
October 1, 2001... Historical data and consideration of attorney's fees suggest that appealing to the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals may not make economic sense for most contractors. As a former commissioner for the Armed Services Board of Contract...

THE CHALLENGE OF SERVICE CONTRACTING.
October 1, 2001... Relational contract theory and the idiosyncrasies of government service contracting suggest that lawmakers and policymakers need to rethink current service contracting policies. Services are a hot topic right now. They account for well...

MANAGING CONTRACT APPEALS.
October 1, 2001... This article is the first in a two-part series about contract claims resolution. This first article focuses on successfully using alternative dispute resolution and provides myriad resources to manage contract appeals. The second article will...

Ambiguities--Read the Fine Print.
October 1, 2001... In February 1994, the Army Corps of Engineers (COE) issued an invitation for bids (IFB) for a laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. The IFB--which was 1,500 pages long with 173 drawings--and the resulting contract, included...

FINAL EDITION.
October 1, 2001... OCTOBER 2001 Legislation Bill Regarding Procurement of Products from Federal Prison Industries Introduced in the Senate Senator Carl Levin has introduced a bill to revise the requirements for the procurement of products from the...

A Systems Approach that Works.
October 1, 2001... Many contracting departments try to apply a systems approach to improve contracting, yet there are few software vendors that thoroughly understand the government contracting environment. One company that does understand--and has a viable...

Commercial Contracting.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 mandated that if an item or service being bought by the federal government met the definition of "commercial item" (as defined in FAR Part 2), the item or service was to be acquired under FAR...

Small Business Goals.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... To improve the U.S. Department of Defense's (DOD) track record in awarding contracts to various categories of small business (SB), under secretary of defense Edward (Pete) Aldridge issued a memorandum to all secretaries of the military...

A-76 Program.(proposed changed Circular A-76)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued a proposed change to its Circular A-76, Performance of Commercial Activities and Revised Supplemental Handbook (Federal Register, July 2, 2001). One of the proposed changes would be to expand...

FAR Forum.(Federal Acquisition Regulation)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... The ARNet has developed an online forum for gathering public comments on proposed changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulation. At www.arnet.gov/discus/index.html, visitors may view and post comments to all proposed rules up to the closing...

FAI 2001--A Reinvention Odyssey.
October 1, 2001... When you hear the phrase "environmental scan," what do you think about? An ozone testing device? Would it surprise you to find Out that the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) performed these scans to see into the future of acquisition? ...

Contract Consolidation.(Statistical Data Included)
October 1, 2001... When federal buyers combine two or more requirements into a single larger contract, the result is contract consolidation. While the act of consolidating similar or even dissimilar items is not new, [1] lately, it has attracted Congressional...

Council of Fellows Meeting Brings Forth the "Old and the New".
October 1, 2001... The best of meetings contains a bit of the old and the new, following up on excellent initiatives of the past and introducing new programs that will further launch cutting-edge contract management initiatives in the new millennium. With both...

High Honors Awarded Melissa Rider.(National Contract Management Assocation)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... Many women take the lead alongside male contract managers in local and national NCMA roles. Together, these men and women contribute to the profession, serve and mentor others, and set an example of outstanding leadership. In a nutshell, this...

NCMA Names 2001-2002 Editorial Board.(National Contract Management Association)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... To help NCMA position its publications as a vital literature source for contract management professionals and others, the Association has appointed eight individuals to the 2001-2002 Editorial Board. The Board, which will advise and assist the...

Wyatt Wins National Education Award-"The Best of the Best".(John B. Wyatt III)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2001... This member's innovative leadership builds key bridges between professional contract management and educational opportunities. Professional educators are critical to the ongoing development of contract management for those both familiar and...