Contract Management articles from October 2002

Contract Management archives from October 2002

Reader response corner.
October 1, 2002... Reverse Auctions In the June 2002 issue of Contract Management, the article, "Who's Afraid of Reverse Auctions," indicated that the NAVICP had awarded a "contract to EDS for use of its Procuri.com self-service reverse auction Web site."...

NES--a new look in 2002. (President's Forum).(management of NCMA)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... As the newly elected national vice president for professional development--government contracting, I went into the strategic planning session last March with one major goal--to improve the overall educational offerings of NCMA. One of my...

8 of the 10 largest gov't contractors use ProPricer. (Advertisement).(product from Executive Business Services)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Remember the "good ol' days"? Sometimes that question evokes fond memories of simpler times, when you could tune up your car with a screwdriver and a rag or buy a gallon of gas for a quarter. The good ol' days of being able to get a few bids on...

Contract manager as problem solver: the solutions (part three in a three-part series). (Professional Development).(Column)
October 1, 2002... Now that we have identified the process and provided some of the tools that can be used in problem-solving, what do we do with the solutions that are the product of these efforts? The answer to this question must be qualified by utilizing...

Making the most of arbitration: attorneys and business owners must set clear parameters up front, prepare thoroughly, and act expeditiously to ensure the best results from arbitration.
October 1, 2002... Though the number of arbitrations has increased in recent years, the process remains a mystery to many in the legal and business worlds. Arbitration allows parties in a dispute to have control over the process and resolve their matter in an...

Rethinking the Berry Amendment: protectionist policies like the Berry Amendment unnecessarily hinder U.S. Department of Defense supply purchases in a global, commercial environment.(Buy American Act and Berry Amendment, protectionist policy)
October 1, 2002... "Buy American!" "Made in the U.S.A.!" These slogans evoke strong patriotic emotion from the American public, help support American businesses, and bolster the economy. Decades of protectionist policy lie in the Berry Amendment under the Buy...

International commercial contracting: by learning and applying some basic principles of international contracting, businesses can help ensure that their initial foray leads to future success.(commercial contracting, laws and regulations)
October 1, 2002... Few who deal primarily with U.S. government procurement under the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) have an opportunity to develop skills in the international commercial contracting arena. Yet, even U.S. government contractors increasingly...

Competitive intelligence in the federal market: want to devise effective marketing strategies or attack the competition's strongholds? Take advantage of the intelligence available through the Freedom of Information Act.
October 1, 2002... In today's ultra competitive marketplace, can any firm, large or small, afford to overlook a significant market niche? The answer is obvious, yet many firms ignore the world's largest consumer of goods and services--the United States...

Avoiding contract disputes: looking for and clarifying potential misunderstandings before award can help avoid some of the most common contract disputes.
October 1, 2002... No customer or contractor wants its contract plagued by disputes. Resolving disputes absorbs valuable resources, frequently sours the present contractual relationship, and could affect future business relationships among the parties....

U.S. Army black berets--what really happened? Was outfitting the entire U.S. Army in black berets by its first birthday of the millenium really an unusual and compelling urgency?
October 1, 2002... For U.S. Department of Army's procurements, 2001 marked the year of the black beret. The top army military officer decided on October 17, 2000, that all army soldiers would wear the black beret by June 14, 2001. The Defense Logistics Agency...

Can you keep a secret? Trade secret protection programs should focus on physical security measures, as well as procedures, to ensure that the trade secrets are treated as confidential by the company's employees and consultants.
October 1, 2002... Your company has been the prime contractor on a federal government contract for the past five years. The contract was resolicited and awarded to your competitor. During the resolicitation, your project manager and five other employees accepted...

The facts about disclosure. (Case Commentary).
October 1, 2002... McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems (MDHS), at all relevant times, had in place a variety of systems to obtain information on the parts and components acquired for use in its business. Current purchase histories, sorted by part number, were...

The Gartner Web site--a treasure for the IT contract manager. (E-Business).
October 1, 2002... Gartner is an independent research and advisory company with a mission to help businesses and information technology (IT) stakeholders use technology to build, guide, and grow their companies. General A contract manager with IT...

Taking a step further in contract management software. (Information Technology).(Accruent's Enterprise Contract Management Solution)
October 1, 2002... Technology for contract management is no longer a kludge of custom developed software systems and Excel spreadsheets. There are a variety of off-the-shelf packages and solutions out there that offer all users want in contract management and...

Small Business size standards. (Small Business Briefs).(for forest fires and value-added resellers )
October 1, 2002... The Small Business Administration (SBA) has proposed to increase the size standard for the forest fire suppression and fuels management classification within support activities for forestry (North American Industry Classification System...

Having trouble getting to the negotiation table? Try baseball arbitration. (Alternative Dispute Resolution).
October 1, 2002... (Part One of a Two-Part Series) A fundamental question arises in some negotiations on how either party, or a mediator, can "make" all the parties participate in good faith in a negotiation/mediation process? Or, how can the parties be...

Business enterprise program survives legal challenges. (Case Study).(Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, contract legislation )
October 1, 2002... In 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Adarand v. Pena (1) that federal affirmative action programs in public contracting must meet the same constitutional standard of "strict scrutiny" as that applied to state and local programs under the...

Legislation. (Final Edition).(Homeland Security Information Security Act and Contractors Accountability Act of 2002)
October 1, 2002... Bill Regarding Homeland Security Information Introduced in Senate Senator Dianne Feinstein has introduced a bill, titled the "Homeland Security Information Security Act," in the Senate. If enacted, the bill would provide for the sharing of...

Regulations. (Final Edition).(new environmental regulations from the Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
October 1, 2002... DOD, GSA, and NASA Issue Proposed Rule Regarding Leadership in Environmental Management The Department of Defense (DOD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have issued a proposed...

Meeting to fix the year's direction for Fellows: mentoring, writing, planning concretes with benchmarks. (NCMA Fellows Network Newsletter).(National Contract Management Association's World Congress)
October 1, 2002... Fellows Meeting, Long Beach, California, July 21, 2002--More than 50 members of the Council of Fellows gathered by the sea in Long Beach, California, on the eve of NCMA's World Congress. Karen Reuter, functional director for the council, asked...

A highly deserving winner. (NCMA Association News).(National Contract Management Association honors Christine L. Hazlett with Outstanding Fellow Award)
October 1, 2002... NCMA is proud to announce the latest winner of the Outstanding Fellow Award: Christine L. Hazlett, CPCM, CACM. Tom Kelkis, current national president, presented this high honor to her at the Council of Fellows meeting, held Sunday, July 21, on...

Presenting the new CPCMs! "Certification is the key to professionalism". (NCMA Association News).
October 1, 2002... Congratulations to those candidates listed below who passed the Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) examination on May 17, 2002. The CPCM designation represents the highest level of qualification in the contracts profession....

Fingerlakes Chapter. (Chapter Bulletin Board).
October 1, 2002... Caption: The Northeast Region hosted a leadership conference in late June 2002 at the Inn on the Lake in Canaandaigua, New York. Many of the attendants are pictured here, including Tom Christensen, former NVP of marketing and David Bruce, NVP...

Multi - Chapter. (Chapter Bulletin Board).
October 1, 2002... Caption: Sharing that#1 Graalman spirit, representatives from the Vandenberg, Zia, and Dayton Chapters proudly display their first-place banners, as Michelle Currier, NCMA past national president, congratulates each chapter for their year's...

North Texas Chapter. (Chapter Bulletin Board).
October 1, 2002... Caption: Chapter presidents--past and current--gathered to toast the numerous successes and contributions of Don Ginzel, and celebrate his retirement.

Waiver of Nonmanufacturer Rule. (Small Business Briefs).(for Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing and the Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... SBA is considering waiving the application of the Nonmanufacturer Rule for Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing (NAICS 332992) and the Hand and Edge Tool Manufacturing (NAICS 332212) industries. SBA has been unable to identify any small business...

Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2002. (Small Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
October 1, 2002... Public Law 107-198 requires the director of the Office of Management and Budget (0MB) to publish annually a list of regulatory compliance assistance resources that are available to help small businesses (SBs). It also requires that every...

Department of Veterans Affairs. (Small Business Briefs).(final rule for administration changes and construction contracts )
October 1, 2002... The Department of Veterans Affairs has issued a final rule (Federal Register, July 30, 2002--effective August 29, 2002) to make administrative changes. The final rule also replaces a general statement that directs the use of all VAAR clauses...

AT&L Management initiatives. (Small Business Briefs).(Department of Defense posts initiatives on Web site)
October 1, 2002... The under secretary of defense of acquisition, technology, and logistics has published a listing of its latest initiatives on its Internet site at www.acq.osd.mil/ar, under the "What's Hot" category. The listing contains objectives in several...