Contract Management articles from October 2003

Contract Management archives from October 2003

Are we "Without Wax"?(President's Forum)
October 1, 2003... Are we sincere? It turns out that the concept of sincerity has a colorful origin. In Roman times, skilled artisans produced beautiful marble sculptures, many of which have survived to this day. We enjoy their beauty and marvel at the sculptors'...

The changing landscape of government competition: in the past, acquisition professionals reviewed industry proposals and scrutinized sources to ensure the government got the best deal. Today, these departments must compete among themselves to offer the best value to the U.S. taxpayer.
October 1, 2003... Government agencies are beginning to resemble private sector organizations. Acquisition professionals now talk freely about intellectual capital, succession planning, financial statements, return on investment, project management, targeted...

The use and misuse of contingent fees in government contracting; because contingent fee arrangements can invite unwanted scrutiny from the government and remedies for violation are potentially severe, a contractor should take great care before entering into them.
October 1, 2003... In many areas of business, influence peddling is an accepted practice. For example, companies routinely hire lobbyists to advocate for political action resulting in a more favorable environment for its products or services. Similarly, companies...

The competitive range: to get the best value, flexibility and creativity must be encouraged in the procurement process--any rule that places a limit on competitive range discourages this creativity: fact or fiction.
October 1, 2003... Over the years, the procurement professional has struggled with the concept of the competitive range. Government procurement regulations provide a brief and somewhat vague definition. This vagueness is a purposeful attempt to leave the...

Making the grade: contracting for state assessment tests: when procuring testing and assessment services, state educational agencies should avoid rushing the process. A flexible schedule ensures more and better proposals, a better relationship with the contractor, and more opportunity to get teachers, school administrators, students, and parents on board.
October 1, 2003... President Bush's education law, "No Child Is Left Behind," brings about the transformation of the federal role in education. A major provision of this law is increased accountability for student performance. "States, districts, and schools that...

Lean contracting: all acquisition functional experts, who touch or benefit from the product or service, must understand and implement lean concepts in their organizations before the lean movement can be fully successful.
October 1, 2003... All contracting people need to know about the "lean" movement in acquisition that is sweeping the military services and industry. Our academic partners are helping with research and in spreading the word. Chances are your technical people...

Preparing for recovery audits: new guidance from the Office of Management and Budget on performing recovery audits should allay contractors' concerns about conflicts of interest and audit quality.
October 1, 2003... Almost since its inception, the federal government has focused on controlling fraud, waste, mid abuse in its acquisition of goods and services. The Civil War era, in particular, was a breeding ground for laws designed to combat procurement...

2004 NCMA buyer's guide: category listing.
October 1, 2003... Accounting: AUDIT SPECIALISTS CONSULTING FIRM SOFTWARE OR PRODUCTS SYSTEM MANUFACTURER Aerospace and Defense: AGENCY CONTRACTOR INTERNATIONAL A&D ORGANIZATIONS MANUFACTURERS PERSONNEL PROVIDERS PROCUREMENT...

Exotic defective pricing.(Case Commentary)
October 1, 2003... Ultraviolet programmable read-only memory cards (UV) became obsolete for the AN/ALQ-126B deceptive electronic countermeasures (ECM) system used in U.S. Navy aircraft to defeat enemy radar. Retrofit kits consisted of five electrical erasable...

"Quickforms" IT contracts--a low-cost expert system.(E-Business)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2003... This product was reviewed in July 2003. Contract managers (CM) constantly seek to develop contracts that correctly, accurately, and strategically address risks and opportunities. At the same time, if the contract can be developed quickly...

Determine contract performance management release 18A.(Information Technology)(DETERMINE delivers contract management software)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2003... This product was reviewed in August 2003. Nearly all companies use purchase contracts for high volume multi-year requirements covering a wide range of needs. By combining piece parts, services, and equipment leasing, today's firm can...

A compilation of procurement news affecting small business.(Small Business Briefs)
October 1, 2003... In an effort to revamp the Small Business Act with a major rewrite, H.R. 2802 contains new definitions related to bundled contracts, HUBZone contracting, and small business manufacturers. It also establishes a requirement for a pilot program...

Looking to GSA for a better way: GSA's National Furniture Center.(GSA Case Study)(General Services Administration)
October 1, 2003... In an effort to provide more efficient, streamlined, and cost-effective ways of purchasing furniture, furnishings, and associated services, the National Furniture Center (NFC) added two multiple-award schedules to assist agencies: the Packaged...

Competitive sourcing and the new A-76 rules: what can we expect?(Speaking Out)
October 1, 2003... Government organizations have been operating in an environment of reduced budgets, while being required to maintain high levels of customer service. One method used is competitive sourcing, known as Office of Managed Budget (OMB) Circular A-76....

Sarbanes-Oxley introduces sweeping reforms.(Finance)(Sarbanes-Oxley Act)
October 1, 2003... On July 30, 2002, President Bush signed the Corporate Auditing mad Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency Act of 2002 (Pub. L. No. 107-204). The act, known as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, introduces sweeping changes to corporate governance...

A plan for a small business.(putting a small business plan in place gives benefit)
October 1, 2003... FAR clause 52.219-9, Small Business Subcontracting Plan (10/2000) (a), states that the requirements for a small business plan do not apply to small business concerns. So, why would a small business consider developing, executing, and managing a...

Bill regarding amendments to the Buy American Act introduced in senate.(Legislation)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Senator Russ Feingold has introduced a bill, titled the "Buy American Improvement Act of 2003," in the Senate. If enacted, this bill would amend the Buy American Act (41 U.S.C. [section] 10(a)) to, among other things: (1) prohibit a public...

Bill regarding equipment containing electronic components not manufactured in United States introduced in house.(Legislation)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Representative Louise Slaughter has introduced a bill, the "Keep America Secure Act," in the House of Representatives. If enacted, this bill would prohibit the secretary of defense and the secretary of homeland security from purchasing...

DOD issues final rule regarding contractor performance of security-guard functions at military installations or facilities.(Regulations)
October 1, 2003... The Department of Defense (DOD) has issued a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to provide temporary authority for contractors to perform any security-guard functions at military installations and...

DOD issues final rule regarding contractor liability for loss or damage under vessel repair and alteration contracts.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The DOD has issued a final rule that amends the DFARS to increase a contractor's liability under vessel repair and alteration contracts. As previously reported, the clause in DFARS Part 252 (Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses) holds a...

DOD issues interim rule regarding multi-year contracts for supplies.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The DOD has issued an interim 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...

DOD issues proposed rule regarding production surveillance and reporting.(Regulations)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The DOD has issued a proposed rule to amend the DFARS to eliminate the requirement that contract administration offices perform production surveillance on contractors with only "Criticality Designator C" (low-urgency) contracts. Currently,...

Grisaffe named NCMA honorary life member.(NCMA Association News)(eligibility requirements)
October 1, 2003... When someone earns an honorary doctorate or is conferred an honorary, degree, there is much to be said for this achievement. To earn an honorary status for life, however, is a step beyond this level of greatness--and NCMA is proud to host its...

A moment in time: the latest national achievement award winner.(NCMA Association News)
October 1, 2003... In today's modern business world, where things move at breakneck speeds "on to the next best thing," it is often hard to stop and appreciate the value of what one individual has done to make a difference. How many times do we gloss over an...

Risks and rewards--an all-new program for NCMA at west coast.(National Contract Management Association News)
October 1, 2003... With an extra program tagging the beginning of the West Coast Education Conference (July 17-18, 2003), the three days of events combined were quite a success. The educational conference, which highlighted "Risks and Rewards--Achieving the...

Greater Philadelphia Chapter.(Chapter Bulletin Board)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... This chapter partners Temple University's Small Business Development Center (TU SBDC), co-sponsoring small business seminars on campus. Here, Chapter President Robert Fryling, Esq. (right), presents an engraved jade trophy of thanks to Maureen...

Picatinny Chapter.(Chapter Bulletin Board)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The new officers gather for a June 2003 ceremony. From left to right: (back row) George Marchant, Lou Sylvain, Kimberly Genung, Larry Visconti; (second row from top) Lisa Hurd, Marion Doyle, Tom Dougherty, Eric Holder; (second row from bottom)...

Space City Houston Chapter.(Chapter Bulletin Board)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... At a luncheon meeting, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay discussed America's space endeavors in the wake of the Columbia accident. Pictured from left to right are Sam Morthland (national director); Carla Stinson (VP membership); Angela Swafford...

In erratum.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The CM staff regrets printing an erroneous caption with the Space City Houston Chapter photo in the September 2003 issue.