0-60: Contract Administration

PCI is bringing you up to speed fast! Join us for the 0-60: Top Ten Virtual Class series.  Each month, PCI will explore a different topic – giving you the 10 most important facets of the topic.  Each session in the series will trim down the topic to ten facets that are important to remember – and will explain how to approach them.  Join us!

Fred Geldon will discuss the Top 10 (actually 12!) Mistakes in Contract Administration, as well as best practices for preventing them.

1)   I didn’t read the contract!  (Pay attention to the FAR clauses and flowdowns; they’re not just legalese.)

2)   I didn’t try to understand the three R’s – Rules, Requirements and Rights! (Know the FAR, know your contracts, and know your legal and contractual rights.)

3)   I accepted direction from the COR or COTR! (Only a warranted contracting officer can bind the government.)

4)   I didn’t document, document, document! (A document a day keeps the auditor or protestor at bay.)

5)   I didn’t make sure that my team understood the statement of work!  (Be sensitive to differences between the desires of the program office and the realities of the contract, and watch out for constructive changes.)

6)   I didn’t communicate with purchasing department! (Make sure they know about mandatory – and non-mandatory but necessary – FAR flowdowns.)

7)   I let sleeping grizzly bears lie! (They will probably wake up.)

8)   I chose to be right rather than happy!  (Choose your battles carefully.)

9)   I didn’t exercise independent judgment!  (That’s why the pay contracting officers the big bucks!  J)

10)  I padded my claim so I would have something to trade!  (And I wound up with an omelet on my face.)

11)  I didn’t think outside the box! (Look for creative, win-win solutions.)

12)  I didn’t pay attention to the details! (It’s important to sweat the small stuff.)

0-60: GovCon in a Capsule
10 Sessions, Fourth Tuesday of the Month, 12:00-1:00pm ET

• Jan 28 – Nuts, Bolts, and Beyond
• Feb 25 – Teaming Agreements
• Mar 25 – Key Labor & Employment Rules
• Apr 22 – Responding to an RFP
• May 27 – Contract Interpretation
• Jun 24 – Pricing a Contract
• Jul 22 – FAR Part 25 and Key Clauses
• Aug 26 – Ethics and Compliance
• Sep 23 – Contract Administration
• Oct 28 – Accounting & Auditing

The Public Contracting Institute is bringing you up to speed fast! The 0-60 live virtual training series explores different topics on the most important areas of government contracting.

Whether you are new to government contracting or have years of experience, this series will deliver substantive information in different areas as well as practical guidance on how to approach government contracting issues that you will face day to day.

The topics include contract administration, teaming agreements, contract interpretation, challenged in pricing your contract, employment and contracting claims, FAR clauses, ethics and compliance, contract changes and equitable adjustments, and small business contracting. Some examples of the lessons you will learn:

• In the Contract administration session, you will learn how to read a contact and understand the 3 Rs – Rules, Requirements and Rights. You will also learn the importance of paying attention to the details and thinking outside the box
• In the teaming agreements session, you will learn to identify the regulatory and practical restrictions your teaming agreement must meet and explore ways that you can craft your Teaming Agreement to accomplish your specific business objectives.
• In the contract interpretation session, you will learn key principles in order to spot, avoid, and resolve potential problems over the meaning of the contract and the parties’ obligations.
• In the pricing session, you will learn methods for identifying, considering and understanding whether the ultimate price will require either cost analysis or price analysis. You will also be equipped with tools and techniques associated with price analysis, key elements associated with cost proposal requirements, including documentation of direct labor, material and subcontracts, and the associated cost analysis and cost realism analysis.
• In the employment session, you will learn the complex regulations that apply to federal contractors, including prevailing wage laws, affirmative action and labor requirements.
• In the ethics session, you will learn about key compliance issues and pitfalls and how to seek guidance before the harm is done. Some top issues are related to bribes and gratuities, kickbacks, contingent Fees, false claims and false statements, product substitution, procurement integrity, hiring from the government, Antitrust, organizational conflicts of interest, and illegal negotiation tactics.

As you will learn, there are a lot of complex rules in government contracting, and this series will get you up to speed fast in the most critical areas.