July 2020
HOW: The Mechanics of Bid Protests – A Hands-On Workshop to help you Decide How, When, and Where to Prosecute (or Defend Against) Protests Successfully
If your company does business with the federal government, the chances are pretty high that you’ve heard the phrase “bid protest” before. But what exactly is a bid protest, and what must every contractor understand about the process? In this course, veteran government contracts attorneys Franklin Turner and Alexander Major – Co-Leaders of McCarter & English’s Government Contracts & Export Controls Practice Group – will give companies critical insight in order to maximize their chances of success in prosecuting and…
Find out more »Contract Cost Accounting Deep Dive
Contract Cost accounting issues for government contractors can cause no end of headaches. But you don’t have to struggle through on your own. The expert instructors at PCI have created a high-intensity three-day boot camp to help alleviate your cost accounting-related headaches and transform cost accounting confusion into cost accounting competence! This course, delivered in a highly-interactive instructor-led classroom setting, uses discussion, lectures, and practical exercises to help you understand the ins and outs of cost accounting issues in government…
Find out more »August 2020
The Trifecta: Price Analysis, Cost Analysis, and Contract Negotiations
The US Government relies on contractor pricing proposals and cost representations to establish prices and/or reimburse actual costs. In this regard, the burden is on the buyer to demonstrate that prudent business actions have been taken to determine that the prices paid to suppliers are fair and reasonable in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 15.4, Contract Pricing. In addition, FAR Part 31, Contract Cost Principles And Procedures, contains cost principles and procedures for the pricing of contracts,…
Find out more »International Contracting: Export Controls
This workshop is intended to provide an in-depth understanding of the compliance rules that apply to companies involved in producing and/or exporting goods, services and/or technology that are subject to U.S. export controls, and to help you craft or update your compliance plans. Focus Areas Include • Introduction • Identifying “controlled” exports • Identifying “deemed” exports • U.S. Munitions List (USML) categories • Export Control Classification Numbers (ECCN) • Commerce Control List (CCL) • DDTC, BIS & OFAC Sanctions programs…
Find out more »Foreign Military Contracting
Summary This is an essential course for manufacturers, exporters and their executives, and legal and financial advisors, featuring: What the laws and regulations require for FMS sales and direct sales of military products Foreign Military Financing Practical instruction on export licensing of defense articles and services Complying with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
Find out more »The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement continues to be a significant United States Government civil and criminal priority. While the United States continues to lead international anti-corruption enforcement efforts, other countries, mutli-lateral development banks, and quasi-regulators are also ramping up their interest in enacting and enforcing anti-corruption regulations. This course will provide an overview of the three provisions of the FCPA. The expert faculty will discuss the current international anti-corruption regulatory landscape, including trends in recently settled FCPA cases. The…
Find out more »Cost Reimbursement Contracting Workshop
One of the biggest challenges of providing goods and services to the Federal Government is the use of cost-reimbursement contracts. A cost-reimbursement contract allows the government to award contracts that involve significant financial and technical risk with flexibility that is not possible under a fixed-price type contract. Under a cost-reimbursement contract, the government takes on the risks rather than the contractor. To help protect the taxpayer, the Government has established complex oversight policies and procedures for awarding, administering and closing…
Find out more »September 2020
HOW: A Hands-On Workshop to Develop Effective Negotiating Strategies
We negotiate every day, but many of us have never done a thing to improve our negotiation skills. Perhaps that’s because we feel we are natural negotiators; perhaps it’s because we don’t have the time; or perhaps we just feel that we already are pretty good at negotiation, and that pretty good is good enough. Regardless of where you fit along this spectrum, what if your opponents take a different view? What if they are constantly working on ways to…
Find out more »Intellectual Property in Government Contracts: Data Rights (& Wrongs)
The Government’s and contractors’ respective rights in intellectual property (IP) arising from government contracts is very important to both sides. For contractors, IP rights may be critical for the very survival of the company. For Government agencies, IP rights may have a great impact on the cost and time to accomplish an agency’s mission. “Rights in data” is an unusually complex area, but one that is essential to learn. Not the least of the difficulties is that different agencies apply…
Find out more »Commercial and Federal Government Contracting Convergence
This training (2 days) will present key characteristics, similarities, and differences among domestic commercial, international commercial, and federal government contracts to enhance the knowledge and skills of individuals working in areas relating to government and commercial contracting, subcontracting, program management, program finance, legal, management, and more. It will provide knowledge and tools for achieving greater success in the conduct of a competitive business involving foreign and domestic customers, partners, and subcontractors. Instructor presentation relating to substantive aspects of commercial and…
Find out more »Positive Leadership for Government Employees
Increase your professional leadership qualities, confidence, and competence. As a government acquisition professional, you are often required to lead through influence which is hard and requires skills that are not taught in conventional leadership development programs. Here’s where positive leadership strategies are specifically geared to enhance your ability to lead through influence. Come explore the many ways positive leadership strategies can foster positive change and build value for stakeholders and society at large. Positive leadership is about: Delivering better value…
Find out more »October 2020
GSA Schedule Contracting
The GSA Multiple Award Schedules program can sometimes be likened to the Yogi Berra quote, “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded.” While new contract methods may pop up like daisies, the Schedules program remains the Government’s largest indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting program – by far. What’s required, though, to get a Schedule contract? How do you manage your contract once you have it? More importantly, how do you drive business through this contract? Last, but certainly not least, how…
Find out more »CAS Cost Impacts
This two day course provides the student with a comprehensive learning experience on what constitutes a cost accounting practice (CAP) change and how to calculate the cost impact of such changes. The student will learn the requirements for preparing cost impact proposals, including General Dollar Magnitude Proposals and Detailed Cost Impact Proposals. The course also includes a focus on how to compute increased/decreased costs by contract, by contract group, and how recent legal decisions have affected calculating increased in decreased…
Find out more »Material Management and Accounting Systems (MMAS)
Government contractors are already reporting a significant increase in focus from DCAA on their Material Management Accounting System with audits scheduled for later this year. Don’t be caught off guard and get the information you need now. This briefing will review the overall nature and intent of MMAS, the MMAS criteria and DCAA’s new Audit Program including current US Government oversight expectations and contractor best practices for system description, policies and procedures, system walk-through, and compliance demonstration. This is a…
Find out more »GovCon Express™
This half-day program is designed to introduce key terms and concepts to those new to Federal contracting. The program will provide an (abbreviated) overview of the life-cycle of a Federal project from cradle to grave — or, more technically, from formation (solicitations, bids, proposals, infrastructure, bid protests, etc.) to administration (performance, compliance, modifications, etc.) to cessation (close-outs, terminations, claims, appeals, audits, investigations, etc.). Why Should Attend: Selling to the Federal Government is nothing like selling commercially. The rules are more complicated,…
Find out more »HOW: Hands-On Workshop for Business Systems Compliance
This course focuses on the development and maintenance of internal controls for compliance with the DFARS Business Systems: Accounting, Estimating, Material Management and Accounting System (MMAS), Earned Value Management (EVM), Purchasing, and Property. It provides an overview of contractor business systems and the implications of system deficiencies. The course also provides recommended approaches on how to assess business systems for compliance with Government requirements, how to remediate identified compliance gaps, and how to monitor and maintain business system internal controls…
Find out more »Appropriations Law of Federal Procurement
This two-day course will explore, explain, and provide hands-on practice in the key issues and principles of fiscal law as it affects federal procurement contracting. This course covers the significance and risks in making fiscal law decisions. It is designed for Government contracting officers and COTRs/CORs, program managers, resource managers, budget officers and legal staffs. Contractors who want to understand the financial issues that their federal counterparts face in contract awards, modifications and administration, and terminations will also find it…
Find out more »Cost Allowability Workshop
Determining allowable costs for contract pricing or reimbursement purposes can be complicated. FAR Part 31 contains cost principles and procedures for the pricing of contracts, subcontracts, and modifications to contracts and subcontracts whenever cost analysis is performed, and the determination, negotiation, or allowance of costs when required by a contract clause This workshop provides a thorough understanding of the nature and intent of FAR Part 31—Contract Cost Principles And Procedures, Subpart 31.2—Contracts with Commercial Organizations. Coverage includes the basic FAR…
Find out more »Advanced Incurred Cost Submission
The Government’s contract accounting requirements make an already complex field even more complex. This class quickly dives very DEEP into the meat of the Incurred Cost Submission’s requirements. This course opens with an expert guide to preparing the an adequate ICS underlining the requirements and pitfalls through case study and practical examples. Over the course of the class instructors will go over the less known hazards involved in filling out the Incurred Cost Submission. The class will then explore the…
Find out more »Contract Closeout
Contract closeout is a critical, but often forgotten, piece of the Contract process. This seminar will focus on what contractors need to move the close out process through to completion, efficiently and effectively. Achieving closeout will ensure final payments are made, audit issues are concluded, past performance evaluations are submitted and any open issues are resolved. Timely close out efforts result in reduced contract administration and ensure a greater likelihood that contractors still have and can provide all the documentation…
Find out more »Business Systems in Government Contracting
The instruction provides recommended approaches to achieving, maintaining, and documenting internal business system controls and behaviors to comply with Government contract requirements, as well as sound business practices. The course focuses on what contractors must know about business systems audits and how to respond to an audit. Learning Objectives Provide overview of new and proposed rules and regulations governing contractor Business Systems' compliance Discussion of the different types of Business Systems (old and proposed) Recognize fundamental characteristics and objectives of…
Find out more »November 2020
Supply Chain Week: CPSR, Commercial Item Determinations & Price Analysis, Subcontract Management, and Managing Government Property
Supply Chain Trifecta PCI is pleased to present this 4 day series of courses designed specifically to cover the contractor business systems with compliance criteria that are primarily under the execution responsibility of supply chain professionals. Each class may be taken on its own or you can sign up for the entire week to save over 35%. To Register for the Trifecta: CPSR, Commercial Item Determinations & Price Analysis, and Subcontract Management click here. Monday: Managing Government Property Tuesday and Wednesday: Contractor Purchasing…
Find out more »Trending Developments in Government Contract Compliance and Cybersecurity
This 1.5 day course examines the intersection of cybersecurity compliance and regulations and federal government contracting. In this course, veteran Government Contracts and cybersecurity attorneys Alexander Major and Franklin Turner will discuss the following topics: Pertinent cybersecurity definitions Threat management Breach response Cybersecurity costs Hacker motivations FAR and DFARS requirements pertaining to information systems The NIST framework Agency-wide efforts to regulate cybersecurity Cloud computing requirements Liability for data breaches
Find out more »Masters Academy in Government Contracting
Prerequisite: To gain the most from the Masters Academy, it is recommended that participants have at least five years of contracting experience in industry, government, law, or accounting. The Masters Academy is designed to provide an exceptional learning experience. Each day, different experts will share their insights into the leading practices in key areas of Government contracting. Over the course of five days, you will have the unique opportunity to learn the lessons experts have culled during their careers in…
Find out more »December 2020
Types of Contracts
A one day in-depth analysis of the new focus and guidelines on the selection, use, and management of contracts by type. Implications on costs, accounting systems, management, and administration of this new emphasis on all contract vehicles will be examined There is a new emphasis on Contract Types in Government Contracting. In acquisition planning, Government agencies have been directed to move away from Cost Type Contracts to Firm Fixed-Price Contracts. This emphasis on Fixed-Price Contracts is designed to control costs…
Find out more »Risk Management
This fast-paced one-day class will introduce the concept of risk management and present some ways to prevent risks in the government contracting environment. Many of the risk management activities companies are currently performing do not provide them with actionable tasks to address performance, cost and schedule risk. This course will cover risk management best practices in order to deliver projects within specified time frames, budgets, and quality requirements. Agenda Brief Introduction to Risk Management Preliminary Questions to Ponder Concept of Risk…
Find out more »Drafting & Negotiating Teaming Agreements
This intensive course provides an overview of teaming agreements, discusses how they differ from typical subcontractor relationships and identifies both legal and policy considerations that underlie the formation and operation of teaming agreements. The course also gives tips on drafting a successful teaming agreement by discussing provisions relating to scope, terminations, defaults, dispute resolution, and protections for proprietary information. This course is designed to arm you with the necessary information to negotiate and draft a custom teaming agreement that advances…
Find out more »The Trifecta: Price Analysis, Cost Analysis, and Contract Negotiations
Labor Regulations
The Service Contract Act (SCA) and related regulations look easy to grasp at first glance, but are very difficult to navigate in practice. In fact, they might just be some of the most challenging requirements for contractors and federal agencies trying to implement it. If you are a federal contractor competing for or performing work under a service contract or you provide any services relating to the SCA, this training is critical to ensuring that you are fully compliant and…
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