Government*Horizons Inc. Training Workshop™

Introduction to Federal Government Contracting Workshop

September 16-19, 2008
Arlington, VA

This workshop is recommended for 32Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) toward DAWIA, FAC-C and FAC-COTR requirements. A Government*Horizons Certificate of Completion will be provided to all attendees upon conclusion of the workshop. For information on fulfilling core, elective and continuous learning requirements, click here.

"For having no contracting experience, it’s a good crash course." - Analyst, Jorge Scientific Corp.

"Outstanding course - very helpful." - Murray Rupert, Deputy Director for Logistics, Defense Continuity and Crisis Management

“Laura was excellent! I can’t say enough about her presentation skills. If all of your presenters are as good as her, I would recommend any of your classes” - Stacie Archuleta, Arizona Dept. of Agriculture.

Registration: 8:00 AM
Program Starts: 8:30 AM
Wrap-Up: 3:30 PM

Course materials, continental breakfast (coffee and pastries) and refreshments included.

About This Course:

This four-day course covers the key elements of the entire federal government contracting process. Introduction to Federal Government Contracting is designed to provide those new to government contracts (or those looking for a basic refresher) with an understanding of the entire government contracting process. By providing this framework, you will be able to understand how your work relates to the overall process and will be able to more easily move into other areas of responsibility.

Starting with a general overview, Introduction to Federal Government Contracting will address requirements definition, competition requirements, types of contracts, market research, performance-based contracting, acquisition planning and protests. It will also cover the various procurement methods available, including sealed bidding, negotiated procurements, simplified acquisitions and commercial item acquisitions. Finally, various aspects of contract administration will be covered, such as contract changes, cost allowability, inspections, terminations and claims.

You will gain a practical understanding of each of the topics covered and will be better able to protect your contractual rights. This course is intended for personnel directly involved in the federal government contracting process, whether as government employees, contractors or subcontractors. The key points will be reinforced with case studies and practical exercises so you can develop and refine your skills. You'll receive a comprehensive course manual that will serve as a valuable desk reference long after the class is over!

A new government report recommends contract training to achieve better federal contracting results. Click here to download the Managing the Government’s Technical Experts to Achieve Positive Contract Outcomes report by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board dated December 2005.

Who Should Attend:

• Agency Program Managers
• Budget and Financial Officers
• General Counsel
• Contracts Administrators
• Procurement Executives
• Federal support contractors
• Federal product and services suppliers, systems integrators

Previous Attendees Include:

Armor Holdings Inc., Senior Paralegal
BellSouth Business
By-Light Professional IT Services, Chief Financial Officer
Cabrera Services, Inc., Area Manager
CALIBRE, Principal
CAPE, Buyer
Ceridian Corporation, Director
Ceridian Corporation, Vice President & Legal Counsel
CISCO Systems, Inc., Capture Manager, Strategic Programs
CISCO Systems, Inc., Federal Business Process Manager
Commonwealth Research Institute, Project Manager
Defense Continuity Crisis Management, Assistant Director for Logistics
Defense Continuity Crisis Management, Logistics Management Specialist
Defense Continuity Crisis Management, Special Operations Officer
Department of Justice, Assistant Director, FASS
Department of Veterans Affairs, Cemetary Development Coordinator
ExecuSys, Inc., Corporate Accountant
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Government Contracts Manager
Hazard Management Solutions, Inc., Executive Vice President
IRS, Program Director
IRS, Project Director
Kaydon, Government Sales Manager
Kuk Construction, Office Manager
L-3 Communications, Telemetry East, Contract Administrator
Lockheed Martin, Senior Contracts Administrator
Maritime Security Solutions, President
NIH-NIDA-CMB, Supervisor Contract Specialist
SAIC, Operations Contract Manager
Savannah River Site, Controller
Social Security Administration, Attorney
Spriggs & Hollingsworth, Attorney
STG, Inc.
The Louis Berger Group, Inc, Contract Compliance Manager
U.S. Air Force, Quality Assurance
U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Attorney
U.S. EPA, Environmental Engineer/Program Analyst
University of Washington, Administrator
West Valley Env'l Svcs, CFO

What Other Attendees Have Said:

"I found the course to be helpful and a good overview for government people. (Instructor is)...very knowledgeable and makes the subject interesting as well as pass along the knowledge. She is a very knowledgeable contracting officer and I would welcome her as a contracting officer at my agency." - Beth Lofgren, Procurement Analyst, STG, Inc.

"Really enjoyed it, it has been a nice refresher." - Bill Foy, Government Sales Manager, Kaydon

“This course was very useful and a source of good reference for future use.” - NCI

“Excellent and informative class. Has been a great help” - Red River Army Depot

Course Outline:

1. Overview
a. What We Will Cover
b. Definitions
c. Regulations
d. Key Steps in the Federal Contracting Process
e. How Federal Government Contracting and Commercial Contracting Differ
f. Authority to Contract
g. Current Acquisition Environment

2. Types of Contracts
a. Overview
b. How to Select the Appropriate Contract Type
c. Fixed-Price and Cost Reimbursement Contracts
d. Level-of-Effort Contracts
e. Indefinite Delivery Contracts
f. Letter Contracts
g. Options

3. Competition
a. Competition Requirements
b. Exceptions to the Competition Requirements
c. Implementation of the Competition Requirements
d. Practices That Restrict Competition
e. Publicizing Contract Actions

4. Sealed Bidding
a. Overview of the Sealed Bidding Process
b. Preparation of the Invitation for Bids (IFB)
c. Release of the IFB
d. Submission of Bids
e. Evaluation of Bids
f. Award of the Contract

5. Negotiated Contracting Procedures
a. Overview
b. When to Use Negotiated Contracting Procedures
c. Developing the Request for Proposals (RFP)
d. Drafting Evaluation Criteria
e. Award Without Discussions
f. Draft RFPs
g. Cancellation of the RFP
h. Submission and Evaluation of Proposals
i. Setting the Competitive Range’
j. Conducting Meaningful Discussions
k. Final Proposal Revisions
l. Award and Debriefings

6. Simplified Acquisition Procedures
a. When to Use Simplified Acquisition Procedures
b. Simplified Acquisition Requirements
c. Simplified Acquisition Procedures

7. Commercial Item Acquisitions
a. Overview
b. Commercial Item Definitions
c. The Federal Supply Schedule
d. Commercial Item Contracting Procedures
e. Commercial Item Clauses

8. Socioeconomic Policies and Requirements
a. Small Business Policy
b. Responsibility Determinations
c. Small Business Set-Asides
d. Small Business Programs
e. The Buy American Act

9. Protests
a. Introduction to Protests
b. Agency Protests
c. General Accountability Office Protests

10. Costs
a. General Overview
b. Cost Allowability
c. Specific FAR Cost Principles
d. The Truth In Negotiations Act
e. Cost Accounting Standards

11. Contract Changes
a. Formal Contract Changes
b. Coverage of the Changes Clause
c. Constructive Changes
d. Contract Interpretation
e. Types of Constructive Changes

12. Inspections and Warranties
a. Goals of the Inspection Process
b. Inspection and Testing
c. Government Remedies Under the Inspection Clauses
d. Strict vs. Substantial Compliance
e. Inspection Lessons Learned
f. Acceptance
g. Warranties

13. Equitable Adjustments
a. Overview
b. Measuring the Adjustment
c. Methods of Proving the Adjustment Amount
d. Advanced Topics

14. Terminations for Convenience
a. Nature of Convenience Termination
b. The Government’s Right to Terminate for Convenience
c. Termination Procedures
d. Convenience Termination Settlements

15. Terminations for Default
a. Overview
b. The Government’s Right to Terminate for Default
c. Grounds for Default Termination
d. Notice Requirements
e. Contractor Defenses to Termination for Default
f. The Contracting Officer’s Decision
g. Rights and Liabilities After Termination for Default

16. The Disputes Process
a. Overview
b. The Disputes Clause
c. Contractor Claims
d. Elements of a Claim
e. Government Claims
f. The Contracting Officer’s Final Decision
g. Appeals to the Boards of Contract Appeals

About Your Instructor:

Laura Willetts has over 12 years of federal acquisition experience in the disciplines of contracting, financial management and A-76 studies. She is the President of Alura Consulting and Training, a small business, acquisition training and consulting firm headquartered in the greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Previous to founding Alura Consulting and Training, Ms. Willetts was Vice President of Contracts at ManTech Information Systems and Technology. While at ManTech, she also was the Chief of Acquisition Consulting and Training for AcqCenter, a division of ManTech Information Systems and Technology. AcqCenter provides government customers turnkey, full service acquisition solutions including consulting, training and software applications.

Ms. Willetts was a warranted contracting officer for the Central Intelligence Agency where she supported a diverse set of customers, including the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA). As a contracting officer, she assisted and conducted several best value competitive source selections, performed cradle to grave contract administration functions and worked on the Agency’s contract automation working group. Upon leaving Government service, Ms. Willetts joined the acquisition-consulting field where she has provided acquisition-consulting services to a variety of customers including NSA, CIA, DLA, NRO, USPS, FAA and DESC. She has assisted in document development including Source Selection Plans, Evaluation Guides, Statements of Work, proposal instructions, etc. Prior to joining ManTech, she provided acquisition support throughout all phases of the A-76 study including: market research, assisting with the development of the Performance Work Statement (PWS), assisting with the transition phase and providing support throughout the Administrative Appeals Process to the DLA and other customers.

Ms. Willetts is also a senior instructor, researcher, writer and consultant for The George Washington University’s (GWU’s) Educational Services Institute International. Ms. WiIlletts received a Master in Science, Contract and Acquisition Management from Florida Institute of Technology. She is also a Certified Professional Contracts Manager.

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