The government buys many (or most) things using Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contracts. This contract type is a great option when the government clearly knows what it wants and the contractor knows how to deliver...
Quality matters. When we buy something, we want to know we got what we paid for (literally and figuratively.) It’s no surprise that the FAR has an entire Part dedicated to how “quality” is defined,...
The federal government has a goal of awarding contracts to small businesses. We outlined these Small Business Goals in episode 324. Government agencies have a variety of tools to hit those goals (small business set...
The government contracts out a lot of services. We’ve covered that topic in many episodes. Sometimes those contracts are for specific services for one government customer. Other times these contracts are for a broad variety...
Change happens. Even in, and especially in, government contracts. Life happens….circumstances change…requirements change. Change happens. However, not all changes are equal. In episode 478, we talked about the 3 levels of changes: – Green light...
Many (ok, most?) contracts do not go exactly as planned. The contracting officer typically awards contracts with the intent of not having to make unplanned changes to the contract. Likewise, the contractor is typically not...
There once was a time when government agencies instructed their contracting and acquisition teams not to engage on social media – at least not in their professional role. Well, that has changed over the years....
Price is a factor in every purchase. The seller wants the highest price and the buyer wants the lowest price. The final price will fall between those two extremes. One less common approach to finding...
In GovCon, many contracts are similar. To match that similarity, many contract rules, processes and clauses are designed to fit standard situations. But what about when those rules, processes and regs don’t line up with...
Each request for proposals has a due date. The government posts a request for bids, quotes, etc and expects (i.e. requires) interested parties to reply by that date. Simple enough. In GovCon, the rules are...
The point of a government contract is not to award a contract. The point of a government contract is to meet a need for a government customer. The official term for that “need” is the...
There is much agreement on the benefits of government and industry communicating better. However, knowing we are supposed to communicate “better” is not the same thing as knowing how to communicate “better”. Back in episode...
The government buys a lot of different things. Price is a key factor in every purchase of those things. Sometimes the price of a product or service is easy to figure out, like when it’s...
When an organization develops, designs, builds, pays for, and/or managing the production of something…they “own” some of the data behind it. But what if the government funds part of it, or funds the development of...
Government acquisition teams sometimes (or often?) uses Key Personnel as an evaluation factor in competing and awarding contracts. Like the key stone at the top of an arch, the Key Personnel can hold the project,...
In a few recent episodes (including episodes 459 and 462), Kevin and the Skyway team covered some of the elements of the Service Contract Labor Standards Act (SCLSA) (the law previously known as the Service...
In a few recent episodes (including episodes 459 and 462), Kevin and the Skyway team covered some of the elements of the Service Contract Labor Standards Act (SCLSA) (the law previously known as the Service...
Here’s a Simplified Buying Process. Step 1. Identify the problem Step 2. Decide to buy something to solve the problem Step 3. Decide how to differentiate between options (choose a Basis for Award) Step 4....
In this episode of the CO Podcast 2.0, Kevin and Paul outline the concept of Evaluation Criteria and Evaluation Factors in government contracts. Evaluation Criteria is a key element in any purchase decision among more...
There are lots of ways for the government to buy things from industry. There is rarely “the way” to buy something…it’s usually “a way” among many options. As a result, the government acquisition team may...