All Things Sterling

All Things Sterling http://atsterling.com Your Healthy Dose of Federal Acquisition and Gov 2.0 posterous.com Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:45:11 -0800 Hyperlinks in DFARS Prescriptions http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/Ft9UCrliRgQ/hyperlinks-in-dfars-prescriptions http://atsterling.com/hyperlinks-in-dfars-prescriptions <p> This is an relatively easy task that will save time for DoD's tens of thousands of contracting officers and contract specialists -- place hyperlinks in all DFARS clauses to the prescriptions. Some have hyperlinks, some don't. While this doesn't have a huge impact for a single person picking out clauses, scale it into thousands of people over years, and there are significant time drains. This isn't a technically difficult thing to do, but it is tedious. Assign a few people to do this. It may even go unnoticed by many people, but it will help us do our jobs. As a special note, the lack of hyperlinks is called out during CON 090 courses, so people other than me are aware of this issue.<p />Link: <a href="http://farsite.hill.af.mil/vfnapsa.htm">FARSite</a> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/hyperlinks-in-dfars-prescriptions">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/hyperlinks-in-dfars-prescriptions#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/Ft9UCrliRgQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/hyperlinks-in-dfars-prescriptions Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:18:50 -0800 Clause Logic Should Be Awesome http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/sLbYV5XcDlY/clause-logic-should-be-awesome http://atsterling.com/clause-logic-should-be-awesome <p> I've never heard a contract specialist say, "FARSite Clause Logic is awesome". But they should be saying that. It has the potential to save a hundred of hour per year for each contract specialist (of which there are tens of thousands). Unfortunately, I don’t know anybody that uses it. I know I don't use it. This is likely because of branding and training issues. I'll cover the training issue here. A short, YouTube-style "How To" video could go a long way towards training the contracting workforce on how to use this tool. I'm not suggesting hiring a contractor for this -- give a trained, tech-savvy government employee a video camera and a basic video can be made. (Just don't look to me -- I'm awful on video).<p />Link: <a href="http://pklunx.hill.af.mil/demo_clslogic/app/frameset.htm">FARSite Clause Logic</a> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/clause-logic-should-be-awesome">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/clause-logic-should-be-awesome#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/sLbYV5XcDlY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/clause-logic-should-be-awesome Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:30:56 -0800 Most Favored Customer Clause http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/kMDYRc1FqIc/most-favored-customer-clause http://atsterling.com/most-favored-customer-clause <p> <p>GSA has a clause called the Most Favored Customer (MFC) clause. It requires the contractor to offer the government at least the best price it offered to a previous customer. GSA uses this clause for its schedules. There is no reason your agency can't adopt this clause for its own contracts; one agency doesn't have a monopoly on clauses. That being said, you may get fewer contractors than you wanted by including it in your solicitation. Still, it may be worth it in a sealed bid or lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) situation.</p> <p></p><p>Of course, <a href="http://www.captureplanning.com/articles/12118.cfm?">not everyone is happy</a> about MFC clauses, and I can understand why. Give it some though. Do you know people who have used this clause in non-GSA contracts?</p> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/most-favored-customer-clause">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/most-favored-customer-clause#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/kMDYRc1FqIc" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/most-favored-customer-clause Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:30:24 -0800 Should GSA eLibrary Add NAICS Code Search? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/wsk8fjFxWK4/should-gsa-elibrary-add-naics-code-search http://atsterling.com/should-gsa-elibrary-add-naics-code-search <p> One of the most common places for that contract specialists perform market research is the GSA eLibrary. It can search by the usual key words and GSA Schedules among other methods. Unfortunately, one of the most common methodologies of search in federal procurement -- NAICS (North American Classification Code System) Codes -- is missing. I see this as a gap in letting businesses be found. Contract specialists know the NAICS Codes of many contractors they work with. It's a core part of what we have to know when preparing market research and a solicitation. I think it is human nature that people will conduct research with the means they're most comfortable with. Many contracts specialists are comfortable with NAICS Codes, so let us search with them.<p /> A lack of NAICS Code search in the eLibrary also makes it a little more difficult for contracting officers to exercise options. The most common method of exercising options falls under FAR 17.207(d)(2): The contracting officers makes a determination based on "an informal analysis of prices or an examination of the market indicates that the option price is better than prices available in the market or that the option is the more advantageous offer." That gives broad discretion to the contracting officer. One way to do this is going into the eLibrary, pulling prices from GSA Schedules, and seeing if the prices are better or if the option is more advantageous to the federal government.<p /> Of course, adding NAICS Codes to the eLibrary is no small feat. Instead of requiring contractors to amend their GSA Schedules, eLibrary could cross its data with the Central Contractor Registration (soon to be a part of the System for Award Management), which maintains this data for federal contractors. </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/should-gsa-elibrary-add-naics-code-search">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/should-gsa-elibrary-add-naics-code-search#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/wsk8fjFxWK4" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/should-gsa-elibrary-add-naics-code-search Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:20:41 -0800 Personal Contracts Tracker http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/aRebf-abjm4/personal-contracts-tracker http://atsterling.com/personal-contracts-tracker <p> You know when you click the "I Agree" button whenever you sign up for a new online service? Well, that's a contract you agree to. 99.9999% of people don't carefully read them. I usually don't read them, and I write contracts for a living. But for the 0.00001% of people like privacy advocates that read these contracts, a contract tracker would be helpful, especially since terms and conditions change very fast for many companies like Apple, Facebook and Google. All online contract tracking I've seen has a late 1990s, Microsoft Outlook feel to it that isn't modern, intuitive or attractive. My vision involves Facebook Connect, summaries of changes, alerts, and an intuitive interface. <p /> You sign into the contract tracking platform and sign in with Facebook Connect. Boom. You're connected right away. Any accounts you have synced to Facebook Connect automatically have their current terms and conditions loaded into Facebook, along with a summary of changes for each contract change, and alerts whenever the terms and conditions change. A clean, intuitive interface would also be necessary to get people using the platform.<p /> Of course, it's just an idea, but I see potential. How would you improve this idea? </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/personal-contracts-tracker">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/personal-contracts-tracker#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/aRebf-abjm4" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/personal-contracts-tracker Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:15:32 -0800 Christmas Vacuum http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/YWpbgFvKz30/christmas-vacuum http://atsterling.com/christmas-vacuum <p> Well, I didn't have a Christmas tree this year. Not even a fake one. But I did have a vacuum cleaner. A big red vacuum cleaner. With presents.<p /><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Eeb5e838b53a3f1e1159bfe886dad3" height="854" src="http://getfile9.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/allthingssterling/YzFnj24CbMdgVpX5tbeCuLKevhLbR8giKlYQZeMu4wxUwHFtXMKo07oWNt3Y/eeb5e838b53a3f1e1159bfe886dad3.jpeg" width="480" /> </div> <p /> It was just perfect. Of course, what does this have to do with procurement? Well, have you ever thought what it takes to manufacture an actual vacuum cleaner? (Here's how to build a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nT9oc1Oi5I" target="_blank">DIY vacuum cleaner</a>).<p /> There are just so many individual pieces, plastic and metal, that it's mind boggling for this simple device; yet I know I couldn't make one without help. And by help, I mean manufacturing all these parts. I can't forge metal. I can't mold synthetic solids into plastics.<p /> But I can buy a vacuum. It's just all so complicated that people have to work together. And that's what procurement is about: teams using complicated processes to create a seemly simple vacuum cleaner.<p /> Now if you don't mind -- I'm going to continue enjoying my presents. </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/christmas-vacuum">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/christmas-vacuum#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/YWpbgFvKz30" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/christmas-vacuum Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:07:15 -0800 MAX for Intern Rotation Collaboration http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/k__6wCtXpXU/max-for-intern-rotation-collaboration http://atsterling.com/max-for-intern-rotation-collaboration <p> I've recently come to realize how difficult it is for federal interns to coordinate rotations across different agencies. It's not that bosses oppose it; quite the opposite, they encourage it. Rather, it's just tough to line up different agencies' policies for developing memorandums of understanding (MOU) via email and phone.<p /> This difficulty is one of the biggest obstacles to rotations getting off the ground, and I know from talking with others that I'm not the first to experience this. (I know many of you in Young Government Leaders have felt this pain).<p /> The federal government should either use the<a href="https://max.omb.gov/maxportal/home.do"> MAX Federal Community</a> for government-wide intern rotation collaboration or build a site specifically for it. I favor the first option since it already exists; the site is very secure; already has 52,000 people; and is stress-tested up to a quarter million people.<p /> A main page could be called Government-Wide Rotations, and then different pages should be set up for collaboration between agencies. For example, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) could have an intern rotate with the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The page under Government-Wide Rotations could be labelled OSD-CDC Rotations, and pages under that one would be restricted to the main parties involved. The allows for fast, secure, and easier file sharing and communication among different parties. </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/max-for-intern-rotation-collaboration">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/max-for-intern-rotation-collaboration#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/k__6wCtXpXU" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/max-for-intern-rotation-collaboration Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:24:16 -0800 Increase Threshold for Certified Cost or Pricing Data http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/BkwIGEQE4w0/increase-threshold-for-certified-cost-or-pric http://atsterling.com/increase-threshold-for-certified-cost-or-pric <p> <p>A common complaint about government contracting is it takes forever to complete a deal.</p> <p>Well, much of the delay comes from what's called cost analysis. Cost analysis requires govies to go into each cost element in a proposal like direct labor, overhead rates, G&A, ODCs, COM and profit/fee. Govies are required to get the best rate possible and confirm with research (and/or verify with other gov agencies) that the rates are legitimate. It takes a while. Sometimes this data is useful; other times it is not. One of the most common is when a potential contract will cost $700,000 or more, we have to get what is called Certified Cost or Pricing Data. It gets complicated, but Certified Cost or Pricing Data requires cost analysis. If it's under $700,000, we only have to do price analysis, a simpler and much faster technique. Price analysis doesn't give you all the data that cost analysis does, but it tells you the bottom line. This is what we really care about, especially in competitive situations where contractors can lower the price for the government. <br /> </p><p>Raising the threshold means govies only have to perform price analysis and not cost analysis as well, so the contracts get awarded faster. Therefore, raising the threshold for Certified Cost or Pricing Data to somewhere between $1 and $2 million should speed up these smaller contracts. </p> <p>As a side note, raising the $700,000 would be helpful to small businesses. Small businesses don't have the large cash reserves many large contractors do to hold out for a delayed contract award. A raised threshold would also help an overwhelmed acquisition workforce, especially as it performs more work as large contracts are broken into many small contracts. </p> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/increase-threshold-for-certified-cost-or-pric">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/increase-threshold-for-certified-cost-or-pric#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/BkwIGEQE4w0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/increase-threshold-for-certified-cost-or-pric Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:56:00 -0800 Should Contract Savings Go to Gov Employees? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/d63LP2x19dA/should-contract-savings-go-to-gov-employees http://atsterling.com/should-contract-savings-go-to-gov-employees <p> <p>What I'm positing will be controversial to many.</p> <p>If a government employee is clearly and directly responsible for realized savings on a contract, should 1% of contract savings, capped at $10,000 per year across all contracts, go to the employee as an award for good work?</p> <p>I know that the federal government will give whistleblowers money that is saved from exposing fraud. I see pros and cons.</p> <p><strong>Pros</strong></p> <p>Govies are motivated to think creatively and pay-for-performance is practiced.</p> <p><strong>Cons</strong></p> <p>Unethical employees could structure a contract so it is expense at first, then "discover" savings in the future. Administrative burdens would be added for processing the award and making sure the system isn't scammed.</p> <p><strong>Assessment</strong></p> <p>The idea has potential, but should be examined and imulated (if possible). If those pan out, the concept should be piloted by a large and small agency to assess its impact across different sized government agencies.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/should-contract-savings-go-to-gov-employees">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/should-contract-savings-go-to-gov-employees#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/d63LP2x19dA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/should-contract-savings-go-to-gov-employees Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:34:53 -0800 Distraction Calendar http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/rfX58EdnGKM/distraction-calendar http://atsterling.com/distraction-calendar <p> I recently had a wake up call in how I manage my contracts. I won't get into the catalyst, but the result has been amazing. See, I get distracted very easily. <p /><div>So I printed out a calendar, tape it to my desk, and put down a tally mark in the day whenever I find myself distracted by news or wandering thoughts. I saw results in just a few days. By the end of the month, I saw my number of distractions drop from 10 to 5 per day on average. I'm now much more aware of my distractions and am way more focused.<p /> Some distraction reduction methods have you record your day in 15 or 30 minute intervals so you know exactly what you're doing. This is all well and good for some, but it's burdensome on you. A distraction calendar's focus on tallies is very easy to do and seems to be a great example of an 80% solution. <p /> I haven't seen this discussed anywhere else on the Internet, but I'm probably not the first to come up with this. <br /></div> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/distraction-calendar">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/distraction-calendar#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/rfX58EdnGKM" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/distraction-calendar Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:58:22 -0800 Why Rock Your Tech Report Rocks http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/vUaMtpkQlIs/why-rock-your-tech-report-rocks http://atsterling.com/why-rock-your-tech-report-rocks <p> <p>Email for templates, tips and best practices: <a href="mailto:RockYourTechReport@gmail.com" target="_blank">RockYourTechReport@gmail.com</a></p> <p>Website: <a href="http://RockYourTechReport.tumblr.com" target="_blank">RockYourTechReport.tumblr.com</a> </p> <p>I'll try to give you a quick breakdown why I think this initiative is so important although the GovWin post does a much better job explaining it. See, contracting officers need to have a technical analysis on proposals. This lets the government know it's getting a product that can do the job. Unfortunately, the technical folks like engineers doing these technical evaluations are overworked and and doing a technical analysis simply isn't a high priority as their other duties. Add to it that many technical people aren't trained to do this, and you've got an issue. So when contracting officers don't get well-written, thoroughly-analyzed technical reports, there's an increased chance that the product will be bad and taxpayer dollars will be squandered. (And a tech report that says "proposal is acceptable" is usually a solid indicator of no analysis being done. Nothing is ever perfect.)</p> <p>This is where Rock Your Tech Report comes in handy. Between now and November 21, the initiative will try to build a free library of tips, templates and best practices on technical reports. This will serve as a sort of cheat sheet that can alleviate some of those issues. (Real tech reports aren't being asked for because that they may contain proprietary contractor data). The best ones are vetted and posted to <a href="http://RockYourTechReport.tumblr.com" target="_blank">RockYourTechReport.tumblr.com</a> starting December 5. Email your templates, tips and best practices to <a href="mailto:RockYourTechReport@gmail.com" target="_blank">RockYourTechReport@gmail.com</a>. </p> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/why-rock-your-tech-report-rocks">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/why-rock-your-tech-report-rocks#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/vUaMtpkQlIs" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/why-rock-your-tech-report-rocks Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:21:19 -0700 Procurement is Everywhere http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/oz15EXUuITY/procurement-is-everywhere http://atsterling.com/procurement-is-everywhere <p> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://getfile3.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/allthingssterling/c7HedkzJysql8hDbvfPZwt63hyLA2Jt0jHhKlDz8qfUDwUCftzjCzkRyxsCP/2011-11-04_10-19-10_474.jpg.scaled.1000.jpg"><img alt="2011-11-04_10-19-10_474" height="281" src="http://getfile1.posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/allthingssterling/wbkpALHe3Ntom697w8DzFEXj8pPzxTQaHFQQPRyBxlJZs2sxGzQYHPUDRwLW/2011-11-04_10-19-10_474.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> <p></p><p>It's a mundane example, but this fold-out tray and even the cardboard for the Starbucks cup is procured. It's everywhere.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/procurement-is-everywhere">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/procurement-is-everywhere#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/oz15EXUuITY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/procurement-is-everywhere Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:59:15 -0700 Juggling Contracts with Focus Blocks http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/OOjLv10bP9I/juggling-contracts-with-focus-blocks http://atsterling.com/juggling-contracts-with-focus-blocks <p> <p>Say what you will about multitasking. Lots of recent studies suggest multitasking leads to poorer results. I actually agree with that, although the degree of poorer results is something else all together.</p><p>With contracts, I believe you have to juggle; this is something I've learned the hard way -- failing to juggle leads to prolonging your procurements. Juggling is a vital skill -- one that is " focus-handicapped" person like me is difficult. (Yes, I claim credit to the phrase). Often taking 10 minutes between tasks will take you 3 days of waiting in the future. When you are writing you update your price negotiation memo (AKA business clearance) with the results of a negotiation, you should first draft the contract for contracting officer and legal review. This guarantees multiple items are moving in parallel. If you just focus on one item for days at a time, items will slip by you and will cost you more than you gained from focusing for days at a time on a single contract.</p> <p>Recall how I said juggling can lead to poor results? Well, to minimize poor results from switching between tasks, its best to have a methodology. I can't tell you what's best for you; I just know what works for me.</p> <p>I try to divide my tasks into focus blocks. Several hours for contract A, several more for contract B. If each contract has scattered, unrelated tasks (check <a href="https://www.epls.gov/" target="_blank">EPLS</a>, writing emails, and uploading official documents into an electronic contract file), then I try to make those into an entire focus block. </p> <p>However, the enemy of focus blocks is <a href="http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-use-parkinsons-law-to-your-advantage.html" target="_blank">Parkinson's Law</a> -- work grows to take the entire time you think it will take. The problem is that becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. That's why focus blocks for tasks can help. They don't jump out at you as much as calendar will, but you feel challenged to complete the task on time.</p> <p>So remember --</p><p></p><ol><li>Juggling is good as long as you have a methodology.</li><li>I use focus blocks for big and scattered tasks.</li><li>Parkinson's Law can bite you.</li></ol> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/juggling-contracts-with-focus-blocks">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/juggling-contracts-with-focus-blocks#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/OOjLv10bP9I" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/juggling-contracts-with-focus-blocks Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:16:14 -0700 Would a Learning Contracting Officer Help Your Agency? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/w8XLpMNyH38/would-a-learning-contracting-officer-help-you http://atsterling.com/would-a-learning-contracting-officer-help-you <p> <p>In general, there are three types of contracting officers -- the procuring contracting officer, the termination contracting officer and the administrative contracting officer.</p> <p>It may be time to add a fourth type -- the learning contracting officer (LCO). </p> <p>You see, contracts specialists train to become full-fledged contracting officers. Much of what we contracts specialists do is on-the-job (OTJ) training and some in-house training. Sure, we take contracting in-class and online courses from government at Defense Acquisition University and Federal Acquisition Institute, and from contractors like Management Concepts. Those classes provide training at government-wide, and department-level, but there is is guidance specific to agencies within each department.</p> <p>That's where OTJ and in-house training comes in handy -- they train contracts specialists to work to each agency's guidance. Unfortunately, OTJ and in-house training varies dramatically from agency to agency, depending on workloads, resources, will, and need to train contracts specialists. </p> <p>One thing that may improve OTJ and in-house training at agencies is the appointment of an agency-level learning contracting officer (distinct from the Acquisition Career Manager at the department level).</p><p>Think about it -- one person becomes the focal point for assessing the training needs on a contracts shop-wide basis. The normal model is having the supervisory contracting officer overseeing the training for all people on his team. But supervisory contracting officers are busy folks and don't have all the time in the world. A single LCO, gathering information on the training needs for all contracts specialists, would be able to serve as an advocate for training to the Head of the Contracting Activity, Senior Procurement Officer, and/or Chief Acquisition Officers. More over, if the LCO were officially added to the Federal Acquisition Regulation, it would give additional credence to an LCO's authority.</p> <p>I admit that the LCO model has difficulties. It would likely rely on persuasion and personal reputation, not legal authority, to accomplish the position's job. Additionally, an LCO would likely be a part-time duty for someone who already is busy. To make the most of an LCO, the person would need to be respected and the LCO position would need to be tied to an official performance review so LCOs will make time for their duties. Sure, this model won't work for all agencies, but it can be tweaked to meet an agency's specific needs.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/would-a-learning-contracting-officer-help-you">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/would-a-learning-contracting-officer-help-you#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/w8XLpMNyH38" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/would-a-learning-contracting-officer-help-you Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:22:32 -0700 Virtual Assistants Can Do Market Research for Govies http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/BeOX8VSEIP0/virtual-assistants-can-do-market-research-for http://atsterling.com/virtual-assistants-can-do-market-research-for <p> <p>A few weeks ago, I wrote about <a href="http://atsterling.com/virtual-assistants-for-govies">virtual assistants for govies</a>. To see if the concept was worth pursuing, I decided to use a test -- see if a virtual assistant could do simple market research in a fictional situation. I send this on 10/5/11 to my virtual assistant.<br /> </p> <blockquote class="posterous_medium_quote"><p>Find me two vendors on GSA eLibrary under Professional Engineering Services<br /> performing Integrated Logistics Support that are Woman-Owned Small<br /> Businesses. I want to see how well [my virtual assistant company] performs market research.<br /> </p> </blockquote> <p><br /></p> <p>Below is the response I received on 10/8/11. It was exactly what I was looking for. Granted it was simple, but it shows that federal market research can be done by virtual assistants. </p> <blockquote><p>Here are two of the 53 women-owned small business from the GSA Library.<br /> 1.<br /> Contract Number: GS-23F-0333K<br /> Contractor: AERO THERMO TECHNOLOGY, INC.<br /> Address: 620 DISCOVERY DR NW STE 100<br /> HUNTSVILLE, AL 35806-2816<br /> Phone: <a>(256)922-1141</a><br /> E-Mail: <a href="mailto:lhuntington@aerothermo.com">lhuntington@aerothermo.com</a><br /> Web Address: <a href="http://www.aerothermo.com">http://www.aerothermo.com</a><br /> 2.<br /> Contract #: GS-23F-0237P<br /> Contractor: CONSULTING & ENGINEERING FOR NEX<br /> Address: 9250 BENDIX ROAD NORTH<br /> COLUMBIA, MD 21045-2460<br /> Phone: <a>(410)715-1300</a><br /> E-Mail: <a href="mailto:kramakrishna@cengen.com">kramakrishna@cengen.com</a><br /> Web Address: <a href="http://www.cengen.com">http://www.cengen.com</a><br /> </p></blockquote> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/virtual-assistants-can-do-market-research-for">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/virtual-assistants-can-do-market-research-for#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/BeOX8VSEIP0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/virtual-assistants-can-do-market-research-for Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:41:05 -0700 Your Technical Reports Stinks http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/ZXhv2K34Mys/your-technical-reports-stinks http://atsterling.com/your-technical-reports-stinks <p> <p>Your technical reports stink. There's little doubt about it. </p> <p>Whenever I go into classroom training, it is universally felt by contracting officers and contracting specialists that technical reports are poorly done and add nothing to proposal analysis. After all, saying you accept everything the contractor proposes doesn't give me insight into the technical knowledge you have.</p> <p>I suspect this has to do with a few things.</p> <p>A) There is little or no formal training on writing technical reports.<br /> B) Contracting officers saying "It's ok this one time", except it turns into every time. <br /> C) Contracting officers and specialists aren't asking for the right things. </p> <p>There is something brewing on this front to improve the situation. Stay classy and stay tuned.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/your-technical-reports-stinks">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/your-technical-reports-stinks#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/ZXhv2K34Mys" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/your-technical-reports-stinks Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:38:22 -0700 Virtual Assistants for Govies http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/OrRuxBz_BjE/virtual-assistants-for-govies http://atsterling.com/virtual-assistants-for-govies <p> <p>First off, yes, I have a virtual assistant. Maybe you'll ask me "What the heck do I need a virtual assistant for?" Well, I need one because I want one. It's convenience. I only have so much time in the world. It's like when a small business hires its first employee -- its Sterling, Inc. plus one now.</p> <p>Anyways, I've been testing out a company called FancyHands for my personal needs. 15 tasks per month cost $45 (unlimited tasks for $65 per month). The first task I asked the virtual assistant was a common list of items delegated. It ranges from the complex to the simple.</p> <p>This being said, I think this is an extraordinary opportunity for government. Let's be clear -- I'm not advocating eliminating in-person administrative assistants. There are some things that must be done in-person. </p> <p>The possibilities are almost limitless, but the two biggest ones I see right now are this:</p> <p>1) Making your people productive. This is like having a team of people available at all times. Do I need market research or average pricing for a product, but don't have the time? I could outsource it to my VA.</p> <p>2) Cheaply identifying and training future managers. So you want to train managers but don't have a lot of money? Well, this works great. Emailing VAs requires clear, crisp goals and instructions. That is a lot of management right now. Better yet, if your employee works with a person right away.</p> <p>Yes, there are some possible issues (wage determinations, etc.) But the advantages of decreased cost and increased productivity are too great to ignore.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/virtual-assistants-for-govies">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/virtual-assistants-for-govies#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/OrRuxBz_BjE" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/virtual-assistants-for-govies Tue, 20 Sep 2011 10:07:27 -0700 Don't Be Too Eager http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/WKdwwReTP7w/dont-be-too-eager http://atsterling.com/dont-be-too-eager <p> <p>"Don't be too eager to move on; enjoy where you are in your career."</p> <p>That's advice I hear about a year ago from someone in my field. At the time, I thought it was lack of ambition. After all, good Americans are supposed to want more work and think of it all the time.</p> <p>Well...wrong.</p> <p>See, I've changed my mind on the advice. It has deeper meaning than I realized.</p> <p>On the surface, it means simply to enjoy the moment. That's important, but not all it offers.</p> <p>Another level down it tells you not to move on before you are ready. People are often promoted up to the level of their competence then can't go any higher. You may be able to reduce the odds of this happening to you by achieving the level of competence needed before moving on. Even if you are offered a position, it may not be the best move at that time. You may just be setting yourself up for failure. In this regard, "don't be too eager to move on" is sound advice. Your eagerness and ambition may just be your downfall. So take the time to learn, enjoy your work and then move up when you know you'll have a decent chance of success.</p> <p>That's not to say ambition is always a bad thing -- like most things in life, ambition is a double-edged sword. If you can wield it properly, you have a career weapon in your career arsenal. If not, it'll cut you.</p> <p>Then again, I have a tendency to overthink things. Maybe I should just take it at face value.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/dont-be-too-eager">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/dont-be-too-eager#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/WKdwwReTP7w" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/dont-be-too-eager Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:34:02 -0700 Beautiful, Beautiful Cost Efficiency Factor http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/UINc4f1h7no/beautiful-beautiful-cost-efficiency-factor http://atsterling.com/beautiful-beautiful-cost-efficiency-factor <p> <p>The cost efficiency factor gives a lot of flexibility to a negotiator. Let's be honest: the profit percentage that Weighted Guidelines DD 1547 gives you are very low. In fact, I can't think of many commercial businesses that would accept a profit of 3% on a contract, especially after all the effort a contractor puts into preparing and negotiating it. However, the suggested profit is something to stand on. After all, deciding on profit is not a science.</p> <p>One of my favorite parts of the DFARS is the cost efficiency for profit/fee. Basically, the contractor can get a much higher profit if the contractor gives adequate evidence it reduced costs. However, the amount earned cannot be more than 4% of the contract value and cost efficiency factor use is solely at the discretion of the contracting officer, and the cost efficiencies must affect the pending contract. </p> <p>This is an incentive for contractors to earn money for their past deeds that save money for the government. However, some say its just the government giving away money. I think its simply another tool to be used on a case by case basis. Don't just give money away; make sure the money saved actually benefits the government. Do that, and you should motivate a contractor. </p> <p>Sound off -- do you think the cost effiency factor wastes money, is always useful, or is a tool to be used in given situations?</p> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/beautiful-beautiful-cost-efficiency-factor">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/beautiful-beautiful-cost-efficiency-factor#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/UINc4f1h7no" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/beautiful-beautiful-cost-efficiency-factor Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:04:12 -0700 Happy-Nearly-Here-Government New Year http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~3/LNpWveH7tjA/happy-nearly-here-government-new-year http://atsterling.com/happy-nearly-here-government-new-year <p> <p>Well I haven't had much time to talk recently. This is because it's the nearing the end of the fiscal year for government, as you govies and contractors know. For those not familiar, government celebrates its New Year's Day at the end of September when fiscal money expires (i.e. Congress says you can't use certain types of money anymore). That means we contracting folks work against the clock every September. If we can get a contract signed and money out to a contract by midnight on September 30, we are happy. If we can't do it, the money becomes useless and you have to use funds from your new fiscal year. (And nobody wants to do this because people want to use that money for something else). Yes, your federal government works in strange ways with strange rules about money, but it's the way Congress decided it's supposed to be done, so we do it that way. </p> <p>Anyways, that's the long answer with some crazy government rules half-way explained along the way. Enjoy your day.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://atsterling.com/happy-nearly-here-government-new-year">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://atsterling.com/happy-nearly-here-government-new-year#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/posterous/CePE/~4/LNpWveH7tjA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/612190/Sterling_recent_facebook.jpg http://posterous.com/users/36jIbDbgSYoN Sterling Whitehead All Things Sterling Sterling Whitehead http://atsterling.com/happy-nearly-here-government-new-year