Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

Georgia Tech schedules federal construction and A-E contracting classes in 2016

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Two new classes — designed for government contracting officials and contractors alike — will be offered by Georgia Tech’s Contracting Education Academy in 2016.

Each of the two classes is five days in length, and each provides critical insights into how the government plans and executes contracting strategies for construction and architectural-engineering (A-E) work.

CON 243CON 243: Architect-Engineer Contracting is a five-day course, focusing on contracting for architectural-engineering services, covers issues across the contracting spectrum, including acquisition planning, source selection, proposal analysis, contract award and work, and contract management. Specific topics and practical exercises allow professionals to gain knowledge of the Selection of Architects and Engineers statue, the Standard Form 330, slate and selection process, review of government estimates, liability, Title II services, modifications, and contracting officer’s representative (COR) responsibilities. In this advanced course, students learn how to research proper application and interpretation of conflicting regulatory guidance, including Public Law, FAR, the DFARS and other Agency Supplements to the FAR, and legal precedence.

Who Should Attend CON 243:

Contracting officers, contract specialists, contracting officer representatives, program/project managers, small business specialists, industry contracting personnel, architects and engineers.

How You Will Benefit by Attending:

You will learn how to:

    • Determine if the services require Selection of Architects and Engineers Statute procedures and how to identify the basic steps necessary for the requirement.
    • Distinguish how the project is to be advertised and determine what is to be contained in the advertisement.
    • Determine the elements necessary for performance work statements.
    • Evaluate firms and determining the order in which they will be ranked once service has been advertised and qualifications statements received,
    • Determine applicable cost principles specific to A-E contracting in order to prepare a Government estimate or review a proposal.
    • Recognize when and how a Government cost estimate for the project is developed.
    • Develop a strategy and negotiating the project given an A-E firm’s proposal and the Government estimate,
    • Distinguish how the Government maintains quality assurance on the contract after it has been awarded.
    • Analyze the roles and responsibilities of those charged with the management and administration of the contract after award.
Schedule for CON 243 – click here.

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CON 244CON 244: Construction Contracting focuses on unique construction contracting issues, such as acquisition planning, contract performance management, funding, environmental concerns, construction contract language, and construction contracting in the commercial setting, the Construction Wage Rate Requirements Statute, design/build, basic schedule delay analysis, constructive changes, acceleration, and construction contract quality management.

Who Should Attend CON 244:

Contracting officers, contract specialists, contracting officer representatives, program/project managers, small business specialists, and industry contracting personnel.

How You Will Benefit by Attending:

You will learn how to:

      • Apply the Federal acquisition laws, regulations, Department of Defense and other agency supplementation, policies, procedures, and best business practices in soliciting and administering construction contracts.
      • Contrast the regular support requirements with a Construction Acquisition Plan in accordance with FAR Parts 7 and 36, DFARS Parts 207 and 236 and agency supplements, policies and procedures.
      • Develop a construction solicitation package in accordance with FAR, agency supplements, and policy/procedures.
      • Evaluate the appropriate construction contract awardee.
      • Determine the applicable construction contract administration (compliance) approach, using FAR, DFARS, DoD regulation/guidelines, and other relevant agency supplement, procedures and best business practices.
      • Formulate the remedy and appropriate clause for a changed construction condition in accordance with Federal and DoD acquisition and other agency laws, regulations, and best business practices.
      • Document appropriate actions necessary to verify for construction progress payment or construction contract closeout.
Schedule for CON 244 – click here.

Georgia Tech’s June courses offer insights into federal contracting

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The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech is offering two courses in June 2015 that offer essential insights into the federal contracting process, from both a government and a contractor point-of-view.

  • Contract Planning in the FAR – CON 090-2 – covers how the federal government plans acquisitions, conducts market research, describes agency needs, and sets priorities for the acquisition of commercial and non-developmental items.  Students learn: the policies and procedures for acquisition planning; the policies pertaining to required and preferred sources of supplies and service; how to determine the appropriate type of contract, contracting technique, and terms and conditions; what socioeconomic programs apply; how to publicize a solicitation; and how to judge a contractor’s qualifications.  Details for registering for this June 1 – 5, 2015 course can be found here: https://pe.gatech.edu/courses/con-090-2-contract-planning-far.
  • Contracting Officer Representative and the Contingency Contracting Environment – COR 206/222 –  provides a comprehensive review and instruction on the role and responsibilities of the Contracting Officer Representative (COR), including ethical situations and cultural differences a COR may experience while deployed in a contingency operation.  Students learn how to: review contract terms and conditions; understand each party’s role and responsibility in contract administration; document and obtain approval for contract changes and modifications; monitor contract expenditures; conduct contract close-outs; and manage ethical and legal issues in the contingency contracting environment.  Details for registering for this June 8 – 12, 2015 course can be found here: https://pe.gatech.edu/courses/cor-206222-contracting-officer-representative-course-and-contingency-contracting-environment.

DAU logoAcademy identifier - gold & black w-white bkgrndThe Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech is an approved equivalency training provider to the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) and provides continuing education training to acquisition and government contracting professionals as well as to business professionals working for government contractors or pursuing opportunities in federal contracting.

 

A cautionary tale: Claims must be submitted to the CO first

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As a contractor on a federal project, how often do you interact with the agency’s contracting officer?

Given the state of today’s understaffed acquisition workforce, the answer is probably not very often, if at all. Instead, you more often find yourself dealing with a varied cast of characters during contract performance – including CORs, COTRs, and resident engineers. While these government representatives can act with the authority of the CO under many circumstances, there are certain times when only the CO will do.

One example of a communication that must go directly to the CO is a written claim for time or money under the Contract Disputes Act.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=343048

8(a) subcontracting limitations: Compliance oversight lacking

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Compliance with the limitations on subcontracting are not adequately being monitored by the contracting officers responsible for 8(a) contracts, according to a recent GAO report.

After reviewing a representative sample of ten 8(a) contracts, the GAO determined that contracting officers effectively monitored subcontracting limit compliance on two of those contracts.  In other cases, agency contracting officers failed to effectively monitor compliance, even in situations presenting a heightened risk of potential violations–such as where ineligible incumbents were serving as subcontractors.

The GAO report documents “confusion” among contracting officers regarding their obligations to ensure compliance with subcontracting limits.  Some contracting officers were confused about what sba-logothe FAR, Small Business Act, and SBA partnership agreements require.  Other contracting officers seemed to assume that their CORs were primarily responsible for ensuring compliance with the subcontracting limits – although all 10 of the CORs in question “stated that contracting officers have not delegated this responsibility to them and they do not take steps to monitor the amount of subcontracted work.”

Keep reading this article at: http://smallgovcon.com/statutes-and-regulations/8a-subcontracting-limitations-compliance-oversight-lacking/

Government contracting courses for 2014 announced

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The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech (The Academy) has released its course calendar for calendar year 2014.

Representatives of both the government and private sectors will be pleased to learn that the courses include both traditional favorites as well as new offerings for 2014.

The Academy is an official training equivalency provider of the Defense Acquisition University (DAU).  Since each of The Academy’s courses is DAU-equivalent, they satisfy the federal government’s FAC-C and DAWIA certification programs.  In addition, continuing education units (CEUs) are granted by the Georgia Institute of Technology.

  • The Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting Program (FAC-C) establishes graduated education, experience, and training standards for contracting professionals in all civilian agencies. FAC-C certifications are mutually accepted among all civilian agencies as documentation of accomplishment of these standards.
  • The Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) established a very similar, but not identical, program for the Department of Defense (DoD). Civilian agencies may accept DAWIA certification as equivalent to FAC-C certification.

Of particular interest to representatives of the business community is the fact that The Academy’s coursework has been tailored to be relevant to both government contractors and government contracting professionals.  This makes The Academy’s classroom one of the few places anywhere where representatives of the private and government sectors can learn side-by-side about federal acquisition.   As a result, students find Academy courses especially rich in content and lively in conduct.

Courses currently scheduled for 2014 include:

To see each course’s scheduled dates, please click on the links above or visit: http://contractingacademy.gatech.edu/training.

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