Contracting Officer Podcast 2.0 Episodes
As former Federal Contracting Officers who have also walked in industry’s shoes, Kevin and Paul share their expertise and perspectives in support of the podcast’s mission: Make government contracting better, one contract at a time.
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507 – Sunsetting Regulations
Last week, the President issued Executive Order 14275 that focused on streamlining and updating the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). We first discussed the implication of updating the FAR about...
506 – How much of the sale is Process vs Relationship? Part 1 of 2
Some purchases we make are based on a process. Some purchases we make are based on a relationship. Most purchases we make are based both on a relationship with the seller and some process. That...
505 – What’s changing (or not) in GovCon?
“There is nothing permanent except change” – Heraclitus To say change is afoot right now in government contracting is kind of an understatement. The government contracting work, and workforce, are...
504 – The FAR is not the Play Book
The FAR is the basic ruleset the government uses to award contracts. The FAR is a Rule book. For all our frustration with it and our collecting amazement at how wordy and stuffy it can be, it’s the...
503 – The VETS First Contracting Program
In this episode, they dive into the Veterans First Contracting Program, or VETS First. This is a crucial initiative managed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to prioritize awarding...
502 – Insuring Against Performance Risk in GovCon
Kevin lives in the Tampa Bay area. Several serious hurricanes blew through the area last Fall. While Kevin’s house was thankfully not damaged, many others were not so lucky. Many people used claims...
501 – GovCon and Tariffs
Sooooo…. Tariffs are kind of in the news lately…it was time to finally cover the obscure application of tariffs in government contracting. In simple terms, Tariffs are a tax on goods as they enter...
500 – The Quincentenary (the 500th Episode)
It’s been over 10 years since we started the Contracting Officer Podcast. See the whole library at http://GovConPodcast.com! “It has been a great ride making these episodes each week. We’ve managed...
499 – Working with the FAR we have… (with Shelley Hall)
The FAR is foundation of nearly every dollar the government spends. Sure, there are plenty of actions (and a few agencies) that are not subject to the FAR. But in the big picture GovCon, the...
498 – What’s an A-76 Competition?
Every organization has things to get done.Some things they do themselves. Some things they have others do.It is often called a “Make or Buy” decision (or a “Do or Hire” decision for services). The...
497 – GovCon Weight Class (Contractors)
An axiom of entrepreneurship is, “it’s not idea creation that gets in our way, it’s idea selection.” We tend to have more ideas than we have resources to execute those ideas. This applies in GovCon...
496 – The Other Costs of Proposals
Proposals are how most contractors win government contracts. Proposals typically do 3 things: outline how an offeror will meet the requirement (i.e. the technical approach); explain how well they...
495 – Contingency Contracting Part 2 – Processes
“Government contracting” is a broad phrase that includes a wide variety of skills, processes, and judgements. One of the lesser known types is Contingency Contracting. Contingency Contracting...
494 – What is Profit?
What is “profit”? The simplistic answer is something like: “the money left over after all expenses are paid.” The reality is a bit more complicated. Profit can be a polarizing topic for both buyer...
493 – Using the F Word… “Fair”
“Fair” can often be the F word in negotiations. While the title of this episode is humorous, the term “fair” can be just as jarring as the other F word. This is because our expectations and...
492 – What are Liquidated Damages?
Liquidated damages are a pre-set amount that one party agrees to pay another in the event of a breach of some element of a contract. Easy. Sort of. In GovCon, liquidated damages can be a form of...