Those of us that have worked with DoD know that time is always an issue.  The acquisition process, and contracting as a whole, are designed to be slow and thoughtful processes.   However, given that the government always wants its cake and eat it too, there is constant pressure to do it faster. So where does Alpha Contracting fit into all this?  Alpha contracting was developed to speed the negotiation process when the government has decided to go sole source.  Now to get to this position, the Government must have an approved J&A and Acquisition Plan.  None of the requirements of the Competition in Contracting Act are waived.  Alpha contracting is designed to speed up the award of the contract to the sole source vendor using non-traditional procedures.

Typically, sole source RFPs go to the vendor for pricing, and depending on the scale of the requirement, the government may wait 30, 60, 90 days for a proposal.  Once received, the government does its technical reviews, audits and cost/price analysis.  Once a position is established and approved, negotiations begin.

Alpha’s approach is to have industry and government work together on building that RFP and contract. The SOW, contract provisions and cost for the RFP are developed by both the contractor and the government.  Issues with requirements are addressed before pricing is developed.  Work Breakdown Structures are reviewed for each task and negotiated on the spot.  Not only does this reduce time but hopefully will lead to a good execution of the contract and reduce post-award issues.

This requires a dedicated team from both parties.  The review and development of the contract becomes time and labor intensive, working towards the goal of getting a contract in place in half the time it usually takes government and industry. Outside agencies, usually DCAA and DCMA are included in the team to further reduce the risk of issues after award.

In order for this to work, there needs to be trust and as we use to say an “open kimono” attitude from both sides.  Communication is key and in this age of video tele-conferencing, Alpha contracting may be less costly because so much can be shared electronically.  However, there is some value in a face-to-face meeting when real hard issues arise.  Given the that the goal of Alpha is to reduce time and risk, everyone must be focused on the effort.

Be aware that a failure to disclose issues during any part of the effort can have a negative effect.  Negotiations on that final price could become difficult and the spirit of cooperation could disappear. Also, the goal of reducing contract modifications, that could delay performance, could be lost.

In conclusion, Alpha Contracting can be a good tool to rapidly get to contract execution.  They are labor intensive and require a dedicated team on both sides.  It should lead to better contract performance which will reduce risk for both parties in the performance of the effort.