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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362 – Insurance for Government Contractors (with Rick Roman)
Kevin talks insurance with Rick Roman from Gulf Coast Underwriters. Listen and learn some of the unique insurance requirements for government contractors, how they may increase the cost of contract...

361 – Past Performance Hurricane Prep
Kevin and Paul discuss the importance of planning ahead, specifically when building a past performance library. Listen and learn how to be prepared to use your past performance to give the...

360 – Only the Contracting Officer…
Only the Contracting Office has the authority to enter into, administer, or terminate contracts. So why do so many others seem to have at least some authority to direct contractors? Kevin and Paul...

359 – What is a down select? (REFRESHER)
Kevin and Paul discuss an acquisition strategy that can provide extra confidence in a contractor’s ability to deliver – the down-select. Learn how a down-select acquisition strategy helps the...

358 – Unequal Exchanges
Kevin and Paul describe a key feature of government source selections, FAR 15.306’s prohibition on favoring one offeror over another. Learn how this impacts the acquisition process and why many...

357 – Standard Operating Procedures w/Troy Small
Kevin discusses the power of standard operating procedures with special guest Troy Small, a retired Marine Corps Contracting Officer and current Skyway Acquisition team member.

356 – What is the Bona Fide Need Rule?
Kevin and Paul discuss the rules around obligating funds that guide the government’s acquisition strategies and contract management activities. Listen and learn why purpose, time, and amount are...

355 – What is a Cure Notice?
Cure notice? It’s not as good as it sounds. Kevin and Paul describe this element of the government’s contract termination process. Listen and learn why clear communication between the parties can...

354 – Know Your Option Clauses
Kevin and Paul dig deeper into the world of options and review the FAR’s solicitation provisions and contract option clauses. Listen and learn how they can impact proposal strategy, government...

353 – The Contracting Officer is the Umpire
Kevin and Paul compare the roles of contracting officers and umpires (or referees) in sports. The FAR requires contracting officers to ensure that contractors receive impartial, fair, and equitable...

352 – Is Contract Administration Underappreciated?
We spend a lot of time on the podcast talking about the acquisition process – solicitations, proposals, shaping, and everything else that leads to a contract award. This week we’re focusing on the...

351 – What is an Option?
Kevin and Paul define and describe how options work in government contracts. Learn commons uses for options as well as the FAR’s limitations on the use of options.

350 – Flossing Your Contracts (Refresher)
Contract administration is like flossing your teeth. Best to do it on a regular basis. If you skip it for a while you may not notice any pain right away, but you can bet that there will be pain...

349 – Post-Award Conferences and Contract Kickoffs
Paul discusses the critical event of the honeymoon zone, the post-award conference (also known as a contract kickoff meeting) with special guest Shelley Hall. (special guest, and also Skyway team...

348 – What is a Small Business Set-Aside?
Why would the government limit the pool of bidders to just small businesses? Listen and learn as Kevin and Paul discuss why a Contracting Officer may choose to set aside an award for only small...

347 – What is a Black Hat Review? w/Brian Lindholm
Kevin welcomes special guest Brian Lindholm, Managing Principal of FedSavvy Strategies to discuss black hat reviews. A black hat review is a common technique used to incorporate competitive...