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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258 – Is Bigger Better?
Kevin and Paul discuss the impact of scale on government contracts. Learn how contract size and scope can impact small and large businesses as well as government acquisition and program offices.
257 – No Ghosting
Kevin and Paul expand on a blog written by Michael Derrios (Head of Contracting/Senior Procurement Executive at U.S. Coast Guard) about ghosting – the practice of withdrawing from communication...
256 – Federal budget at ground level (with Larry Leffler)
Paul welcomes special guest Larry Leffler of Leffler Consulting (https://www.lefflerconsulting.com) to discuss the federal budget process. Listen and learn: When does the budgeting process start?Who...
255 – Can a Contractor Evaluate My Proposal?
Can a contractor evaluate your proposal? Tricky question. Kevin and Paul explain how this common practice can lead to organizational conflict of interest issues, what happens if OCI isn’t addressed,...
254 – What is an ACRN? (Encore)
What is an ACRN? Yes, another confusing Government acquisition term. ACRN is an acronym for Accounting Classification Reference Number. Kevin and Paul explain how ACRNs are used and why both...
253 – Storm Surge
Kevin and Paul torture yet another metaphor, this time using storm surge to discuss the wave upon wave of contracting activities that tend to stack up at the end of the government fiscal year. ...
252 – The Three Rs of Knowledge-Based Services Acquisition with Dan Finkenstadt
Paul welcomes USAF Major Dan Finkenstadt to the podcast to discuss knowledge-based services. (KBS) Dan has had a long career in the acquisition world and is currently at UNC Chapel Hill working on...
251 – How Do I Find the Decision Maker?
The question was “How do I get to the decision maker?”. Before we can answer that one we have to ask (and answer) a few other questions. Kevin and Paul discuss the questions that have to be covered...
250 – FAR Part 12 – Time & Materials
Back in the “good old days” of acquisition reform, 20 plus years ago, FAR Part 12 was born with the intent of making it easier to buy commercial products. Kevin and Paul discuss a helpful addition...
249 – What is Price to Win? w/Michael McNulty
Price to win? Why would anyone price to lose? Paul discusses the purpose of and methodology behind Price-to-Win (PTW) with Michael McNulty of McNulty & Associates. (mcnultyinc.com) Learn how...
248 – Fall Out Money
Kevin and Paul respond to a Skyway Community member’s question about fall out money. What is “end of year money” or “fall out money”? Why does it happen? How do I get it? Listen and learn the...
247 – Don’t Be a Stereotype
Three contracting officers walk into a bar… Have you heard that one? What do you think of when someone says “let’s talk to the contracting officer” or “it’s in the purchasing manager’s...
246 – What is CPARS? with Shelley Hall (Encore)
The Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) has been designated as the Federal Government-wide solution for collection of contractor performance information. In this rebroadcast...
245 – The 6 Month Rule
We’re all busy. That doesn’t mean we’re all productive. Kevin and Paul discuss a strategy many leaders use to focus on high priority tasks and carve through the busyness: The 6 Month Rule. The...
244 – The Lockout
Learn how recognize and use your company’s competitive advantages to lock your competitors out of a competition. Learn how government acquisition teams can use the lockout concept to devise a...
243 – Incumbent-itis
Kevin and Paul describe the symptoms of a preventable disease that often infects the incumbent contractor during a recompete: the dreaded incumbent-itis. Many recompetes are lost because the...