Skyway Wire
Commerciality
Under the Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA), the US government requires contractors to certify their cost and pricing data for FAR Part 15 contracts above $750,000. This is an attempt to ensure that...
Do you know where the battlefield is?
While consulting for one of our customers, we were discussing how to influence the development of the acquisition strategy that the government used so that our customer was well positioned to win...
Proposals – We’ve Come a Long Way!
After just completing a proposal, I am reminded how far we have come in the years since I began my career in government contracting back in 1978. One of my very first assignments was working on...
Should the Contractor Read the PWS? Well, duh!
Sometimes the disputes that go to the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ABSCA) make you scratch your head. This is one of them. In the dispute covered in Sterling Design, Inc., ASBCA No....
Other Transaction Authority (Part 2)
Now that we have discussed what an OTA is, we also need to discuss what an OTA is not. An OTA is not a contract, grant or cooperative agreement. OTAs are not for everything. They are not bound by...
Other Transaction Authority (Part 1)
What exactly is an OTA? By definition, an OTA is an “Other Transaction Authority.” It is “used by the Department of Defense for carrying out prototype projects for work that is directly relevant...
The Benefits and Risks of IDIQ Contracts
Indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity contracts are used very often in the government. FAR part 16 talks about this contract type: 16.501-2 General. (a) There are three types of...
Where Do You Start to Write a Winning Proposal?
While a winning proposal is a result of a lot of pre-proposal work in shaping the requirement, identifying your discriminators, forming your team (where necessary), and understanding your...
Power Pellets and Federal Contracting
One of the most popular video games of all time is Ms. Pac-man. The gameplay is similar to her predecessor Pac-man, where points are earned by traveling in a maze and eating pellets and avoiding...
Can You Get Reimbursement of Your Protest Costs? Maybe!
In Protection Strategies, Inc., B-414573.3 (Nov 9, 2017), the GAO held that the protester was entitled to be reimbursed a portion of its protest costs because the agency unduly delayed taking...
Procurement Administrative Lead Time (PALT)
As a former contracting officer, and leader of many procurements, this particular acronym has left me traumatized on numerous occasions. Although it is intended to be a measurement of how long it...
Increases to the Micro purchase and Simplified Acquisition Threshold
In case you have not heard, the 2018 (FY18) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) increased the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT) from $150,000 to $250,000 and the micro-purchase threshold...
Command Pressure vs Contracting Authority
This article is going to sound very Department of Defense (DoD)–centric, because my acquisition experience is comprised of 12 years of contracting and program management service in the US Army and...
Does the GAO Have a Problem with Your using the Wrong File Format?
In a proposal response, the offerors are often cautioned to adhere to the EXACT requirements of the RFP. One too many pages? They can throw you out. Font not the size required? They can decide...
The World of FMS – Part 2
So last month I gave you all an overview of the FMS world that provides opportunities for contractors. I wanted to follow up this month with more information on some of the problems and issues that...
LPTA…The Black Sheep of COs’ Tools
Alas, yet another policy to reduces the tools available for contracting officers to use in source selections. Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) source selection process has been shunned for...