Skyway Wire
Agency Needs
Efficiently articulating agency needs is the cornerstone of successful acquisitions. Despite its seeming simplicity, this skill often perplexes even the most seasoned planners, requirement...
Sources Sought
I often get asked whether it is a good idea to respond to Sources Sought announcements. My response is always a surprised “Yes, of course!” But perhaps the question is being asked because of a lack...
Service Contract Labor Standards Statute
What are the Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS) and why is it important for Contractors to be aware of them when making an offer on a solicitation? The SCLS (formally, “Service Contract Act”)...
The Importance of How
When making a purchase, there are five basic elements that the buyer needs to make a purchase. In GovCon, there can be hundreds of tasks, items and documents that are required to complete the...
Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCIs)
I recently wrote a post suggesting that contractors should read GAO decisions to glean best practices and for training purposes. This blog illustrates the value in doing so. As you probably know...
Hurricanes and Past Performance
As we roll into the heart of hurricane season, it seems my mind is drawn to analogies between government contracting and hurricanes. You may remember the “Excusable Delays” and “Storm Surge” podcast...
How Attitude Affects Contracting
With this blog article I will recount my personal thoughts and observations on how a person’s attitude can and will affect their performance on the contract. ...
Contract Transition
One of the most challenging periods of contract performance is the transition phase between the old (incumbent) contractor and the new contractor. At the end of the current contract, the incumbent...
Government Priorities During Negotiations
Professionals in the government contracting arena, from both government and industry, should understand and acknowledge the fact that the two sides have different priorities. Aside from the obvious...
Organizational Conflicts of Interest
Recently one of Skyway's clients asked to build an Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) plan for a contract the company had with a defense agency. The contract was a multi-award IDIQ where...
What Is an IDIQ and How Does It Help My Business?
FAR 16 covers “types of contracts” and this is where you’ll find indefinite delivery contracts, in FAR Subpart 16.5. There are actually three types of indefinite delivery contracts:...
Independent Research and Development Funding
The Department of Defense is always looking for the newest and best technology and to encourage the defense industry to continue to conduct research and development. This has allowed companies to...
Those Darn Government Proposal Evaluators are So Picky
There are a lot of ways the government evaluators can be really picky when they are reviewing proposals. Too many pages? Throw out the proposal! The volumes are not in the correct size binders? ...
What Do You Review Just Before You Submit Your Proposal?
Everybody reviews their proposals (or should!) right before submission - and usually more than once and by more than one person. You can call it what you want: Pink Team review, review of...
US Space Force – Seriously?
I write this blog to fulfill two obligations: first, to correct an erroneous statement I made and repeated in various Skyway forums and platforms in the past week, and second, to clear the air and...
Contract Management is like Flossing
“I love flossing”, said no one, ever. I recently went to the dentist for my semi-annual checkup. I got the obligatory “Have you been flossing?” question. To which I gave the obligatory answer, “Most...