“What?! That’s in my contract?”
That is not a phrase any contractor wants to say.
However, that’s exactly what a small business owner realized after I reviewed his contract a few weeks ago. I sometimes hear that phrase (often with expletives) when contractors reach out to us looking for help AFTER something went sideways in one of their government contracts.
Winning the contract is important, of course, but navigating the contract after award is often even more important. If you don’t know what you don’t know about GovCon, you may do something after you’ve won the contract that actually makes what could have been a small problem a much bigger one that is harder to fix later (or to fix at all).
In government contracts, the upside is great, the opportunities are numerous, and the work can be uniquely interesting. However, if you don’t know how to navigate some of the rules (and how they all interrelate), you could end up not seeing the upside, missing the opportunity or not getting to do much interesting work because you’re focused on just putting out fires in your contract.
To keep the sparks from turning into brushfires, we recommend you do these 3 things when you get your contract:
1. Read the contract. Yes, the whole thing. Note any terms or conditions that you don’t understand. Flag them to discuss with the Contracting Officer. (we help with that too, just sayin’. Angela Jacobs, CPCM, CFCM, PCC and Caitlyn Hart specifically.
2. Review the clauses. (Oh, so many clauses) Confirm you understand why they are there and what they mean. There are automation tools you can use for this (such as the tools on Acquisition.gov). That will help you see how the clauses all fit together in your contract. (yup, we help with that too. Joseph “Joe” Luetke and Shelley Hall among others).
3. Map out your delivery schedule and processes (whether you’re delivering a product or a service). Then share that process with your government customer and the contracting officer. In theory, this was in your proposal. I get it. That’s fine, but that was before award. We’re now AFTER award…and confirming your intent by showing that you are going to do what you said you were going to do is a great starting point for a new contract…especially if this is your FIRST contract. (you guessed it, we help with that too. Stephen Lucianetti and Caitlyn Hart and others.)
Yes, you need to win the contract first…but don’t have a “then what?” moment. Do these 3 things so you are on your way to having a successful contract that doesn’t drop you underwater after you win.
Starting off well, and performing well, has another bonus: Successful performance on this contract is one of the best ways to lead to the next contract.
If you need help navigating these 3 steps – or anything else in GovCon – our team of consultants is here for you.
