Government Contracting Officer Podcast

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328 - The RFP Zone

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin and Paul discuss the RFP Zone, the third of the four Acquisition Time Zones.  (Episode 317 provides an overview of all the Acquisition Time Zones) The RFP Zone starts when the final solicitation is released and ends when proposals are due. Listen and learn how the rules for communication change when you enter the RFP Zone and how the sense of urgency shifts to industry until...

327 - What is an Independant Monitor?

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) What can happen when a contractor breaks the rules?  We've talked about suspension and debarment, the extreme "you aren't eligible for Federal contract awards anymore" result.  In some cases, extenuating circumstances may cause the government to turn to other options, such as allowing the contractor to continue to operate under the watchful eyes of an Independent Monitor.    Kevin...

326 - Navigating Contract Changes with Shiva Hamidinia

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) We're talking contract changes, construction contracts, and COVID today.  Paul welcomes special guest Shiva Hamidinia, a partner at Nichols Liu who specializes in Government contracts law and more specifically, construction.   COVID-19 has had a big impact on Federal contracts.  Listen and learn how open communication, clear direction, and solid documentation guide the resolution ...

325 - The Market Research Zone

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin and Paul discuss the Market Research Zone, the second of the four Acquisition Time Zones.  (Episode 317 provides an overview of all the Acquisition Time Zones) Listen and learn the types of market research the Government uses and what Government and Industry are doing (or should be doing) during this phase of the acquisition cycle.  As always, communication between Governmen...

Micro Learning Quizzes

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324 - Small Business Goals (REFRESHER)

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin and Paul discuss Small Business Goals in this refresher podcast.  Learn where the goals come from, what happens when the goals aren’t met, and how both Government and Industry can use small business goals to target and make Government acquisition better, one contract at a time!      _________ If you enjoy this podcast, we invite you to check out Skyway Acquisition at skywaym...

323 - What is a Mid-Size Business? (REFRESHER)

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) FAR 2.101 defines small business. Everything else is a large business.  Most companies, however, are not very small yet not really large.   In this refresher of a early episode, Kevin and Paul discuss the many shades of “large small” businesses and “small large” businesses.  Learn some of the challenges that companies on the cusp face as they transition from small to large in the ...

322 - What is a Down-Select?

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) 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 government separate the top contractor from the pack (for this job, anyway) and why top performing contractors should love the down-select process.  _________ If you enjoy this podcast, we i...

321 - What is a NSN? with Steve Lucianetti

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Paul welcomes special guest Steve Lucianetti to answer the question:  What is a National Stock Number? Steve is a former Government Contracting Officer, consultant, and Skyway Acquisition team member.   Listen and learn as Paul and Steve explain what NSNs are, who manages them, and why they are important to the acquisition and maintenance of Government systems.    _________ If you...

320 - The Requirements Zone

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin and Paul describe the first of the four Acquisition Time Zones.  (Episode 317 provides an overview of all the Acquisition Time Zones). Listen and learn why requirements definition sets the stage for acquisition (and mission) success, what the Government is doing (or should be doing) and what Industry is doing (or should be doing) during this phase of the acquisition process. ...

319 - What is an IDIQ contract? (REFRESHER)

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) What does Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) mean for my contract?  Did I really win any work?  Or for the Government, how much can I buy and for how long? Kevin and Paul discuss the benefits and pitfalls of this common contract type.  Learn how to leverage IDIQ contracts to make acquisition easier for both Government and for Industry. You’ll also hear cautionary tal...

318 - Gas Gauge

This episode is part of The Contracting Officer Hall of Fame Playlist. To listen to all other episodes of The Contracting Officer access your Podcast 2.0 license here: https://skywayacq.com/access/   

318 - Stages of GovCon Sales (and purchase decisions)

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) We all progress through stages as we make a decision to purchase a product or service.  If the buyer and seller aren't in sync we end up missing a sale or potentially making a poor decision about what to purchase and who to purchase it from.  Kevin and Paul describe the stages and explain why getting to the final stage (a contract) can be more difficult in the GovCon world than in...

317 - Acquisition and Execution Time Zones

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin and Paul revisit the fundamentals of the podcast: the Acquisition and Execution Time Zones.  If you're a long time listener this overview is a quick refresher on the beginning and end points of each time zone.  For new(ish) listeners, this episode defines one of the key concepts used to illustrate "where we are in the process" in nearly every podcast episode.   The Acquisiti...

317 - Acquisition and Execution Time Zones

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin and Paul revisit the fundamentals of the podcast: the Acquisition and Execution Time Zones.  If you're a long time listener this overview is a quick refresher on the beginning and end points of each time zone.  For new(ish) listeners, this episode defines one of the key concepts used to illustrate "where we are in the process" in nearly every podcast episode.   The Acquisiti...

316 - What is Certified Cost or Pricing Data?

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin and Paul explain the differences between cost and pricing data and the all-important "Certified Cost or Pricing Data"  This has been a hot topic lately as the threshold that triggers the requirement for certified data took a big leap.   This is an update to Episode 062, where we first discussed the topic.  The concepts there are still accurate but...due to the threshold chan...

315 - RFP Questions w/Wendy Frieman

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Given the complexity of most Government Requests for Proposals (RFPs) questions are inevitable.  Paul discusses the sensitive nature of RFP questions with proposal expert (and Skyway team member) Wendy Frieman.   When should you ask questions?  What should you ask?  It is easy to ask questions in a manner that is not helpful to bidders or government.  If you're on the government s...

Continuous Learning Points

314 - Contract Types - Fixed Price vs. Cost Type

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin and Paul discuss the differences between Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contracts and Cost  Reimbursable contract types, with a little Time and Materials (T&M) thrown in for good measure.      _________ If you enjoy this podcast, we invite you to check out the Skyway Community at skywaymember.com. The Skyway Community is the essential resource for anyone at any stage of starting, gr...

314 - Contract Types - Fixed Price vs. Cost Type

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin and Paul discuss the differences between Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contracts and Cost  Reimbursable contract types, with a little Time and Materials (T&M) thrown in for good measure.      _________ If you enjoy this podcast, we invite you to check out the Skyway Community at skywaymember.com. The Skyway Community is the essential resource for anyone at any stage of starting, gr...

313 - What is Accurate Complete and Current

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Certified Cost or Pricing Data must be accurate, complete, and current.  We covered certified cost or pricing data way back in Episode 62.  Today Kevin and Paul get into the meaning of accurate, complete, and current.  Listen and learn why certifying is required, the impact of collecting and certifying cost or pricing data, and the peril in certifying to inaccurate, incomplete, or...

312 - Pre-Award Clearance and the National Pre-Award Registry (with Shelley Hall)

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Paul welcomes Contracting Officer and Skyway Acquisition team member Shelley Hall to the podcast to discuss Pre-Award Clearance. This is one of the last hoops that a Contracting Officer has to jump through in order to award a contract.   Listen and learn how the process works, why it can add time to the contract award process, and why industry must comply with the laws and regulat...

Government Contracting Fundamentals Course

311 - What is a BAA?

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin and Paul answer your question:  What is a Broad Agency Announcement? (BAA) Listen and learn when and how BAAs are used, what types of work are solicited and acquired through a BAA, and how both Government and industry can leverage the opportunities that BAAs make possible.      _________ If you enjoy this podcast, we invite you to check out the Skyway Community at skywaymemb...

311 - What is a BAA?

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin and Paul answer your question:  What is a Broad Agency Announcement? (BAA) Listen and learn when and how BAAs are used, what types of work are solicited and acquired through a BAA, and how both Government and industry can leverage the opportunities that BAAs make possible.      _________ If you enjoy this podcast, we invite you to check out the Skyway Community at skywaymemb...

310 - SDVOSB Set-Asides

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Some government contract awards are available only to small businesses who have certain characteristics, such as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business. (SDVOSB)  Kevin and Paul dive into FAR 52.219-27, which applies to awards that are set aside only for SDVOSBs.  These set-asides come with a unique feature that is hugely beneficial to SDVOSBs.  Listen and learn how both ...

309 - What is a Proposal Outline? (Step 4 of 4) with Vicki Strycharske

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin welcomes back Vicki Strycharske to discuss best practices for proposal writing - this time focusing on the Proposal Outline.  Vicki is a regular guest, proposal manager, and Skyway Acquisition team member.   This is Step 4 of 4 in a series about the first 4 steps that industry should take when an RFP is released by the Government.  Episode 165 is an overview of the steps.  E...

308 - Why Do Unrealistically Low Prices Win?

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) All other things being equal, awarding to the low price is the default.  Kevin and Paul discuss how price evaluation impacts FAR Part 15 type acquisitions. (as opposed to micro purchases, simplified acquisition procedures, sealed bids) Listen and learn why sometimes the Government is explicit that the lowest price will win and sometimes, whether intentionally or not, the lowest bi...

307 - Fall Out Money (Encore)

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) 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 answers to these questions and more.   _________ If you enjoy this podcast, we invite you to check out the Skyway Community at skywaymember.com. The Skyway Community is the essential reso...

306 - What is Suspension or Debarment in GovCon?

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Break the rules, suffer the consequences.  Kevin and Paul discuss suspension and debarment, the primary ways by which the Government enforces compliance with federal criminal law, including fraud, bribery, and the civil False Claims Act.  Listen and learn the differences between suspension and debarment as well as the impact of a suspension or debarment on a company's ability to e...

305 - The Educated Customer

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin and Paul continue the conversation from previous "who is the customer and how/when should I talk to them" kind of episodes.  Listen and learn customer roles as well as when each role has influence over the acquisition process.  The discussion continues with what can go wrong if the customer doesn't have context into the tradeoffs and decisions that are made to create and exec...

304 - Which Regulations Should I Follow?

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) There are thousands of pages of Government acquisition regulations. Between the FAR and 30+ supplements, not to mention local guidance, how do you know what applies to you? Kevin and Paul dive into the pile of regs and come up with answers.  Listen and learn to gain a little clarity on which regulations apply and when.       _________ If you enjoy this podcast, we invite you to c...

303 - Why SBIRs? (with Geoff Orazem from Federal Foundry)

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Today we welcome special guest Geoff Orazem (Eastern Foundry, Federal Foundry, Agency-Capital) and return to a semi-regular topic: SBIRs.  Listen and learn as Paul absorbs Geoff's unique take on why SBIRs are a great way for small businesses to enter GonCon, what processes are streamlined for SBIRs vs. other GovCon acquisition methods, and why SBIRs are a valuable source of venture...

302 - The Fresh Air Test

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin and Paul discuss the common fear of exposing your work (or your ideas) to others before they are complete. Fear of critical feedback or just plain old criticism often stifles early collaboration that can provide context and improve products and results.  Listen and learn how exposing your work to "fresh air" can help both Government and industry achieve better acquisition ou...

301 - What is a Micro-Purchase?

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) We spend a lot of time on this podcast talking about the complexities inherent in giant source selections government by FAR Part 15 rules. Which means we talk about the few major acquisitions and maybe neglect the vast majority of Government purchases - those that are below the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (SAT) and even smaller, those that are below the Micro-purchase Threshol...

300 - It's all about Context (and Communication)

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Episode 300!  Today Kevin and Paul take a look back at what they've learned the podcast is really about.  From the first episodes to the days of COVID, the Contracting Officer Podcast has focused on ground level, "what can you do about it today" information for everyone who is working (or wants to work) in the GovCon world.  If you're a regular listener, you've probably already gu...

299 - The Proposal Kickoff Meeting (Step 3 of 4) with Vicki Strycharske

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin welcomes back Vicki Strycharske to discuss best practices for proposal writing - this time focusing on the Proposal Kickoff meeting.  Vicki is a regular guest, former contracting officer, professional proposal manager, and Skyway Acquisition Solutions team member.   This is Step 3 of 4 in a series about the first 4 steps that industry should take when an RFP is released by t...

298 - Incumbentitis - ENCORE

Kevin and Paul describe the symptoms of a preventable disease that often infects the incumbent contractor during a recompete: the dreaded incumbentitis.   Many recompetes are lost because the incumbent contractor becomes overconfident and fails to recognize changes that have occurred during the period of performance of their current contract.  Learn how to recognize the symptoms and how both government and industry can prevent incumbentitis from becoming a fatal infection.   _________ If y...

297 - What is a Letter Contract?

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Letter contracts are a special type of contract that allow the Government to authorize a contractor to start work immediately when there isn't time to negotiate every detail of the contract in time to meet the requirement.   Kevin and Paul discuss the letter contract process and the pitfalls that both government and industry can avoid through open communication and planning.   ___...

296 - What is a Contracting Officer? (Redux)

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Kevin and Paul describe the role and responsibilities of the Contracting Officer from a FAR perspective and a practical perspective.   Learn how Contracting Officers are appointed and why there can be different names for Contracting Officers depending on their role.  (yes...we've talked about this topic before, way back in Episode 7...this is a much needed update) _________ If you...

Targeting Webinar June 19th @ 2:00 pm EST

295 - Buried Treasure

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) When you're looking for buried treasure, it's helpful to have a map.   GovCon presents you with a map to contract award - if you choose to use it.   Kevin and Paul discuss how the government's acquisition plan is the map, and the key to a successful acquisition.  Listen and learn how both government and industry can use that map to openly communicate what the treasure is and how ...

294 - What is a “Competent” Contractor?

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Contracting Officers must determine that a company is responsible before awarding a contract.  How does a small company that has never done business with the Government convince the Contracting Officer that they are responsible?   Paul welcomes special guest (and Skyway contracting officer) Shelley Hall to discuss  Certificates of Competency. (FAR 19.601)  Small businesses may not...

293 - Past Performance Advantage (Part 4)

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) In Part 1 of our past performance series (Episode 267) we covered the factors the government uses in evaluating past performance and what they mean in context. Part 2 gets deeper into how past performance is used in the source selection process and Part 3 talks application of past performance.   But what happens if you don't have any past performance?  Is there any chance of winni...

292 - ENCORE - No Change Please

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Why can’t the Government just stick with their current services contractors or system developers?  Why do they always want to change?  Kevin and Paul discuss the differences between the business-to-business (B2B) market and the business-to-government (B2G) market.  Learn why the Government can’t always just continue to buy from the same source, even if they’re completely happy with...

291 - What is the Defense Production Act? What is a rated order?

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) The Defense Production Act (DPA) is in the news due to COVID-19.  You might also hear about rated contracts or rated orders.  Listen and learn as Kevin and Paul explain how the DPA and DPAS compel companies to produce and deliver the Government's requirements before producing or delivering on any other commitments.   _________ If you enjoy our podcast, we invite you to check out t...

290 - Is This Classified?

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) The term "classified contract" is often misconstrued. Both Government and Industry need to understand the exact nature of any classified information prior to contract award and throughout contract execution.   Listen and learn the differences in terminology, how they impact an acquisition (or active contract) and why the world of classified contracts can be confusing for all invol...

289 - GovCon Targeting (with Cameron and Amy from The Arbinger Institute)

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) We've discussed the importance of targeting many times on the podcast.  For a fresh take on what successful targeting looks like in practice, we invited Cameron Cozzens and Amy Sadeghzadeh from The Arbinger Institute (www.arbingerinstitute.com) to the podcast to share their experiences.   Listen and learn as Kevin, Cameron, and Amy walk through real life examples of how a focus on...

288 - The Protest Window

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) There is no such thing as a late protest.  As you might expect, the rules around when a protest is allowed can be quite confusing.   Kevin and Paul discuss the factors that impact whether a protest is timely and must be considered by the Government or not timely, and ignored.   _________ If you enjoy our podcast, we invite you to check out the Skyway Community at skywaymember.com...