Government Contracting Officer Podcast

Informações:

Synopsis

THE podcast for those who want to learn about the government market from the contracting officer's perspective. Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer, both former federal contracting officers, explain the rules, processes and the "why" behind government contracts. They know because they've done it.

Episodes

  • 430 - Advisory Multi-Step Process

    27/10/2023 Duration: 02min

    Government and industry are “encouraged to communicate” in the FAR…that’s nice…but how do they do that? How can the government and industry teams actually execute that “encouragement”? What exactly do the regulations say that government can DO to communicate? In this episode, we give two specific examples of HOW to communicate based on specific direction and language in the FAR. For starters, we cover an important and recent update to FAR 1.102-4(a)(4). Words matter…and these words matter a lot. The language changed from the government having to provide a “fair competitive environment" to now the government is to avoid giving an "unfair competitive advantage to a particular firm”. We outline why that means, and why it’s a big deal.Then, we take this FAR language one step further, and apply it to one of the concepts in the FAR that specifically allows government folks to engage with industry. Namely, the Multi-Step advisory process. This is a formal, documented communication process that is specifica

  • 429 - Advisory Downselect with Trevor Wagner

    20/10/2023 Duration: 02min

    One of the best ways to improve acquisition outcomes is for Government and Industry to communicate. Open communication is one of the key concepts we focus on in our podcast, as well as Skyway's consulting, mentoring, and training for both government and industry.In this episode, we cover a lesser known, and maybe less understood, acquisition strategy that improves that communication: namely, the Advisory Down Select process.The Advisory Down Select process allows the government to provide “advisory” feedback to offerors – good or bad – about their likelihood of success on a given acquisition. What makes this process unique is that the feedback is “advisory” – meaning that the offerors can use the feedback, or not. This is different from Firm Down Select (which we covered in Episode 322). In the Firm Down Select, the contacting officer is providing “firm” feedback that may eliminate offerors from competition. Under the Advisory Down Select that we cover in this episode, the government team is providing “a

  • 428 - Thresholds

    13/10/2023 Duration: 02min

    The federal acquisition regulation (FAR) is chockablock with “thresholds” – a threshold is the term for a specific numbers (usually dollar a specific dollar amount) that requires specific action.Threshold types include:Review thresholdsApproval thresholdsPolicy thresholdsCompetition thresholdsContract award thresholdsWhy does that matter? Because these thresholds represent some of the gates an acquisition team has to navigate in order to award a contract. In other words, navigating the thresholds is one of the key factors in finding the path of least resistance to contract award.Conversely, if we do not know the thresholds for a specific acquisition strategy, meaning we do not know where the markers are, we risk UNKNOWINGLY going down the path of MOST resistance to contract award…and nobody wants that.In this episode, we outline the types of thresholds, why they matter, as well as the upside and the downside of thresholds. We also outline a few strategies to identify and effectively navigate the thresholds in

  • 427 - Consent to Subcontract (Part 2 of 2)

    06/10/2023 Duration: 01min

    Sometimes, the government gets a vote on who contractors subcontract to. It’s called “consent to subcontract”..Part 1 was about the process to get consent (as a contractor)Part 2 is about the process to give consent (as a contracting officer). We explain the government team’s role in granting consent. We detail the elements the contracting officer must consider – and highlight several items that the contracting officer may NOT consent to.GovCon is a two-way street after all… understanding both sides of Consent to Subcontract ensure we more effectively execute this unique feature of GovCon.                 —————**The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside Skyway Central.Click here to access your Podcast 2.0 license for just $20/mo and start listening today!

  • 426 - Oral Proposals Part 2

    29/09/2023 Duration: 01min

    Back in Episode 422, Vicky Strycharske and Kevin Jans outlined how Oral Proposals work. They dug into what they are, and why they tend to be a valuable option for acquisition teams…especially when buying services.In this episode, we cover the “rest of the story” on Orals: HOW to do them. We both share our experiences on how to do them well, and what common pitfalls to be aware of. We specifically cover:How to apply oral proposals effectively from the government sideHow to deliver effective oral proposals from the industry side.We focus on the ground-level, specific things to do (such as practice) and what not to do (such as read the slides during the oral presentation).If you’re ready to dive into Orals, this episode will get you well on your way! **The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside Skyway Central.Click here to access your Podcast 2.0 license and start listening today!

  • 425 – Small Business Dynamic Search Database w/ Shelley Hall

    22/09/2023 Duration: 01min

    In this episode, Shelley Hall and Kevin Jans outline the Dynamic Small Business Search tool. The DSBS.Industry: You may have a great product. Your service may be the best in your industry. You may have the best price. None of that matters if the government buyers cannot find you. The DSBS is a tool for help with that.Government: Your customer needs solutions. Your mission needs capable contractors. Your agency (and the SBA) want you to award to small businesses. Those goals are difficult to meet if you can’t find contractors…especially small businesses. The DSBS is a tool to help with that.The DSBS is a robust search tool for small businesses to be found – and even to find teaming partners. We dig into why it works, who benefits from it, and why both government and industry want to know about this tool. **The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside Skyway Central.Click here to access your Podcast 2.0 license and start listening today!

  • 424 - Problem Solved

    15/09/2023 Duration: 57s

    To meet its mission, the government needs to buy things.  To meet their mission, contractors need to sell things.Easy, right? Well, no.The difficulty comes when neither side is targeting. When the government is looking to buy “something”, even if it does not solve their problem…and if contractors are looking to sell what they have, even if it doesn’t solve the government’s problem. However, that’s a perfect outcome, and GovCon, like life, is not perfect.One way we’ve found to get closer to perfect is for both government and industry to understand the difference between a “lead” and an “opportunity”. In this episode, we explore why the government AND the industry teams benefit when both sides know the difference between a “lead” and an “opportunity”.**The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside Skyway Central.Click here to access your Podcast 2.0 license and start listening today!

  • *Full Free Episode* 423 – What’s the Problem?

    08/09/2023 Duration: 19min

    All Episodes are inside Skyway Central© Click here to access your Podcast 2.0 license for $20/mo and start listening today! 

  • 422 - Oral Proposals

    01/09/2023 Duration: 58s

    Oral proposals are back… though maybe they never left.Either way, the government teams are using more oral proposals more often as part of their acquisition process. Kevin invited Vicky Strycharke from the Skyway team for this episode. Vicky is a former US Army contacting officer, who now leads Skyway’s proposal team. Vicky has seen an increase in the use of oral proposals across industry and agencies.Kevin and Vicky outline the what and why of “orals”, including how they can require very different skill sets, and why the FAR’s description of “Oral Presentations” does not fully capture how these play out in the Market Research Zone, and RFP Zone, and the Selection Zone.**The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside Skyway Central.Click here to access your Podcast 2.0 license and start listening today!

  • 421 - Pre vs Post Award Protest

    25/08/2023 Duration: 54s

    Protests are rarely the best course of action.  Nonetheless, they are part of the GovCon landscape so it’s important to understand them.  Kevin and Paul cover the basics of protests back in Episode 066.  In this episode, we map out the differences between Pre-award and post-award protests – including who can file a protest, about what, and when.  We also wrap up with some lessons learned on how both government and industry can take avoid them in the first place.**The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside The Skyway Community.Click here to access your Podcast 2.0 license and start listening today!

  • 420 - What is OASIS+?

    17/08/2023 Duration: 01min

    In this episode, we dig into the OASIS+ contract. OASIS stands for One Acquisition Source for Integrated Services and the + is that this is the second version of the contract. In OASIS+, the contract structure is very different from the original OASIS. We explain the basics of what OASIS+ is, how it works, and why Contracting Officers would use it and why industry would care about it.Kevin welcomes Joe Luetke from the Skyway Team to help explain the OASIS+ “family of contracts”, along with some of the differences between this and the original OASIS and how best to navigate them.**The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside The Skyway Community.Click here to access your Podcast 2.0 license and start listening today!

  • 419 - What is SETA Support?

    07/08/2023 Duration: 01min

    In this episode, Kevin and Paul explain the concept of SETA Support or Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance Support. This is a specific type of professional services the government hires to provide direct support  on the “government side” of government contracting.SETA contracts provide advice, assistance and technical expertise around things like program management, acquisition strategies, and over all project management.  These are services the government can do internally, but found in order to get the expertise, at the level they need and the time the government needs it, the SETA contracts tend to be the most effective way to do that.The reason this is an important topic is that there are many contracts and thousands of employees who work for contractors provide this type of service to the government. It’s important to understand what it is, what it’s not and when it applies. **The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside The Skyway Community.Click here to access your

  • 418 – SMBs in GovCon (or Not)

    31/07/2023 Duration: 01min

    SMB or Small to Mid-sized Businesses is a marketing term often used in the private sector to describe businesses that are larger than a sole proprietorship but smaller than a large corporation. In government contracting, the term SMB sometimes gets used to describe small businesses.  However, SMB tends to have different definitions depending on who you ask.  Where as a government small business or a “GovCon SB” or is clearly defined.In this episode, Kevin and Paul explain the key differences between a SMB and a GovCon Small Business.  Why they matter, what to be on the lookout for and to make sure you’re not making mistakes based on misunderstanding the two.**The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside The Skyway Community.Click here to access your Podcast 2.0 license and start listening today!

  • 417 - Notice of Intent to Bid

    24/07/2023 Duration: 41s

    One of the most frustrating variables of the source selection is not knowing how many proposals the government will get.  One of the ways to solve this problem is to require a notice of intent from potential offerers.In this episode, Kevin and Paul unwrap the concept of notice of intent or letter of intent (sometimes called in the commercial market) so that you better understand what they mean, why they are important and how best they can be used.**The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside The Skyway Community.Click here to access your Podcast 2.0 license and start listening today!

  • 416- Unduly Restrictive Requirements w/ Shelley Hall

    19/07/2023 Duration: 01min

    In this episode Kevin welcomes guest Shelley Hall  from The Skyway team to talk about unduly restrictive requirements.  Every contract starts with a requirement,  one of the roles of the Contracting Officer is to decide how to compete that requirement.An element of that process is determining whether or not the requirement is unduly restrictive.  Meaning that only a few companies, or even one company can do the work.  If the requirement is unduly restrictive, it can be protestable and may lead to ineffective competitions.**The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside The Skyway Community.Click here to access your Podcast 2.0 license and start listening today!

  • 415 - Consent to Subcontract

    10/07/2023 Duration: 01min

    Sometimes the government gets a vote on who contractors subcontract to. In some specific cases, mostly when using cost type contracts, the government has the right to give consent to subcontract. This means that the contractor has to prove that a subcontractor is “worthy” of getting the subcontract.The reason behind the consent to subcontract is the government wants to know that the subcontract is as good of a deal as the prime contract is. In this episode, we dig into what a consent to subcontract rule is, and when it applies.**The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside The Skyway Community.Click here to access The Podcast 2.0 license and start listening today!

  • 414 - AI and GovCon

    30/06/2023 Duration: 54s

    In this episode, Kevin welcomes John Ferry to talk about artificial intelligence, which is the buzzword of the day it seems and its potential impact on government contracting.  Specifically, we’re going to talk about how AI and predictive text, is used to write and evaluate proposals.This is a new and burgeoning topic and this is our first foray into discussing it in a way that we can start to understand how it’s going to change government contracting, and particularly how proposals are created, submitted and eventually evaluated.**The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside The Skyway Community.Click here to access the Podcast 2.0 license and start listening today!

  • 413 - What is PPQ?

    23/06/2023 Duration: 56s

    In this episode, Kevin and Paul, explain how a past performance questionnaire or a PPQ works in government contracts.While there are many ways to evaluate the past performance of contractors, a PPQ is specific to a particular opportunity. We use examples from our experience as well as a current example in the government contracts space today to show how PPQ's are used.**The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside The Skyway Community.Click here to access the Podcast 2.0 license and start listening today!

  • 412 - What is PALT?

    17/06/2023 Duration: 01min

    Procurement Action Lead Time or PALT is how long it takes from requirement to contract.  For years this has been the standard for how the Government decides how quickly contracts are awarded, or how quickly they can be awarded.  The definition of PALT has recently been re-defined and some parts of it are different.  In this episode, Kevin and Paul explain what PALT is, why the change matters and what you need to know about it. **The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside The Skyway Community.Click here to access The Podcast 2.0 license and start listening today!

  • 411 - What is HTRO?

    09/06/2023 Duration: 01min

    In this episode, Kevin and Paul explain a relatively new source selection process, the Highest Rated Technical Offer at reasonable price or HTRO.  This source selection process is a mirror image of LTPA, however there are nuances to when it works and may not work. We explain what it is, why it matters and how it can be one of the more effective strategies to speed up the acquisition process without giving up quality of the contract results.**The first 400 episodes are still free**Episodes 401 and beyond are inside The Skyway Community.Click here to access the Podcast 2.0 license and start listening today!

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