Government Contracting Officer Podcast

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!

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!

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!

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!

**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!

Sometimes the Government’s acquisition plan doesn’t line up with the schedule for a requirement.  While there are lots of ways to meet a short term requirement,  the Contracting Officer may use a bridge contract as an option.This is not a contract to build a bridge, rather this is a contract that bridges between the old contract and a new one.  In this episode we outline the why, how and what of a bridge contract.

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

The Government awards multiple award contracts in order to have more contractors to pick from after award.  However, to avoid being "stuck with" the list of contractors they have, the Government may also include on-ramps or off-ramps so they can add new contractors or delete some of the current ones. In this episode we explain why the Government would do that and how it benefits both Government and Industry. 

In this episode we describe the best value continuum.  We explain how the Government is always looking for "best value" through every acquisition.  The question becomes where on the continuum does a specific acquisition lie?On one end is the Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) and on the other end of the is a full trade off.  This episode helps you understand where your acquisition fits on the continuum. 

Contracting Officers are often required to do provide a debriefing to contractors when they are unsuccessful. However, the means to how that debriefing happens is open for the Government to choose.  In this episode we explain why Contracting Officers often choose to do a written debriefing instead of one in person. 

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)In this "companion episode" to The Three Deciders, Kevin and Paul discuss how roles change after contract award (during The Execution Time Zones (TM)) and describe how the contractor becomes part of the team of "doers" required to deliver the products or services successfully._________If you enjoy this podcast, check out Skyway Acquisition at skywaymember.com  to begin your relationship with our team of former contracting officers. The Skyway Community is the essential resource for context in the government market. Give us a call at 877-884-5280 or email us at connect@skywayacquisition.com  LinkedIn CO Podcast Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/6796606/ Facebook Government Contracting Network Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GovernmentContractingNetwork ___________Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer created the Contracting Officer Podcast to help government and industry acquisiti

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)Kevin and Paul return to the balance between process and relationships in the GovCon world.  Every government acquisition follows a published process and also requires some type of relationship between buyer and seller, whether it is as simple as a website or as complicated as a utilizing lobbyists and influencing legislative decisions.  What level of relationship is appropriate?  What is too much or too little?  Listen and gain perspective on how award decisions are made in this continuation of a regular Contracting Officer Podcast theme.       _________If you enjoy this podcast, check out Skyway Acquisition at skywaymember.com  to begin your relationship with our team of former contracting officers. The Skyway Community is the essential resource for context in the government market. Give us a call at 877-884-5280 or email us at connect@skywayacquisition.com  LinkedIn CO Podcast Group: https://www.li

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)Kevin and Paul introduce the GovCon Acquisition Cube, a concept designed to help you understand how all the parts and pieces of a government acquisition fit together to result in a contract award.  (Or awards) _________If you enjoy this podcast, check out Skyway Acquisition at skywaymember.com  to begin your relationship with our team of former contracting officers. The Skyway Community is the essential resource for context in the government market. Give us a call at 877-884-5280 or email us at connect@skywayacquisition.com  LinkedIn CO Podcast Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/6796606/ Facebook Government Contracting Network Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GovernmentContractingNetwork ___________Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer created the Contracting Officer Podcast to help government and industry acquisition professionals understand more about how the other side thinks. As former government

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 the commercial business to business (B2B) world.       _________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, growing and running a government contracting business. We speak GovCon.Whether you are brand new to GovCon, just got your first contract, or you are already a successful government contractor, the Skyway Community will guide you to the next level.With our extensive tools and traini

Contract administration is like flossing your teeth.  Best to do it on a regular basis.  If you skip it for a while you may not notice any pain right away, but you can bet that there will be pain later.  A little time and money spent now prevents major expenditures down the road.  Kevin and Paul discuss the kinds of pain you can largely avoid through regular "contract hygiene".  _________If you enjoy our 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, growing and running a government contracting business. We speak GovCon.Whether you are brand new to GovCon, just got your first contract, or you are already a successful government contractor, being a Skyway Community member will guide you to the next level.With our extensive tools and training, exclusive member discounts on consulting support, and a supportive and active community of peers to help you along the way, the Skyway Community is

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)This is Part 1 of our mini-series on the “Fair Opportunity” process.  Kevin and Paul discuss the difference between FAR Part 15 and FAR Part 16.5 competitions beginning with an overview of Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts.  Learn why the flexibility offered by multiple award IDIQ contracts has increased their popularity and how that flexibility has been used successfully and sometimes not so successfully.     __________This episode is brought to you by bidprotestinsurance.com.  Protect your company from the financial risks created by a bid protest with bid protest insurance.  ___________Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer created the Contracting Officer Podcast to help Government and Industry acquisition professionals understand more about how the other side thinks.  Admittedly, the podcast’s name sounds very limiting.  It is not just for contracting officers or even just for those in

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)Kevin and Paul return to the topic of source selections and discuss one side of the “best value continuum”.  Low Price, Technically Acceptable (LPTA) is a source selection process  that is appropriate when best value is expected to result from selection of the technically acceptable proposal with the lowest evaluated price.Learn how the efficiency of the LPTA process can benefit both Government and Industry (when used appropriately) and the limitations that come with this type of source selection.       __________This episode is brought to you by Skyway Acquisition.  To get help with the Government market, become a Skyway Community member. The Skyway Community ensures you are better positioned to take advantage of opportunities and better equipped to manage the challenges of government contracts.  Members have access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and training resources from Skyway’s team

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) Who makes the decision to purchase something for the Government? The answer depends on many factors, but is usually quite different from how an acquisition decision is made in your personal life or the non-Government world. Kevin and Paul discuss the 3 main “deciders” in Government acquisition and relate them to easily recognizable roles. Money, needs, and the authority/ability to make a transaction. Learn who has the power in each Acquisition Timezone and why it is important for both Government and Industry to recognize how the power can shift. __________ Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer created the Contracting Officer Podcast to help Government and Industry acquisition professionals understand more about how the other side thinks. Admittedly, the podcast’s name sounds very limiting. It is not just for contracting officers or even just for those in the contracting profession. Anyone with an inter

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!) This episode is brought to you by PROPRICER(TM), the #1 proposal pricing and cost analysis software used by federal agencies and small to large government contractors. Visit www.PROPRICER.com\podcast to learn more or request a demonstration. You’ll be glad you did! Kevin and Paul introduce the Execution Zones, helpful way to envision where and how certain topics fit into the Government contracting world. (execution as in “contract performance”, not as in…you know, the other connotation) The Execution Zones are the post-award companions to the Acquisition Time Zones and are referenced in many episodes. Much like the Acquisition Time Zones, the Execution Zones are cyclical, but using contract award the as “beginning” is the easiest way to think about them. Starting with contract award, we enter the Honeymoon Zone. Learn what happens during the first days and weeks after contract award and why a co