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Chris Hamm replied to the topic Why Do Projects Fail? in the forum Program and Project Management 8 years, 9 months ago
I would normally list “Communication” five times in a row here (for emphasis)
- Communication – # 1 every time. Project Managers communicate infrequently, pushing information only when it is ready, only in one channel (e.g., email blasts). Communication should be frequent, multi-channel, and participatory.
- Stakeholder Engagement – lack of…
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic Do Federal Program Managers see value in getting the FAC P/PM certificate ..entry, mid or senior level.. from there Agency? in the forum Program and Project Management 8 years, 11 months ago
Hi John,
If a candidate had an existing FAC-P/PM certification, I would see it as a plus. I do not think that these certifications have crept into job vacancy announcements yet, but I do see a day where it is equivalent to FAC-C or DAWIA.
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic Do Federal Program Managers see value in getting the FAC P/PM certificate ..entry, mid or senior level.. from there Agency? in the forum Program and Project Management 8 years, 11 months ago
GSA FEDSIM has committed fully to FAC-PPM. Mandatory for all project managers. Senior Expert for all GS-14 PMs.
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic Paying for picnics in the forum Human Resources 9 years ago
The key language seems to be in the GAO Redbook, Chapter 4, Section 5: Entertainment—Recreation—Morale
and Welfare:
The concept to be explored in this section is the rule that appropriatedfunds may not be used for entertainment except when specificallyauthorized by statute and also authorized or approved by properadministrative officers. E.g., 69…[Read more] -
Chris Hamm replied to the topic Paying for picnics in the forum Human Resources 9 years ago
@Angel – can you give me a little more specificity on where in GAO case law or Redbook?
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Chris Hamm started the topic Paying for picnics in the forum Human Resources 9 years ago
Howdy GovLoop,
General question about having seasonal events (e.g., summer picnic, holiday party). My office has always had these events during work hours, with the employee contributing to cover the entire cost of the event. For example, an employee generally pays about $15 to cover the rental and food. Also, the events are generally for…[Read more]
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic Examples Needed: Positive and/ or Negative Incentives in Performance Based Acquisitions in the forum Acquisition2.0 9 years, 1 month ago
Hi Candace.
It really depends on your contract type. Certain contract types allow for more financial incentives and disincentives (FPIF, FPAF, CPIF, CPAF) than others (FFP, T&M, CPFF). I have a strong preference for financial incentives tied to service level agreements. My ideal project design has recurring, operations and maintenance tasks as…[Read more]
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Chris Hamm posted an update in the group
Acquisition2.0 9 years, 3 months ago
Very different
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic Help a Govie Out: Control Contract Cost Growth in the forum Acquisition, Contracting, Procurement 9 years, 8 months ago
My main point is that the best strategy is not to ask other agency contract specialists and KOs only. To do so implies that they have dominion over contract cost growth, and I do not think that they do without a partnership with the program/mission folks.
Think of it like a marriage. Mom owns the checkbook, but Dad keeps spending. You need…[Read more]
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic Help a Govie Out: Control Contract Cost Growth in the forum Acquisition, Contracting, Procurement 9 years, 8 months ago
Strong, integrated program management. It strikes me as an incomplete solution to task the 1102 to tackle the problem of cost growth without including the program/mission side in the dialogue.
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic Creating a Virtual Industry Day in the forum Acquisition2.0 9 years, 9 months ago
We have been looking into it. We have clients with locations worldwide, so it would be easier for us to do something online than fly our clients and contractors all over the map.
Skype was ruled out because of their terms of service. We are looking at “webex” right now, as GSA is building an infrastructure for it this year. We still have a…[Read more]
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Chris Hamm started the topic Saving a few trees – file extension .wwf in the forum Acquisition2.0 9 years, 10 months ago
link to http://www.saveaswwf.com/en/
So I just saw this. It lines up pretty nicely with GSA’s Zero Environmental Footprint goal. So I was wondering, what would Contractors think about getting all contractual documents (RFPs, RFQs, Mods) in .wwf?
Comments?
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM in the forum Acquisition, Contracting, Procurement 9 years, 10 months ago
Hello Natia,
If they do end up offering this benefit, a word of advice:
Before signing, be sure that you understand the tax implications. I applied for student loan repayment a few years ago and was shocked to find that the federal government taxes it’s own benefit. So if you get $10,000 that year, that amount is considered income. Uncle…[Read more]
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic Streamlined Acquisition: Is Faster Really Better? in the forum Acquisition2.0 10 years, 5 months ago
Whether it is intentional or not, nearly every revision of the Federal Acquisition Regulations drive the process to be more complex. The first version of the FAR was thinner than it is now, not to mention the agency specific supplements and case law (stemming from the multitude of protests). Add to that an army of oversight in the form of auditors…[Read more]
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic Streamlined Acquisition: Is Faster Really Better? in the forum Acquisition2.0 10 years, 5 months ago
Actually, I would say the wiki is more likely to drive a better requirement, but possibly at the cost of a longer procurement lead time. We are still in the norming phase with using a wiki. The acquisition workforce is comfortable with Microsoft Word (track changes, insert comments, etc.), not with editing websites. Using a wiki forces a change in…[Read more]
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic Streamlined Acquisition: Is Faster Really Better? in the forum Acquisition2.0 10 years, 5 months ago
I take exception to the question “is Faster Really Better”.
The fact that federal acquisition is slow / onerous is actually part of the design. Purchasing decisions are based on a massive rule book intentionally. The individuals that make the purchase decisions have far different motivations and reward systems than the individuals requesting the…[Read more]
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic Article in FCW on keeping your contracting staff in the loop in the forum Acquisition2.0 10 years, 9 months ago
My office did something years ago that works wonders. We tore down the wall between the PMs and COs. Literally. We removed a wall. Having the two groups in the same office on the same floor works wonders for communication and relationships. It created a shared sense of mission, and allowed casual conversation to resolve misunderstandings.…[Read more]
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic Federal Acquisition Intern Program in the forum Acquisition2.0 10 years, 11 months ago
I know of two good ones.
GSA has a class of interns (20+) every year. They are recruiting now for the intern program that starts this summer. The Office of Administration runs the program. Give Jennie Liming a call at (703) 605-2785.
VA also has a program. It is more like a 2 year “university” for acquisition. It sounds really impressive. http://…[Read more]
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic Prediction: Get Ready for Teleworking in the forum Acquisition2.0 10 years, 11 months ago
The last three days have been interesting.
My office put telework agreements in place several years ago, and we built our systems to be accessible through VPN software. As such, when we saw the forecast, every employee was contacted last week and instructed to take their laptop home and told to telework in event of a Government closure. The cost…[Read more]
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Chris Hamm replied to the topic What Are You Doing on DC Snow Day? in the forum Miscellaneous 10 years, 11 months ago
Working. My office is set up to access all of our systems from anywhere. We encourage everyone to telework routinely, and the ‘downside’ to that is we stay open when the Government closes.
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