Is the “Lowest Price Technically Acceptable” Acceptable for Government Software Purchases?
The lowest bidder isn’t always the best choice — especially when it comes to government software purchases. Here’s what you could be missing.
Posts Tagged: FAR
The 4 Envelopes: Collaborative Development
The collaborative development envelope addresses poor performance and provides incentives to achieve better solutions with a transparent approach.
Establishing GSA Order Pricing May Become More Complicated
Over the past several years, concern about pricing variability among the same or similar items on different schedule contracts led some agencies to publicly question whether they could rely on rates negotiated by GSA.
With A Great Contract Management Plan, The Sky is the Limit
By Cindy Wilkins, PMP, SCEA Your team may have spent hours and hours considering the program management, risk management and quality assurance issues involved in letting a new government contract. But have you pulled the key information about how that contract will be managed into a single plan? A Contract Management Plan (CMP) is oneRead… Read more »
Gold Plating vs. Value Engineering
By Anna Hartley, PMP, CFCM, ICCM-F level 2 You manage or are part of a project and decide to add additional features or functionality to the product or service you provide. You think it will please the customer and make the team look good. But what if it slows the project, adds costs or isn’tRead… Read more »
Fear of the FAR – Is It Getting in the Way of Doing Business?
By Craig Taylor, PMP Do 1,883 pages of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), comprised of 53 different Parts, dozens of forms, and a correction page feel like something to be feared? Does it keep you from buying what you need to support your agency? Many government decision-makers look at the FAR as a significant obstacle toRead… Read more »
Can Reverse Auctions Move Your Contracting Process Forward?
By Anna Hartley, Senior Acquisition Specialist Reverse auctions, a relatively new contracting method used by the government to procure a variety of good and services where the price is the main factor, has caused much debate and provoked heavy criticism among contracting professionals in the last few years. Some believe that reverse auctions are anRead… Read more »
Avoid Risk by Using Solicitation/Contract Templates
By Cynthia Zieman, CFCM Imagine this scenario. Your acquisition lead time is quickly slipping. Time is running short to develop your solicitation documents, which could jeopardize meeting the target project completion date. What do you do? It’s likely that you don’t start entirely from scratch on a completely blank page. Do you pull the lastRead… Read more »
Best Value or LPTA? One Size Does Not Fit All in Acquisition
By Michael Ipsaro, Technical Director, PMP, CCE/A Sound familiar? A complex professional service contract is awarded using the LPTA approach…..it costs millions more than expected. A recurring supply of widgets or routine services is obtained using a Best Value approach. The delivery is delayed months and when combined with the final price of the contract…..resultsRead… Read more »
Know When to Talk to Government Customers
In the task of relationship building with the government, you need to know that the government actually wants industry to approach government customers. FAR part 15.201, “Exchanges with industry before receipt of proposals,” states: “Exchanges of information among all interested parties, from the earliest identification of a requirement through receipt of proposals, are encouraged.” TheRead… Read more »