different interests: Te acquisition team generates the statement of work and the performance specification, but the contracting officer generates sections L and M—often weeks if not months later. Te workshop seeks to complete all major sections in a deliberate and fully integrated environment. Te result is less confusion among offerors when they prepare proposals; more realistic cost proposals, as offerors are less likely to mitigate risks through management reserves; and better-performing programs post-award because the government and the winning offerors have a clearer understanding of what the program really needs to provide the capability to the warfighter.
After the solicitation is released and before receipt of proposals, the JPEO-CBD’s source selection evaluation boards conduct a practice evaluation of the proposals using the actual solicitation documentation. Te source selection workshop (DAU Course WSC 005) covers the roles of each board member, drafts practice source-selection decision documentation and has the team con- duct mock debriefs for unsuccessful offerors.
Finally, the JPEO-CBD and DAU are providing the Acquisition Program Transition Workshop (DAU course WSM 011), which brings together the program teams from the government and the winning offeror to reach a common understanding of the government’s expectations and how the contract will be man- aged. According to Ashton B. Carter, former secretary of defense,
“Te benefits of this workshop include early alignment of gov- ernment and industry team organizations, publication of road maps to integrated baseline review and other near-term plan- ning events, agreement on management of scope and processes, and resolution of issues including differences in interpretation of contracts and other documents.”
Troughout the workshop, DAU instructors highlight best prac- tices they have observed across DOD. In nearly all cases, there are opportunities to improve the quality of deliverables—such as monthly cost reports or administrative processes—simply by
demonstrating how a company uses automated tools and skilled employees to accomplish the same tasks on other contracts. Tere is opportunity for open dialogue that enables the com- pany to demonstrate the value-added aspects of its reporting and to tailor the soft deliverables—e.g., monthly cost reports or government-furnished property inventories—based upon what the COR can really use. Tis workshop provides a forum in which the government can meet face to face with its counter- parts. It is an opportunity to emphasize the need to manage program risks and establish an effective methodology to lever- age the contractor’s capabilities while meeting the government’s expectations.
CONCLUSION Although Better Buying Power may be replaced with new direc- tion for achieving acquisition objectives, the basic tenets are likely to remain the same. Te JPEO-CBD has demonstrated that PEOs can tailor DAU expertise to achieve material results at the program level. Te key is to leverage the knowledge resi- dent at DAU to tailor training for each program team depending upon where it is in the acquisition cycle, and then conduct the workshops in an immersive environment where teams can concentrate on producing quality results in collaboration with functional staff and technical experts.
Te JPEO-CBD is planning a full calendar in FY18, including workshops for all PEOs across ASA(ALT). It is the JPEO- CBD’s desire to conduct multiple iterations of the training in the five geographic areas where the PEOs are concentrated. Te Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support has requested a streamlined acquisition strategy development workshop in the Warren, Michigan, area this sum- mer. Some of the curricula, including the OTA workshops, are appropriate for any agency within DOD and beyond.
For more information, contact the author at
jeffrey.w.megargel.
ctr@mail.mil, or go to
https://www.jpeocbd.osd.mil/ or https://
www.dau.mil/consulting-services/.
“The workshop is very helpful in breaking down the components of the acquisition strategy into manageable parts.”
MR. JEFF MEGARGEL is a former Marine Corps contracting officer and vice president with Science Applications International Corp. He is
currently supporting the JPEO-CBD Contracting
Management Office as an employee of Moss Cape LLC. He holds an M.S. in contract and acquisition management from the Naval Postgraduate School and a B.A. in history from Te Pennsylvania State University. He specializes in helping program teams develop contracting strategies.
ASC.ARMY.MIL 123
WORKFORCE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162
