HOLDING TO ACCOUNT
R
eviews, audits and investigations tied to DOD contracts have identified a need for improved and increased focus on contract administration and oversight. Because of years of focusing on contract
awards and obligation rates, and a reliance on external agen- cies for contract administration, Army Contracting Command (ACC) has not fully exploited its ability to add value to Army readiness through effective contract administration.
Proper contract administration and oversight decrease cost and operational risk as well as ensure that the government gets what it’s paying for under its service and supply contracts. To address these areas for improvement, the Contract Administration Training Center (CATC) was established in 2021 at Army Contracting Command ‒ Rock Island, Illinois (ACC-RI). Te CATC mission is to train civilians and Soldiers in contract administration, specifically in the acquisition functional areas of contracting, government quality assurance and government property administration.
Before the establishment of the CATC, Contract Administration Services (CAS) training was executed as Contingency Contract Administration Services (CCAS) and served primarily as a pre- deployment training. CCAS was a two-week training that was all classroom and practical exercise based. Additionally, the trainees were not exposed fully to all three functional areas during class- room instruction: contracting, quality assurance and government property. CATC’s redevelopment of this training and some of the objectives of the three-pronged approach includes increased engagement, cross-training of all three acquisition functional areas and information retention. Tis is done by instructing the whole on all three acquisition functional areas, incorporating the use of current, active contracts and task orders, as well as
executing real-world events such as on-site quality assurance surveillances and property management system analyses.
Te CATC aims to add value to Army readiness through effective contract administration, train personnel in methods for hold- ing contractors accountable, obtain value for the warfighter and raise proficiency levels in contract administration for acquisi- tion professionals.
At ACC-RI, in the center’s Power Projection and Base Readi- ness (PP&BR) Directorate, which handles the large, complex and highly visible Logistics Civil Augmentation Program and Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise (EAGLE) program, the training has been a game changer, according to Amber Caulkins, PP&BR director.
“CATC has spotlighted areas of improvement, highlighted what is right in terms of contract administration, and has set the stage for success for many of the contracts being administered thus far out of my directorate,” said Caulkins. “Often we focus on the immediate need of the contract award, but it’s time to shift our mindset and focus on what proper contract administration can do for us, and that is exactly what CATC brings to the table.”
Katie Olson, EAGLE branch chief, said the training events have opened doors for active communication and listening among teams and fostered an environment between active-duty members and civilians to build cohesiveness and comradery.
“We have seen a change in the program oversight and engage- ments to ensure our contractors are performing to their requirements,” Olson said. “If areas of concern do arise, our teams are able to communicate and properly document areas for
Overall, this training approach quickly builds trainees’ confidence and skills so they can immediately apply robust administration on all of their contracts.
74
Army AL&T Magazine
Summer 2023
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
