Government Acquisition Contract Requirements

TASKS. The Federal Contract Specialist position is responsible for a full range of contracting functions to include

There will be some acquisitions were tradeoffs may not be utilized. In such situations where the Government would not realize any value from a proposal exceeding the minimum technical requirements.

Federal Acquisitions Regulation (2005). General Services Administration, Department of Defense. Retrieved from http://www.acquisition.gov/far/current/pdf/FAR.pdf 21 June 2014.

The United States government is the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world. Even during times of economic hardship, the US continues to dump billions into the private sector. The federal procurement spending rate of growth has surpassed the rate of U.S. inflation every year, since 2000. With annual federal procurement budgets of more than $400 billion, it is no surprise that the competition for government contracts has increased tremendously. Consequently, more and more companies are trying to get a piece of the action. When these companies adhere to all of the required regulations and statutes, they expect their proposals to be evaluated and the contract awarded in

There are particulars to a contract which structure its existence. This includes the importance of terms within the contract, the freedom of contract, statements that do not become part of contract, and terms of contract.

The Truth in Negotiations Act was passed on December 1, 1962 requiring government contractors to submit cost or pricing data if the procurement met specific requirements in order to establish that the offer is fair and reasonable. The history of The Truth in Negotiations Act will set the stage for its significance in the twenty-first century. Prior to World War II, the United States government conducted its bidding process for procurement in an open bid environment. What was required for a bid was a complete description of the requirement, two or more suppliers capable and willing to complete the requirement, a selection based on price competition and sufficient time to prepare a complete statement of the government’s needs and terms.

This paper will explore how Sealed Bidding and Competitive proposals compare against each other. In order to compare them one must understand how, when and why each topic is used. The primary source of federal procurement information and guidance is the Federal Acquisition Regulation, which consists of Parts 1-53 of Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). FAR parts 14 and 15 explains in full detail Sealed Bidding and Competitive Proposals. This paper like the federal government will rely heavily on the FAR as a source document to help explain the details of this topic.

Part 15 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) “prescribes [the] policies and procedures governing competitive and noncompetitive negotiated acquisitions.” One component of negotiated acquisitions that occurs early in the acquisition process is the solicitation of proposals. FAR 15.201, titled, “Exchanges with Industry before Receipt of Proposals,” regulates the type and manner of communications, also sometimes referred to as exchanges, which can – and cannot – take place between the Government and potential suppliers prior to the receipt of a potential supplier’s proposal and the subsequent award of a contract.

The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) in the private sector and the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) are the documents that govern contract formation in the private verses public sector industry.

Procurement management is the processes to purchase or acquire the products, services or results needed from outside the project team to perform the work. Project Procurement Management involves not just purchasing products, services or results, but also ensuring that those that are purchased are right for the project, meets standards and is based on project requirements. This life cycle includes tracking from order through deployment and completing with invoice reconciliation.

Procurement by public entities is guided by primary law principles of transparency, equal treatment and non-discrimination, procurement laws sets up an extensive legal framework regarding the procurement of work, supply and service contracts. There are two main reasons for the use of specific procedures i.e. why contracting authorities do not just negotiate or simply buy from the closest supplier. First, it provides for more public accountability and therefore less cases of corruption practices. Additionally, tendering procedures aim to ensure the best value for money by making it necessary for suppliers to act highly competitive. As a result, market mechanisms will help in facilitating the best possible practices. In situations where market mechanisms are not effective, tender procedures might lose their effectiveness as well. If for example there is lack of competition due to certain complexities or as a result of lower bidder interest, negotiations with just one or two suppliers may be the most efficient manner to handle the process. Therefore, we discuss the inherent advantages and disadvantages of sealed bidding and contracting by negotiation as procedural frameworks for tendering.

SAIC seeks business from Federal Government Contracts, National Security, Commercial and State & Local Governments supporting Technology Solutions, Mission SETA & Program Support, Simulation & Training, Crises Management & Security and Logistics & Supply Chain.

Nagle, J. F., & American Bar, A. (2000). How to review a federal contract: Understanding and

Strict adherence to formal procedures characterizes sealed bidding which attempts to provide a “level playing field” or as a multitude of references point out equal footing to all bidders who compete for a contract. Competitive negotiation is a more flexible process that enables the agency to conduct discussions, evaluate offers, and award the contract using price and other factors. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), whose origins can be traced back to the ASPA of 1947 was codified at Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations and became effective 1 April 1984. The FAR contains the uniform policies and procedures for acquisitions by all federal agencies to date. It addresses nearly every procurement related statute or executive policy; and subsequently encompasses every stage of the acquisition process. In a nutshell, FAR appears to have modernized and thus enveloped the aforementioned three acts.

This essay will examine how to best prepare a contract administration plan. The contract administration plan will examine different methods used in preparing a plan. This essay will explain how important it is to have technical and other support of personnel, the importance of surveillance, and to determine what functions need to be delegated, identify qualified personnel as well as authorized, it is necessary for the Contracting officer to be represented in administering contract requirements. Also there will be a discussion on what is determined