Report Tile

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Report Tile
IPMA-HR Federal Section Conference September 2006
Kay T. Ely Deputy Associate Director Center for
Contracting, Facilities, Administrative Services
UNITED STATES OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
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Todays Discussion

• Contracting The Basics
• Performance Based Acquisition
• Contract/Performance Management
• Tips to Improve the Procurement Process
• Current Acquisition Issues
• Questions and Answers

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Contracting The Basics

• Sources of Guidance
• Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), on-line at
  http//acquisition.gov/
• The source of contracting authority.
• Primary source for guidance.
• Public Laws and other regulations, available in
• The United States Code (USC), www.gpoaccess.gov/us
  code
• The GAO Red Book
• Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),
  http//www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html
• OFPP Policy Letters
• CICA (Competition in Contracting Act)

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Contracting The Basics, continued

• Acquisition Planning is Paramount. All
  acquisitions require planning (FAR 7.102)
• Sources of Supply
• These include agency inventories, excess from
  other agencies, Federal Prison Industries, Inc.,
  etc. (See FAR 8.002 for order of preference)
• GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) (See FAR 8.4)
• Rule of Three
• Simplified Acquisition Methods, Government wide
  Purchase Card (See FAR 13.301) making and/or
  paying for purchases

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Contracting The Basics, continued

• Sources of Supply, continued
• Purchase Orders (FAR Parts 12 and 13)
• Use a purchase order for acquisition of
  non-commercial items/ services costing between
  2,500 and 100,000 and for commercial
  items/services up to 5,000,000.
• Contracts (FAR Parts 14 and 15)
• Use for non GSA FSS acquisitions that exceed the
  simplified/ commercial thresholds
• Use either Sealed Bidding (FAR 14) or Contracting
  by Negotiation (FAR 15) as appropriate
• Other Options
• Government Wide Agency Contracts (GWACs)
• Interagency Agreements
• Shared Service Centers

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Contracting The Basics, continued

• Anti-Deficiency Act - How to avoid problems
• Protest - How can it affect a procurement?
• Past Performance What does it mean?
• Resources for Questions and Best Practices
• Acquisition Central (http//www.acquisition.gov)
• Where in Federal Contracting (http//www.wifcon.co
  m)
• Chief Acquisition Officers Council
  (http//www.fac.gov)
• Termination

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Contracting The Basics, continued

• Contracting Roles
• Contracting Officer (CO) Contract Specialist
  (CS)
• Contracting Officers Representative, Technical
  Representative, Ordering Officer (COR/COTR/OO)
• Senior Procurement Executive (SPE) Chief
  Acquisition Officer (CAO)
• Ethics and Procurement Integrity
• Socio-Economic Programs
• Small Business Small Business Set Aside
• 8(a) and SDB
• Service Disabled Veteran Owned
• Hub-Zone

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Performance Based Acquisition

• Performance Based Acquisition (PBA)
• What is PBA?
• It is not a contract type.
• It is not a set of PBA contract clauses.
• It is an acquisition strategy, an attitude, a
  philosophy that makes good business sense in many
  instances.
• Why is it important?
• Meets mission and program needs.
• Team approach.
• Improved solutions and focuses on results.

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Performance Based Acquisition, continued

• What is it?
• States needs in terms of Objectives
• Statement of Objectives (SOO), Performance Work
  Statement (PWS)
• Gets right to the heart of the mission
• Focuses on What not How
• Looking for results, not just compliance
• Uses measurable performance standards to assess
  performance
• Uses measurable performance standards and
  financial incentives to encourage competitors to
  develop innovative and cost-effective solutions

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Performance Based Acquisition, continued
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Contract/Performance Management

• Contract Award is just the Beginning
• Performance-based management
• Focuses on results and not just compliance
• Are we getting what we are paying for?
• Earned Value Management (EVM)
• Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
• Delivers results through partnership
• Includes performance measures and metrics
• Hold your providers accountable

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Tips to Improve the Procurement Process

• Know procurement thresholds.
• Have a basic understanding of the procurement
  process.
• Dont hesitate to ask questions along the way.
• Know the players in your agency who you should
  talk to for information or help.
• Good Management Success

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Tips to Improve the Procurement Process, continued

• 6. If you cant measure it, you cant manage
  it.
• Focus on the objective state the what, not
  the how.
• Know your market, and keep that information up
  to date.
• Communication is always key.
• Help contribute to meeting socio-economic goals.
• Dont expect last-minute miracles procurements
  take time.

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Current Acquisition Issues

• Acquisition Workforce Crisis and Solutions
• Since 1997 Government-wide acquisition workforce
  decreased 5, while contract actions greater than
  25,000 increased 26 (GAO-03-716T-April 2003)
• Shrinking Market Retirement Boom!
• Consider intern and entry-level positions and how
  to meet their needs.
• Think about succession planning
• Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting
  program
• Does not change education requirement in the
  qualification standards
• Capturing corporate knowledge
• Competition with the private sector.
• 
  
  

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Current Acquisition Issues, continued

• Training DAU and FAI
• Defense Acquisition University (DAU)
• Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI)
• Knowledge Management and Knowledge Transfer
• Shadowing and Mentoring
• Exit Interviews
• Automated Tools
• After Action Reports
• Interns and Junior Recruitment
• Teleworking Making it work

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Current Acquisition Issues, continued

• Meeting the Goals of the Presidents Management
  Agenda (PMA)
• Competitive Sourcing
• E-Gov Initiatives
• Strategic Sourcing Smarter ways to buy
• Councils Working Together
• Chief Acquisition Officers Council
• Chief Financial Officers Council
• Chief Human Capital Officers Council
• Chief Information Officers Council
• Preparing for a Pandemic
• Bottom line increasing your ROI through best
  practices and innovative procurement.

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Questions and Answers

• Questions?
• Your presenter has been
• Kay T. Ely
• Deputy Associate Director,
• Center for Contracting, Facilities,
  Administrative Services
• U.S. Office of Personnel Management
• Phone [phone]
• E-mail Kay.Ely_at_opm.gov