BUILDING EFFECTIVE

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BUILDING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR
CONTRACTING OFFICERS
Dawn Alexander NASA
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BUILDING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPSWITH YOUR
CONTRACTING OFFICERS

• My Background
• Began working in Federal Service in 1978
• Contracts Specialist from 1990 1995
• Contracting Officer from 1995 2004
• Team Lead from 2005 to present
• Currently Supporting an Agency-wide
  Acquisition for
• the NASA Protective Services
• http//prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/synop
  sis.cgi?acqid124906

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BUILDING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPSWITH YOUR
CONTRACTING OFFICERS

• Pre-Contract Award Relationships
• Federal Business Opportunities Single
  Government point-of-entry for
• Federal Government Procurement
  Opportunities www.FedBizOpps.gov
• NASA Opportunities www.nasa.gov/audience/forin
  dustry/procurement/
• NASA Acquisition Internet Service (NAIS)
• Search Feature allows you to type in List of
  Contractors
• Acquisition Forecasts with points of contact
• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests
• www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/FOIA/agency/
• (NASA generally posts existing contracts on
  their Acquisition Websites

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BUILDING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPSWITH YOUR
CONTRACTING OFFICERS

• Pre-Contract Award Relationships (Cont.)
• Participate in Market Research - Collecting
  and analyzing
• information pertaining to companies
  capabilities, established
• practices, size, etc., used in Governments
  development of
• acquisition strategy.
• Central Contractor Registration (CCR)
  www.ccr.gov/ - Ensure
• you are registered -- the Government uses this
  system as one of
• our tools in conducting market research.
• Requests for Information (RFI) - Be sure to
  assess your firms
• capabilities in light of the potential
  solicitation before sending in any
• requested information such as capabilities
  statements and provide
• more than just a one-liner in response to RFI
  requests.

5
BUILDING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPSWITH YOUR
CONTRACTING OFFICERS

• Pre-Contract Award Relationships (Cont.)
• Provide Early Feedback
• Synopsis and Procurement Strategies
• Draft Statements of Work

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BUILDING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPSWITH YOUR
CONTRACTING OFFICERS

• Pre-Contract Award Relationships (Cont.)
• Look closely at the Government
  Synopses/Solicitations for
• additional opportunities to communicate with the
  Government
• and the Contracting Officer.
• Ask to be put on any Interested Parties Lists
• One-on-One Meetings with the Government (CO
  Technical)
• Industry Day and pre-registration
• Pre-proposal Conferences and pre-registration
• Site Visits and pre-registration
• Note Procurement teams will tell you if they
  cant answer
• the question, but if you dont ask you have
  already assumed it
• cant be answered.

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BUILDING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPSWITH YOUR
CONTRACTING OFFICERS

• Pre- and Post-Contract Award Relationships
• Written Communications
• Clear/Concise
• Avoid 1 liners if possible
• Respond to all of the Instructions
• Do Spell Checks
• Note Written communications and proposal
  materials may be making your first impression to
  the Government and the Contracting Officer Make
  it a good impression.

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BUILDING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPSWITH YOUR
CONTRACTING OFFICERS

• Pre- and Post-Contract Award Relationships
  (Cont.)
• DO YOUR HOMEWORK ..KNOW YOUR STUFF
• The Contracting Officer will attempt to answer
  all questions and requests received, as
  appropriate however, it really helps when
  industry has reviewed and read all Government
  correspondence, regulations, requests for
  information, solicitations, etc., prior to
  submitting questions.

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BUILDING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPSWITH YOUR
CONTRACTING OFFICERS

• Post-Contract Award Relationships
• Post Award Conferences
• Bring in your team to meet and greet
• To ask questions and get answers
• To build the foundation of the contracting
  relationship
• Phase-in
• Let us talk
• Let us meet
• Let us communicate

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BUILDING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPSWITH YOUR
CONTRACTING OFFICERS

• Post-Contract Award Relationships -
• IT TAKES A TEAM TO SUCCEED
• Be proactive Bad news doesnt get better with
  time.
• Share ideas and offer suggestions for
  innovations, efficiencies, and cost savings.
• Resolve issues together.
• Negotiate using win-win attitude and
  encourage your Government counterparts to do the
  same.
• Dont hang your hat on the small stuff.
• Be honest / build trust.
• Be on time to meetings and with deliverables.

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BUILDING EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPSWITH YOUR
CONTRACTING OFFICERS

• Post-Contract Award Relationships -
• TALK TO ME
• Keep Contracting Officer abreast of all
  contractual issues.
• Encourage daily, weekly, monthly tag-ups.