Blogs

The following post was originally written for the NM PTAC .. but since it's advice that others can profit from I thought I would share it here. It’s a long, hard battle to get a proposal or bid through the acceptance process and a draft contract on hand. You want the business – you NEED the business – and it is only a signature away. You reach for your pen and get ready to sign and then that little voice in the back of your head reminds you: “You need to read this before you sign.” Maybe it should shout rather than whisper: “YOU NEED TO READ THIS BEFORE YOU SIGN.” You push back … “I’m not a lawyer … what do I know about contracts”? After ...

In my working career - a 50 plus year journey - I have been many things and held many jobs. I have been a shoe-shine boy and Fuller Brush salesman; a program manager and contracts manager; and an instrument flight instructor and aircraft maintenance officer to list but a few. So what's my point? My point is that over the years I have come to appreciate that a job - any job - can be seen by some of us as an entrepreneurial opportunity. Note: Not all employees fee this way - I know there are colleagues who graduated school, took a job, and retired 40+ years later never having done anything else. But for me and others I have known who were very successful; we ...

In the field of Contract/Project management there are many intersections with other professional disciplines such that niches or sub-specialities seem to naturally evolve. But the truth be told, these niches are simply an indication that the focus of a professional discipline have been too narrowly defined. My particular example is formed by the intersection of the typical PMI Project (or Program) Manager, The Contract Management Professionals, and of course the Earned Value Management professionals. One would think such an intersection is rather small - it isn't. As this article will show this intersection of specialties is actually the sweet-spot that those ...

Leadership style can have a direct impact on the organizational commitment of employees. Examining organizational commitment and leadership style can help leaders understand and frame their style to address factors impacting their employees and business success. I am conducting research on the impact leadership style has on the organizational commitment of government contracting employees. If you work or have worked on a government contract, you are invited to participate in my research study. The results will be shared with NCMA. Please click the survey link below to access a brief 8-minute survey. Thank you for your time and participation. https:// ...

NCMA has a great opportunity for you to share your expert knowledge – become a webinar presenter! NCMA is looking for subject matter experts to submit proposals for its monthly webinar series. NCMA’s webinars are live, 90-minute online educational events consisting of a 60-minute presentation and 30 minutes of Q&A. Webinars are offered twice a month on Thursdays (typically the 1 st and 3 rd Thursdays) of every month. NCMA webinars average an attendance of about 100 participants. Learn more about NCMA’s webinars here. If you are interested in presenting and would like to learn more about the program and topics we are looking to offer, please ...

My company has only one Contract Manager and although I have exposure and training to how to be a Federal CM, our company really has no direction as to how to be a successful CM. I am looking for classes, reporting examples, How-Tos on how to create the position to be a fully encompassing position. Currently the position reviews and submits documents for review to our legal department and assists with bid responses to federal contracts. The position needs to move into working with our PM's and executing all the reporting and other aspects of the CM position. Unfortunately, I don't know what the other aspects and the specific reporting requirements are from a ...

Hello Everyone, Wondering is anyone has a pre-prepared Contracts/Subcontracts Tracking Spreadsheet (MS Excel)? Hoping to see if I can get a blank copy, so I can implement at my work place. It is so weird we do not have one already and I am prepping to see if I can make one, but I wanted to reach out to see if someone provide me with one.

How to write an Unsolicited Proposal.

Hello everyone. I work in higher ed in the state of Texas. My question to you is: how did you get your campus all on the same page when it comes to contracts, procurement and available funding? Are you the overall police or do you let the departments worry if they have the funds and have followed the proper purchasing procedures?

In today’s marketplace, government contractors must build a track record of strong past performance—it is a critical metric necessary to secure future awards. With each new contract, you have the opportunity to showcase your workforce and technical proficiency. Importantly, contractors who successfully perform the work and impress agency officials will likely receive a glowing past performance report. And now more than ever, contractors need to maintain a positive working relationship with agencies. Nowadays, contractors are faced with increasing competition and decreasing federal spending. Where two or more contractors offer similar technical ratings, strong ...

I imagine many of us will someday laugh, looking back at 2017. At least, I hope we will. I hope that things settle down, that calm prevails. I hope that good minds come together, to focus on solutions rather than endless political posturing. I hope that we all, looking back, can laugh when we think about how crazy things were in 2017.