Archive for the ‘DoD Contracting Opportunities’ Category

Key Concerns for Government Contractors

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

The environment in which government contractors have to work within has changed significantly over the last couple of years and the trend looks to continuing.  The changes have created uncertainty in the industry and concerns as to potential increased risk to contractors.  The attached PowerPoint documents address these changes and their impact to the industry.  Subjects covered include:

  1. Life under the new DCAA attitude
  2. Allowability of Specific Costs
  3. Adequate and Timely Incurred Cost Proposals
  4. Business Ethics & Conduct and Mandatory Disclosure
  5. Proposed DFARS Rule: Withholding Payments to DoD contractors
  6. Prime Contractor Management of Subcontractors
  7. Organizational Conflict of Interest – DFARS update, Requirements and problems
  8. Reporting Subcontract Awards Greater than $25,000
  9. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
    FAR Subpart 4.15 – Reporting Requirements
  10. DoD Finalizes Changes to DFARS on Export Control
  11. Labor Relations Cost – Cost to fight unionization unallowable

To read more click here



The changing landscape of Government contract compliance

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

The attached PowerPoint presentation address the many changes in compliance requirement facing government contractors and the potential impact on their business

  1. High-Visibility Procurement & Audit Issues
  2. DCAA and Access to Contractor Records
  3. Proposed DFARS Rule – Withholding Payments to DoD Contractors
  4. Contractor Business Systems and Internal Controls
  5. Ensuring a Compliant Cost Accounting System
  6. Prime Contractor Management of Subcontractors
  7. Interim Rule to Increase Competition in Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAP)
  8. How to Survive a DCAA Audit

Click here for a copy of the PowerPoint document



News Alert – Letter Contracts and Risk involved

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

During the past year contractors have experienced an increase in the number of letter contracts both from the Government and Prime contractors. Unsuspecting contractors and subcontractors accept “firm fixed price” letter contracts with a price to be negotiated and/or a Not to Exceed price. After the letter contract is signed, the government or the Prime delays definitizing the contract until most or all costs are incurred and then prices the contract at the lower of actual cost or the NTE. And because the costs are known at this point, the risk and profit are lower than what would have otherwise been allowed. Much of the delay is now due to DCAA rejecting proposals as not adequate as a basis for negotiations. The new DCAA initiative to disapprove everything has revived the DCAA estimating concept that budgets and estimates cannot be trusted and the best (maybe only) way to estimate costs is to use history. The only sure cure is to ”Just Say No To Letter Contracts”