Contract Formation II

Course Description

This FAI-compliant course is the second of a three-part series in Intermediate Contracting designed to provide experienced, intermediate-level contracting personnel with skills beyond those taught in the Fundamentals of Contracting curriculum.

Contract Formation II discusses the solicitation and award activities required to form a government contract in more detail than Contract Formation I. Additionally, the course addresses a number of special topics that are not discussed in Contract Formation I.

The course is designed around a comprehensive set of learning objectives that are achieved through lecture-discussion, practical exercises, and case study techniques.

The target audience for this course consists of personnel involved in the contract specialist (GS-1102) career path. Others involved in the formation of contracts could also benefit. A minimum of one year of experience in the contracting field is recommended as preparation for this course.

ACE Credit Recommendation

In the lower division baccalaureate/associate or upper division baccalaureate degree category, 2 semester hours in Business Administration, Federal Acquisition, Public Administration, Procurement Management, or Purchasing.

Prerequisites

To ensure success, we recommend that students have completed the following courses: Acquisition Planning I, Contract Formation I, Contract Administration I, Price Analysis, Cost Analysis, Federal Contract Negotiation, and Acquisition Planning II

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Solicit offers and quotations
• Perform bid evaluations
• Evaluate proposals and quotations
• Award contracts
• Initiate work under the contract

Course Content

Lesson 1: Requests For Proposals

Given a purchase request, acquisition history, market research data, and pre-solicitation business decisions:

• Determine funding availability considering obligation period and whether fund amount is realistic.
  Select provisions and clauses.
  Prepare instructions for proposal preparation and an oral presentation.

Lesson 2: Non-Price Evaluation

Given a purchase request, acquisition history, market research data, proposals, and information from the offeror:

• Critique instructions to technical evaluation teams for adequacy.
• Assess the technical evaluation report(s).
• Recognize appropriate procedures for evaluating past performance.

Lesson 3: Discussions

Given a purchase request, acquisition history, market research data, proposals/quotes, technical reports and cost/price analysis reports:

• Determine the competitive range.
• Discuss the components of a prenegotiation plan.
• Analyze documented discussion records and final proposal revisions.
• Discuss the procedure for excluding offerors outside the competitive range.

Lesson 4: Subcontracting Requirements

Given a solicitation and proposal information:

• Identify the effects of the make or buy program.
• Recognize the required elements of a subcontracting plan.
• Critique the proposed subcontracting plan.

Lesson 5: Responsibility

Given a solicitation, several offers, and a preaward survey:

• Make a responsibility determination.
• Given a solicitation and the proposal in line for award:
• Determine applicability of the cost accounting standards via the exemptions.
• Identify the compliance requirements for full or modified coverage.
• Identify the requirements for a disclosure statement.

Lesson 6: Source Selection

Given an evaluated proposal and supporting documentation:

• Develop the award recommendation and the debriefing agenda for the source selection authority.

Lesson 7: Protests

Given a protest, a recommended resolution of the protest, offers, solicitation, and supporting documents:

• Determine the reasonableness of the protest resolution and whether sound business judgments were made.