Broad insights into government contracting, acquisition management, and procurement strategies for Air Force and Defense professionals.
If there is one document that keeps a Contracting Officer (CO) awake at night, it’s the Justification and Approval (J&A). In the Air Force, we preach “Full and Open Competition” as the gold standard, but the mission doesn’t always wait for a 45-day solicitation period. Sometimes, there is only one company that can do the … Read more
Understanding the DFARS PGI: The “How-To” of Defense Contracting In the world of Department of Defense (DoD) procurement, the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) tells you what you must do. However, the DFARS PGI (Procedures, Guidance, and Information) tells you how to do it. Established to streamline the regulation, the PGI contains non-regulatory material. … Read more
If you are working in Air Force or Defense contracting, you live and die by the fiscal calendar. Among the various constraints we face, few are as critical—or as frequently misunderstood—as the Bona Fide Need Rule. As a Contracting Officer, I have seen more purchase requests rejected in September than any other month, usually because … Read more
In the perfect world of government contracting, every requirement would come with a “check in the mail” for the full amount on day one. But as any Contracting Officer (CO) or Program Manager knows, the fiscal reality of the Department of Defense (DoD) rarely aligns with the perfect world. We often deal with Continuing Resolutions … Read more
If the Bona Fide Need Rule is the “third rail” of government contracting, the Antideficiency Act (ADA) is the entire power plant exploding. It is the most robust and feared statute in federal fiscal law. As a Contracting Officer, you are the gatekeeper of the Treasury. Your signature obligates the taxpayer. If you sign a … Read more
In our previous discussion on exercising options, we established that you must determine exercising the option is the “most advantageous method” for the Government, price considered. But how do you actually prove that? When you awarded the base contract three years ago, the price was fair. But markets shift. Inflation spikes, or technology makes old … Read more
In the world of government contracting, exercising an option isn’t just about clicking a button because the Program Manager likes the contractor. It is a formal contractual action that requires specific authority and a written Determination and Findings (D&F). If you do not meet the strict requirements outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), you … Read more
In my time as a Contracting Officer, I’ve seen more funding modifications rejected by legal for one specific reason than any other: misidentifying a service as severable or non-severable. It sounds like a semantic debate, but in the world of appropriations law, it is the difference between a valid contract and an Anti-Deficiency Act violation. … Read more
If you ask a junior specialist the difference between “multi-year” and “multiple year” contracts, they might look at you like you’re splitting hairs. But if you sit in the Contracting Officer’s chair, you know that these two terms represent entirely different legal authorities, funding strategies, and risks. In the world of Air Force and Defense … Read more
If you take the logic from my previous post on Non-Competitive clearance and try to apply it directly to a Competitive Source Selection, you are going to get confused fast. The terminology is the same, but the “gates” move. In a sole-source environment, we are clearing the negotiation strategy. In a competitive environment, we are … Read more