Contracting for Services in State and Local Government Agencies


Book Description

This second edition of Contracting for Services in State and Local Government Agencies provides state-of-the-art tools for best practice in the procurement of services at state and local levels, from initial stages through to completion. Including lively case studies and research conducted with state and local agencies across the United States, this book provides management advice and tips on compliance to reduce costs, select the best-qualified contractors, manage contractors’ performance, and prevent corruption and waste. Utilizing the results of new research in all fifty states, author William Sims Curry offers updated best-practice documents, methodologies, and templates including: a Request for Proposal (RFP), a scorecard for proposals to select the best-qualified contractor, a toolkit for meeting socioeconomic contracting goals without compromising price, quality, or on-time delivery, and a Model Services Contract (MSC). Special consideration is given to obtaining services and products in states of emergency. Several additional resources for practitioners are available online, including sample contracts and a straightforward, inexpensive tool for tracking contractors’ progress and cost management. The roadmap and templates contained in this book and available online to readers will prove essential to state and local government agency contracting professionals and other officials and employees called upon to participate in the drafting of solicitations, writing sole source justifications, writing scopes of work, serving on advance contract planning and source selection teams, recommending award of contracts, or assisting in the management of those contracts.







U.S. Government Services Contracting


Book Description

The focus of this book is to serve as a practical and informative reference guide, for all of the business professionals in U.S. federal government agencies, government prime contractors, and subcontractors who are involved in U.S. government services contracting. This book is truly a comprehensive guide to planning and implementing the buying and selling of professional services to and for the U.S. government. Our hope is that you will find this text to be a valuable resource to explain and enlighten people about what it takes to effectively manage U.S. government services contracts. This book provides a wide range of discussion on all aspects of the U.S. government services contracting buying and selling life-cycle, including: requirements determination, solicitation planning and preparation, opportunity and risk assessment, proposal development and evaluation, negotiations and contract formation, to contract administration and closeout. Plus, the book provides a wealth of proven effective tools, techniques, and best practices which are available and adaptable to help improve services contracts and related project performance results.




Federal Contract Compliance Manual


Book Description




Federal Contractors Blueprint


Book Description

Welcome to the Federal Contractors Blueprint, the best selling guide and most important information you need to know to be competitive in the federal marketplace. The U.S. Government is the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world, awarding billions in annual contracts for various products and services.Government contracting has developed into a very competitive marketplace, thanks to the leadership of our President and the potential of winning profitable federal contracts. Companies of all sizes, from small, micro-firms with one employee to large, mega-firms with thousands of employees, have been successful in selling products and services to government agencies at the federal level. With the heightened awareness on government contracting, more companies are trying to break into, be competitive in, and stay successful in this market. The Federal Contractors Blueprint provides valuable information you need to fully understand the federal contracting process from start to finish. From acquisiton planning through contract closeout. You'll learn how the federal contracting process really works and capitalize in the marketplace.




Federal Contracting Made Easy


Book Description

Federal contracting . . . easy? With the fourth edition of Federal Contracting Made Easy, it is! Whether or not you consider federal contracting easy, it is certainly easier with this guide. Used successfully by thousands of contractors and feds, this book offers practical, hands-on, no-nonsense advice. Now in its fourth edition, Federal Contracting Made Easy lays out the entire federal contracting process in a readable and easy-to-understand style. This book covers how government procurement works, what you can do to cut though the red tape to speed your way to winning a contract, who the key players are, and tips for overcoming obstacles. New in this edition: • Discussion of government-wide acquisition contracts (GWACs) • Updates on women-owned small business • New status of service-disabled veteran-owned small business • Expanded list of relevant websites and resources • Introduction to the new System for Award Management (SAM) Whether you are about to enter the competitive world of federal contracting or have been bidding for contracts for years and are now looking for updated information and ideas, this is the book you need. The federal government awards billions of dollars in contracts for goods and services every year. This book will help you win a piece of that business.




The Definitive Guide to Government Contracts


Book Description

The U.S. government is the biggest customer in the world! How can your small business get a piece of the pie? The Definitive Guide to Government Contracts begins at the beginning, and assumes no prior knowledge of the government marketplace. Written in a clear, easy-to-understand language by experienced sales and marketing professionals, it takes you through every step of the process--finding the opportunities; understanding the requirements; registering your company and submitting your bid; shipping, packaging, and invoicing requirements. The same step-by-step approach is used to explain the increasingly popular GSA contract, from researching the schedules, preparing the paperwork, and submitting your proposal, to the all-important marketing that is required once the contract has been awarded. Thinking about selling to the federal government but don't know where to begin? The Definitive Guide to Government Contracts is all the help you need.




Winning Government Contracts


Book Description

The United States federal government is the biggest customer in the world. It buys 20% of all the services and products produced in the U.S. But of the 22 million registered U.S. companies, fewer than 2% of them seek out this market. Why? Because small business owners don’t know where and how to get these contracts. Winning Government Contracts will change that. It begins at the beginning, assuming no prior knowledge of the government marketplace and its sometimes complicated terminology. Written in a clear, easy-to-understand language by experienced sales and marketing professionals, this book takes you through the registration and bidding process step-by-step. All the terms used in government contracts are explained in plain English. Winning Government Contracts shows you where to find the sales opportunities on the Internet, then guides you through every step in your quote, whether submitted electronically or on paper—explaining the jargon and outlining the exact information that needs to be entered. You will learn how to download drawings and specifications, understand shipping and packaging requirements, and find out how much the government is currently paying for an item before you submit an offer. The book also highlights areas where beginners need to be particularly careful, such as remembering to include shipping costs when you offer the government your best price! After the offer has been submitted, the book explains how to find the results of the bid—which company was awarded the contract and its price, as well as the names and prices of all the other bidders. Included is the government’s system of inspection, acceptance, invoicing, and payments, as well as the specific requirements for service contracts such as Statements of Work, Wage Determinations, and Technical Proposals. Whatever your business, the federal government is a marketplace you can enter. Winning Government Contracts will you show the way.




Federal Contracting


Book Description

A personal services contract is one that makes contractor personnel appear to be government employees. These contracts must be authorized by federal law. According to FPDS-NG, the government reported obligating about $1.5 billion on personal services contracts in fiscal years 2011 through 2015. GAO was asked to examine the federal government's use of personal services contracts. This report discusses (1) the extent to which selected federal agencies award personal services contracts, and (2) how those agencies use them. GAO identified the four agencies spending the most on personal services contracts-the Air Force, Army, Navy, and USAID-as reported in FPDS-NG. These agencies account for about 60 percent of total spending on these contracts. GAO also reviewed the service contract inventories these agencies prepared for fiscal year 2014, the latest year available at the time of this review. GAO reviewed the files for a nongeneralizable sample of 60 personal (15 at each agency) and 40 nonpersonal services contracts (10 at each agency) and interviewed agency officials. GAO did not review the administration of the contracts.




Government by Contract


Book Description

The dramatic growth of government over the course of the twentieth century since the New Deal prompts concern among libertarians and conservatives and also among those who worry about government’s costs, efficiency, and quality of service. These concerns, combined with rising confidence in private markets, motivate the widespread shift of federal and state government work to private organizations. This shift typically alters only who performs the work, not who pays or is ultimately responsible for it. “Government by contract” now includes military intelligence, environmental monitoring, prison management, and interrogation of terrorism suspects. Outsourcing government work raises questions of accountability. What role should costs, quality, and democratic oversight play in contracting out government work? What tools do citizens and consumers need to evaluate the effectiveness of government contracts? How can the work be structured for optimal performance as well as compliance with public values? Government by Contract explains the phenomenon and scope of government outsourcing and sets an agenda for future research attentive to workforce capacities as well as legal, economic, and political concerns.