0-60: Top 10 Mistakes in Contract Administration

PCI is bringing you up to speed fast! Join us for the 0-60: Top Ten Virtual Class series.  Each month, PCI will explore a different topic - giving you the 10 most important facets of the topic.  Each session in the series will trim down the topic to ten facets that are important to remember - and will explain how to approach them.  Join us!

Fred Geldon will discuss the Top 10 (actually 12!) Mistakes in Contract Administration, as well as best practices for preventing them.

1)   I didn’t read the contract!  (Pay attention to the FAR clauses and flowdowns; they’re not just legalese.)

2)   I didn’t try to understand the three R’s – Rules, Requirements and Rights! (Know the FAR, know your contracts, and know your legal and contractual rights.)

3)   I accepted direction from the COR or COTR! (Only a warranted contracting officer can bind the government.)

4)   I didn’t document, document, document! (A document a day keeps the auditor or protestor at bay.)

5)   I didn’t make sure that my team understood the statement of work!  (Be sensitive to differences between the desires of the program office and the realities of the contract, and watch out for constructive changes.)

6)   I didn’t communicate with purchasing department! (Make sure they know about mandatory – and non-mandatory but necessary - FAR flowdowns.)

7)   I let sleeping grizzly bears lie! (They will probably wake up.)

8)   I chose to be right rather than happy!  (Choose your battles carefully.)

9)   I didn’t exercise independent judgment!  (That’s why the pay contracting officers the big bucks!  J)

10)  I padded my claim so I would have something to trade!  (And I wound up with an omelet on my face.)

11)  I didn’t think outside the box! (Look for creative, win-win solutions.)

12)  I didn’t pay attention to the details! (It’s important to sweat the small stuff.)