bob7947

Many years ago, I did a legislative history of the Truth in Negotiations Act for a paper I was doing.  Unfortunately, I neither have the paper nor the source documents I used.  However, I do have a citation from a course I wrote many years ago.  Here is a quote from it:

Quote

. . . the Congress passed P. L. 87-653 in 1962 with the objective of requiring truth in negotiating ( S. Rpt. 1884, which accompanies P. L. 87-653).  (emphasis added)

I'm assuming the S. Rpt. may mention something close to the original popular title.  I remember the word fairness being thrown about back then but I cannot say for sure.

Wifcon.com is beginning its 18th year on the internet.

You are correct. In my first paragraph, I added that the study finding was about Army officers. Then I move to my bottom line--humans. I understand Army officers' adherence to values such as honor and integrity and I believe that all military officers adhere to these values nearly all the time over the course of their careers. However, even Army officers can be placed into positions where a lie is acceptable. The study found that. All military officers, whether Army, Navy and Marine, or Air Force, are human and they will act as humans. I wouldn't be surprised if it was found that a general had a mistress, discussed classified information with her, and then lied about it to the FBI. There is no magic wand that can be waved to prevent our human flaws regardless of the profession.

Non-military members of professions adhere to their own standards of integrity too. However, they also can be backed into a position where they face alternatives that result in them committing a lie. Read the book: Truth, Lies, and O-Rings by Allan J. McDonald with James R. Hansen. Note the tests of the O-rings. Pay special attention to the meeting the night before the launch of the Challenger. Watch our men and women walk off proudly into that space ship. How was that allowed to happen?

So, I started with Don's posting and the executive summary of the limited report; quickly moved to my bottom line; remembered a system's televised failure and a program manager's televised response to it; and preached about one human flaw. For my entire adult life, I've believed that humans are the most important part of any endeavor. Unfortunately, we all have some common flaws. I've spent a lifetime trying to overcome mine but given the right situation one or more of them pops up.

metteec:

We've safely made it past another February without a FAC.

Since it now takes the Congress until just before the New Year to pass a National Defense Authorization Act, I assume that it takes the Council members about 30 days to identify the new opportunities for regulatory excellence. After that, I assume they are probably stunned for another 30 days by the Congressional gibberish in the new legislation with what they must deal.

Joel:

The hand-written contract for the USS Monitor is online.

The volumes are: War of the Rebellion Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (ORA). In this specific instance it is at Series III., Vol. 2, p. 816. There are over 100 volumes of the ORA and there are many volumes of the Navy series. Then there is the Medical series.

There is no listing of old contracts. You have to get lucky and find it.

I also have my own copies of Harpers Weekly from the first issue in 1857 through 1864. I've scanned an image of these gun boats and hope to find other wood cuts of them. If I get a chance, I may add them here.

These volumes can be found on the internet.

Liquidated damages, assignment of contract, etc. I see more but I want to see what others can find.

The specifications, which were design specifications, ran on for over 10 pages.

Don:

PMRs of agency contracting functions are done by agency contracting personnel, contractor personnel, national association personnel, etc. I was part of a contractor team doing a PMR type review when I initially retired. If you look at the DCMA item I posted to the home page within the past few days, you will see that the work is done over about a 2-week period. You need members that are experienced with contracting to do that work quickly with any depth.

Some agencies have PMR manuals providing work guidelines and checklists. For me, the key is the PMR Leader and how he/she directs the tone of work and how it is to be done.

I don't see any value from having an auditor involved with the PMR process.

No. It has been a problem for decades.

In addition to my suggestions for auditing activities, I may add the following.

At the entrance conference for any audit, the contracting agency's procurement executive or designee should request proof of auditor compliance with the GAGAS sections 3.69 and 3.72.

In the contracting agency's comment letter to the draft report, the contracting agency should note any auditor non-compliance with GAGAS sections 3.69 and 3.72.

Thank you all for your kind comments. Wifcon.com is beginning its seventeenth year.

Professor:

I cannot put into words how much your years of work mean to me. I'll simply say that, Wifcon.com, its discussion forum, and its blogs, would not exist if it wasn't for you.

Thank You.

Joel:

I've repaired the link. You've identified the reason I place public domain items from government servers in the Wifcon.com server. Government web sites appear to change internet addresses with little consideration for linking.

The U. S. Court of Federal Claims site apparently initially links opinions without the word "opinions" in their links. Then, after a few days, the word "opinions" is added to the link. Of course, that destroys the link. For example, here is what I linked to originally:

http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/BRUGGINK.NEENAN082213.pdf

Here is the current link:

http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions/BRUGGINK.NEENAN082213.pdf

rdy2retire:

Over the years, I had the GAO liaison at agencies pull contract contract files out of storage. So, there is life for contract files after closeout.

You may wish to review this. It is taken from the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2010 and included in Wifcon.com's annual analysis of the NDAAs. Although the Senate provision was not adopted, the "conferees" included language in the report for DoD's attention.

Small business contracting programs parity

Don:

For those who want to research the FACs and FAR Cases from the federal register notices back to the end of 1999, they can click "FAR Research" on the Rules & Tools page.

April Fools.