frankie

Here is a good training exercise for a supervisor or trainer to assign to a beginner or group of beginners: 1. Describe a procurement, e.g.: noncommercial supplies, negotiated, sole source, large business contractor, estimated value $10 million, firm-fixed-price, etc. 2. Provide the beginner with a brief introduction to the FAR and to contract clauses. Then instruct the beginner to manually go through FAR Part 52 (just the FAR, not the agency supp), read the clause prescriptions, and develop a list of every contract clause (not solicitation provisions) that should be included in the request for proposals. Tell them not to rely on the clause/provision matrix, but to read every prescription. Tell them to write out the full name and date of each clause. Tell them to indicate whether a clause should be incorporated in full text (F) or by reference (R). Make sure they understand what they must do before you send them off. 3. Give them one week to do this. Tell them to come to you once a day, and only once a day, at the end of the day, with questions about the exercise. Tell them not to ask other people in the office for information or help. 4. When you receive their list of clauses, present them with the "school solution" list. Tell them to compare the lists and then come back to you with questions. Discuss the reasons for the differences. 5. Discuss the exercise. Give them a "grade." The exercise will be a struggle, but it will force the beginner to come to grips with the FAR, to try to interpret the FAR's often vague or ambiguous language, to come to grips with terms definitions, etc. If you have access to one, loan them a copy of The Government Contracts Reference Book or the DAU Glossary to use during the exercise. Education is largely self-administered, when in college or at work. Someone teaches you, but you learn on your own. After an exercise like the above, you'll know which of your beginners are thinkers and self-actuators and which are drones, and your good beginners will have learned a lot.

At 10 USC 2304 and 41 USC 3301, the preference for sealed bidding is stated with 4 conditions. I believe these preceded CICA in some form but cannot remember. My questions is about (A) (i) and they are: 1. What is the original source of (A) (i) and 2. Do you believe(A) (I) is implying that the sealed bidding process took (takes) longer than competitive proposals process?