leo1102

My interpretation is that the IGCE is required for each contract (regardless of the amount) and for each modification that exceeds $150K.

My opinion - It is not reasonable to test a KO with a limited warrant who is performing SAP Commercial installation-level acquisitions on acquisition procedures for non-commercial R&D or Construction. As a KO I am in support of primarily SAP supplies and services. I have little to no experience in non-commercial R&D or Construction contracting and would not accept a warrant in support of either.

Welcome to the fold. Below are words of wisdom provided by Vern Edwards on this forum in 2005. I have it printed out and read it at least weekly as reminder and as inspiration. First, remember that contracting is truly important work and that it is crucial to the security and well-being of our country (of our families and neighbors) that it be done well. Second, all apprentices must weather that time when they are under the control of others, people who may or may not be dedicated to excellence. Use this time to study and learn. Work for mastery. Dedicate yourself to this goal: I will let no one know more about my work than I do. You cannot achieve that goal, which is why you should try. Third, keep in mind the inherent shortcoming of on-the-job training, which is training by rumor and innuendo.. This means that in order to become excellent you must read and reason. You must organize your own curriculum and pursue it relentlessly for the rest of your working life. Fourth, don't be discouraged by the fact that many of the people around you are not first rate professionals and never will be. Excellence is rare in all walks of life, because it is difficult. Here is some inspiration that I have found useful: ? No man ever reached to excellence in any one art or profession without having passed through the slow and painful process of study and preparation. Horace ? It is a wretched taste to be gratified with mediocrity when the excellent lies before us. Disraeli ? To aim at excellence, our reputation, and friends, and all must be ventured; to aim at the average we run no risk and provide little service. Oliver Goldsmith ? Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. Aristotle ? Excellence in any department can be attained only by the labor of a lifetime; it is not to be purchased at a lesser price. Samuel Johnson ? Each honest calling, each walk of life, has its own elite, its own aristocracy based on excellence of performance. . . . James Bryant Conant It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man (and those who join him) in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly... who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who have never known neither victory nor defeat ? Theodore Roosevelt Whatever you do, don't take a paycheck to do something that you know you can't do well. And don't believe that you are competent because you work hard or because you try hard. That's kiddie-sports feel-good-about-yourself bull. Devotion to hard work is good, so is trying hard, but it is not enough. A bad job is a bad job, no matter how hard you worked at it. Get tough about that. You can be an excellent professional through devotion to study on your own time or you can be a middling Saturday mall crawler who thinks Cinnabon makes good cinnamon rolls, that you can buy a decent bagel west of the Hudson river, or that you can find a croissant anywhere in America. Make up your mind, commit to being the best, and then move out smartly. The above was written by Vern Edwards 2005 and posted to the WIFCON forum.

Vern - Just like your writings in 2005 about excellencce in contracting, this latest will become a Word document and be posted on my office wall to inspire me to be the best. With your permission, and acknowledging you as the author, may I share your post with other 1102s who are not registered on WIFCON? One more thing - I would be interested in your traits for those who are "expert, excellent, superb, brilliant, etc".

Vern Edwards certainly does not need me to defend his standing in the Contracting community so I will not do that. What I will do is politely advise Chuparosa (who is a new WIFCON member) to be careful when stating this particular preference. Since Oct 03 when I entered the 1102 career field, Vern has provided invaluable guidance on this site and through his FAR BootCamp. To alientate him might not be a good thing!!! By the way - I am an "active CO" in DoD.

Your latest posting at 12:39 PM adequately explains my objections - DAU instruction and OJT.

My opinion is that the current program provides 1102s with a DAU education and limited practical experience. These interns are, at the end of their internship, supposed to be competitive to GS-12. HOGWASH!!! I have nothing against those who have taken advantage of the program as it currently stands. It's the program to which I object.

Construction - you are improving "real" property by removing toxic soil and replacing it with clean soil. The definition of Construction in FAR 2.1 includes dredging.

May I suggest that you not type in ALL CAPS? It appears as if you are shouting when you do so. I am confused by your question. Who is "we"? Are you a Government contract specialist or a prime contractor? Your profile is incomplete. Are you wondering whether subcontractors are required to be listed in the CCR and use the same NAICS code that you used in to procure the prime contractor?

Thanks to all for your input. I have reviewed my agencies KO policies and thresholds for legal reviews and higher HQ approvals and, in case you haven't guessed, am taking my KO responsibilities seriously. The information gained at this forum and it's predecessor will be invaluable and the information available in the discussions and archives are a great jumping off point for inquiries. Thanks again.

Hey Vern - I did what you suggested - contacted the office that issued me my warrant. As usual (SMILE) you are correct - it's each contract action, not a cumulative total of all actions on a contract. Thanks for the guidance.

Thanks Vern.

Good morning all. I was recently granted a $10M contracting officer's warrant. I have asked several "more expierienced" KO's this question and I have received two very different answers. The question is - Does the warrant limitation (in my case $10M) limit me to $10M per action (i.e. per mod, per award, etc) or is it $10M for the total cost of the contract (base, all options, all mods, etc)? My belief is that it is the total cost of the contract, not per action. I have read FAR Part 1.602 and I am still unclear. What do you think? Thanks in advance.

Good point. I did not say to copy from someone else but to use a good example as an example. That brings ut to your other good point. It's impossible to tell the good from the bad if you don't know what the good is supposed to look like.

Try looking at FedBizOps and pulling some RFPs from there? There may be many examples of what you are looking for.

This is a good idea for agencies who pay invoices through systems other than Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF). DoD uses DFAS and DFAS uses WAWF and WAWF interfaces with SPS, therefore, ELINS external to SPS will not work.

rjc1602: I was wrong in my thinking regarding whether the contracting officer will disclose invoice information. IAW FAR 32.112-2 -- Subcontractor Requests for Information. (a) In accordance with Section 806(a)(1) of Pub. L. 102-190, as amended by Sections 2091 and 8105 of Pub. L. 103-355, upon the request of a subcontractor or supplier under a Federal contract for a non-commercial item, the contracting officer shall promptly advise the subcontractor or supplier as to -- (1) Whether the prime contractor has submitted requests for progress payments or other payments to the Federal Government under the contract; and (2) Whether final payment under the contract has been made by the Federal Government to the prime contractor.

The Government does not have a contract with a subcontractor and therefore can not make direct payment to the subcontractor. You can contact the contracting officer or contract specialist of the prime contract and inform them of the situation. I doubt if the contracting officer or contract specialist will provide prime contractor invoicing information to you. Have you contacted your local small business administration or an attorney? Have you considered litigation in small claims court or placing a lien on their property or a notice to owner, if applicable in your location?

Not very nice - FAR Fetched.

While Vern is correct - entries to this forum should be intelligently written with proper grammar, spelling, terminology, syntax and in sufficient detail - I will take a chance and respond to your question as I read it. The general answer to your question is that a firm fixed price contract is not a cost-reimbursement vehicle - the contractor does not have to justify his/her costs to be paid. The contractor is entitled to the full amount of the contract, whether they promptly invoice or whether they invoice months later. The final invoice on any contract is usually presented after the POP is complete.

http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/resources/CRS-Set-AsidesAppA.pdf The information at the above website may provide you with some assistance.

Joel - Exactly what I meant to say. THANKS!!!

Sue1234 - Just as a note for future postings - the contracting workforce pages are for issues that effect Government contracting officials (1102, 1005, 1106), not for discussing contractor employee qualifications. Perhaps another forum would have been a better choice to obtain responses.

'K-Law Atty' - I totally agree with Vern (surprise) and would like to add some observations from someone who has her boots on the ground. Local policies differ - Where I am currently located, any award over $100K or any option exercise over $100K must be legally reviewed and found sufficient before release. Where I was located - the dollar threshold was $550K. Where I was located the attorney advisor was well versed in many aspects of contract law and provided comprehensive advice in a a timely manner. Where I am now, the attorney advisor does little more than make spelling and gramatical suggestions/corrections. As a contract specialist, I am perfectly capable of determining what is IAW policies and procedures of the FAR and other guidance. My contracting officer is perfectly capable of making that determination as well. My contracting officer approached our legal advisor with an interpretation question and the response he received was "That is a contracting officer determination." As the contracting officer he was looking for legal advise, not a reinteration that it was ultimately his determination.

duke38 - Did you notice that you are the 1,000th registered user of this forum? CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!