10 Days

Course Description

Build a foundation in essential contracting skills and competencies, such as general principles related to defining requirements, market research, acquisition planning, and solicitation development. In addition to these foundational skills, you will become familiar with principles from an industry viewpoint, including business development, capture management, and the proposal development process.

This course is one of four courses within the Contracting Certification Training

Program, based upon specific competencies within the Contracting Training Model. The main objective of this program is to enable contracting specialists to be prepared for a career in the contracting profession.

CON 1200 aims to provide participants with both the government and industry perspective within the pre-award process.

Who Takes This Course: This course is designed for entry-level contracting professionals, and is the second of four courses preparing participants for the Contracting Certification Exam.

Course Format: Individual, small-group, and large-group exercises; lecture, discussion, case study, action planning

• Describe a solicitation
• Recognize how a contractor executes a sales plan
• Summarize the terms and conditions to include in a solicitation
• Given a scenario, summarize offer risk mitigation techniques
• Summarize the major components of formulating an acquisition strategy
• Summarize the requirements for publicizing solicitations and contract actions
• Summarize offer submission process
• Estimate the need for a solicitation amendment

Course Topics

Introduction and Overview

• Exercise: Participant Introductions
• Contracting Certification Training Program
• Exercise: Professional Competencies

• Exercise: Agency Needs and Requirements
• Exercise: Market Research
• Types of Requirements Documents

• Product and Service Codes (PSC)

Understanding Markets and Suppliers

• Influence of Suppliers
• Government Impact on Contractors
• Teaming Agreements and Strategic Alliance
• Industry Considerations When Entering Agreements

Acquisition Planning

• Exercise: What Is Acquisition Planning?
• Exercise: Building an Acquisition Plan
• Exercise: Make-or-Buy Program
• Exercise: Justifying Government Property
• Exercise: Developing a Delivery Schedule

Executing a Sales Plan: Business Development and Capture (Industry)

• Developing Market and Sales Strategies
• Business Development

• The Capture Team
• Evaluating an Opportunity

Components of Acquisition Strategy

• Establishing Evaluation Criteria

Shaping Internal Customer Requirements

• Verifying Availability of Funds: Fiscal Law and Appropriations
• Measurable Outcomes and Incentives

• Team Members and Roles
• Exercise: Evaluation Team

• Exercise: Components of Formulating an Acquisition Strategy

• Satisfying Solicitation Requirements
• Elements of a Proposal
• Writing a Proposal
• Subcontractors

• Solicitation Types
• Solicitation and Procurement Methods
• Identifying Solicitation Elements
• Exercise: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses

• Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses
• Determining Provisions and Clauses

• Exercise: Summarizing Requirements for Publicizing Solicitations and Contract Actions

• Relationships and Communication
• Types of Pre-Offer Meetings
• Quality Control and Compliance
• Proposal Risk Factors
• Offer Pricing Strategies
• Color Team Reviews
• Approving an Offer for Submission
• Submitting and Verifying an Offer

• Exercise: Estimating the Need for a Solicitation Amendment

• Government Capstone Scenario
• Industry Capstone Scenario

Credits, Certifications & Certificate Program

NASBA Field(s) of Study and Credits:

Finance (80 CPEs) NASBA Level: Basic

Questions? Contact our training coordinator via email or phone at (202) 843.5447.