Government Contracting - Guide
BEC Corporation has provided support to a number of companies that were experienced in Government contracting and some that were conducting their first Department of Defense (DOD) contract. In some cases our efforts were limited to technical tasks identified in the contract such as System Safety Hazard Analysis, Technical Documentation, or Provisioning. In other cases we have helped develop the proposal strategies and write the technical and Management sections of the proposal. The following is a general guide for any company that may be interested it doing business with the DOD. Each agency will have different requirements. The following is not intended to be a comprehensive list of requirements but a selection of those which we have interest.
Doing business with the DOD is complex and is currently going through a number of changes. Our experience has shown that many contractors have difficulty with DOD type contacts even when they have an excellent performance record and good product in the non DOD market. This stems from not fully understanding all of the DOD program requirements. Many DOD contracts will require data packages to be delivered that are not typically developed or delivered in the non DOD markets. These data packages can be very costly to develop and need to be included in the program proposals. Many of the data packages defined in the solicitation as contract deliverables (Contract Data Requirement Lists, or CDRLs) are data to be delivered, in very specific formats, that is not provided in the non DOD market. It is essential that the contractor fully understand what the Government is requiring and what it will cost to produce the data item.
The DOD is being encouraged to purchase Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) products. This should open the door to more business to deal with the DOD. While the Government is requesting COTS products, many of the data packages that are part of the contract are not typical to the non DOD industry. Companies not familiar with DOD contracting should examine the solicitation and contract very closely.
While our charter is support, BEC Corporation has performed a number of contracts as a prime contractor and has a good working relationship with those contracting offices. Our experience as a subcontractor on DOD contracts is extensive. The following are some basic evaluation criteria from a typical DOD solicitation.
· Technical Proposal - The Government will evaluate the extent to which the offeror demonstrates a sound, practical methodology for satisfying the requirements of the Performance Specification (PS) and Statement of Work (SOW). The proposal submitted will need to convince the Government that the product (or service) being offered will truly meet all the requirements. You will need to convey that you have a full understanding of the requirements and that the product had been engineered, tested or otherwise proven to meet each requirement.
· Oral Presentation - Some solicitations require that the Technical Proposal be presented to the Government evaluators as an oral presentation. The format of the presentation is controlled by the Government and is identified in the solicitation. The Government may limit the number and type of presentation documents. There will be a time limit and a limit to the number of persons that can present the data. The Government will reserve some time to ask questions, and will expect knowledgeable responses.
· Management Proposal - The management proposal should
show that the offeror has the experience, technical and engineering know how,
adequacy of facilities and equipment to ensure performance of the contract
requirements. Key factors evaluated by the Government may be:
1. Experience in Similar
or Related Fields
2. Program Management
Experience and Procedures
3. Logistics/Provisioning
Support Capacity
4. Configuration
Management Controls
5. Production Program
Controls
6.
Personnel/Facilities/Equipment
7. Quality Assurance Programs
· Cost Proposal - The cost proposal is of course important. But the bottom line price needs to by justified. If the offeror presents a price without justification, that the Government believes is unrealistic, the Government will not rate the proposal favorable. A proposed cost that is outside the Governments estimate, higher or lower, must be justified. This cost realism is important.
Each solicitation should be reviewed carefully to establish what Data Items are required. The following is a list of Data Items (and general description) that BEC Corporation has provided or supported on various DOD contracts.
· Contact Data Requirement List (CDRL) Data Items
· Program Monthly Status Reports - The Monthly Status Report is the document that conveys to the Government the overall program status. The format and content will be specified by the Data Item Description document. In general, the report will include all program results, significant changes, problem areas, trips, costs, and planned activities for the following month.
· Logistics/Provisioning and Provisioning Data Generation - Logistics and Provisioning is an extensive area. The level and extent of the data to be provided may range from simple to overwhelming. This section needs to be reviewed closely.
· Technical Manuals
Development - The
Government required manuals are typically not what the non DOD industry
provides. The Government requires the manuals to be developed to specific
standards and many times written to a specific reading grade level.
· Technical Data Package Development - The Technical Data package is a complete package of fabrication and assembly drawings. The drawing may have to be generated to a military standard or the Government may allow the fabricator to use a commercial standard. Key wording to look for is "Best commercial practice" and "contractor format". The Government may want the drawings delivered on paper and disk. If the Government specifies a file format, make sure that the CADD system you use can efficiently convert to the required format. The conversion is not always as simple or as accurate as the software developer claims.
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