Routine is practice in the US Federal Government to see placards and signs cautioning employees to be award of instances of “Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA).” Numerous offices are dedicated to the charge of expanding the consciousness and reporting FWA violations. Fraud is pretty well understood and is covered in law and regulation. Abuse is covered in a similar way but is captured under ethical standards. Both Fraud and Abuse have penalties for engaging in such behavior, yet Waste is left unattended. Waste, for the most part is in the eye of the beholder. One person’s waste is another person’s necessity, so… who is correct? This article will help practitioners and academics increase their understanding of fraud, waste, and abuse. Tools to address waste are introduced. Also, this document provides a focus on effective countermeasures to mitigate waste that can naturally occur without attention to process.
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Author: AMU
Increasing Concern about Access to Higher Education, and Matriculation
Receiving a college education, developing one’s competencies and continuing lifelong learning is consistently met with fear as the cost of education continues to rise. Educational institutions are combating these high costs with distance education. In a study, 69.1 percent of chief learning officers indicated that online learning is very important to their long term strategies (Allen & Seaman, 2013). The number of learners taking at least one online course is increasing; on the other hand, face-to-face learning in higher education has slowed for the first time in 10 years (Allen & Seaman, 2013). Daniel de Vise, of the Washington Post, cites the number of enrolled non-traditional students as 40 percent (2011, para. 1). How will faculty successfully facilitate this inter-generational mixture of learners: matured (x-1944), baby boomer (1945-1964), generation X (1965-1978) and generation Y (1979-1995) (Burton, 2007)?
Helping Middle-Skilled Workers Find a Job (Part-2)
This is the conclusion of Sharon Burton’s two-part series on helping middle-skilled workers find a new start in the knowledge economy. In the first part, Burton discussed the changing nature of the American economy, and how the movement toward a technology-driven workforce means individuals need to upgrade their skills to find work and to stay current in their jobs. She then outlined some of the characteristics of a middle-skilled worker. In this article, she sheds light on some of the pathways these workers can take to finding work in the new economy. The key focus is that educational training should directly focus on job readiness.
Helping Middle-Skilled Workers Find a Job (Part 1)
As the American economy becomes more knowledge-based and technology-driven, employees who formerly occupied middle-skilled jobs need to gain new competencies to find new work. Technology has been driving significant changes in the American workforce over the past few decades. Employers have placed higher premiums, salaries and benefits on educated workers due to the increasing demand for skilled workers to navigate complex technologies, transformations in the organization of the economy and a developing global marketplace. Consequently, these changes demand a review and analysis of needed changes in securing a position in the job market.
Becoming A Great Business Partner
The Great Lakes State Chapter of NCMA recently commissioned a survey of its members to ascertain the perceptions of its membership to their professional surroundings. The results were interesting and insightful for anyone on the acquisition team, particularly supporting the importance of soft skills and the challenge of poor management practices.
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By: James N. Philips Jr. and Donna Cappabianca
Originally published in the August 2013 issue of Contract Management.
AMU Force Field Analysis Quality Tools Series 2014
The Force Field Analysis is a quality systems management tool.
At the end of this presentation, users should be able to:
- Articulate the usage of a Force Field Analysis
- Explain how to develop a Force Field Analysis
- Demonstrate the development of a Force Field Analysis
AMU: Customer Requirements Matrix, Quality Tools Series 2014
At the end of this presentation, users should be able to:
- Articulate the usage of a Customer Requirements Matrix
- Explain how to develop a Customer Requirements Matrix
- Demonstrate the development of a Customer Requirements Matrix
AMU: Fishbone – Cause and Effect Diagram, Quality Tools Series 2014
he Fish bone is quality systems management tool.
At the end of this presentation users should be able to:
- Articulate the usage of a Fishbone – Cause and Effect Diagram
- Explain how to develop a Cause and Effect Diagram
- Demonstrate the development of a Cause and Effect Diagram
NCMA Chapter Profile Detroit: Seeking Relevance in Changing Times
Several years ago, the Detroit chapter saw a sharp decline in member participation, like many professional, fraternal, and social associations these days. Our busy lives and less disposable time had created decision points on where to spend volunteer time and what organizations to join. Within these parameters, people look for the greatest good or best value based on their condition. We ask ourselves, if I have only a finite amount of extra time, where will I spend it, or most importantly, why spend it with NCMA? This question has been asked and answered by NCMA members throughout the years.
A New Career Path: The Dawn of the Acquisition Consultant
Many acquisition professionals have lamented that while they are educated in the profession or had received comparable training. they are not competitive for federal contractim jobs. So how does one engage in the federal acquisition community without being a contract specialist? Perhaps.as an acquisition consultant?
By James N. Phillips, Jr.
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Originally published in the June 2014 issue of Contract Management Magazine. Copyright 2014, National Contract Management Association
