Starting Out Right: Rediscovering the Post-award Orientation

The pre-performance conference, post-award meeting, or post-award orientation not only serves to support the instant contract, but it prepares the contractor for future encounters with the government. The effect of such a simple act creates openness in the procurement process and integrity amongst the process owners.

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Originally published in the June 2007 issue of Contract Management Magazine.  Copyright 2007, National Contract Management Association

The Empowered Customer: Getting What You Need, When You Need It

The relationship between the contracting office and the customer can sometimes be a source of tension that, if left unaddressed, may unnecessarily create bottlenecks in the flow of information and contribute to schedule delays.  Like any healthy union, the relationship between the contracting office and customer requires trust, a firm commitment, and mutual effort toward the achievement of a shared goal.  In the absence of a healthy relationship and team effort, the customer and the contracting office continually point fingers at each other, assuring the continued degradation of the relationship.  Rather than pointing fingers, they should grasp hands in a partnership to get the job done.

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Originally published in the February 2012 issue of Contract Management Magazine.  Copyright 2012, National Contract Management Association

The Kano Model: Applying a Quality Tool to Assess Employee Performance

This model may help reduce the anxiety related to performance evaluations by assisting

supervisors in identifying strengths and weaknesses in employee performance.

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Originally published in the February 2007 issue of Contract Management Magazine. Copyright 2007, National Contract Management Association

The Winning Response: Improving the Likelihood of Being Selected

Let’s face it; people in our profession generally have a high opinion of themselves. And for good reason – we are trusted with the responsibility of being good stewards of our respective organizations or companies.  Yet, we collectively are also poor at letting other people know how good we are!  Maybe it is our humility that keeps us from being shameless self-promoters; however, in developing the “winning response,” we need to be.

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Originally published in the February 2006 issue of Contract Management Magazine. Copyright 2006, National Contract Management Association