Market*Access International


Government Best Practices Training Workshop:

Critical Roles and Responsibilities of the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative:
A Three-Day Workshop

December 13-15, 2005
Market*Access Training Center
4301 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 1003
Arlington, VA 22203

*please note new location!

Online Registration for this conference is closed, but seats
are available for walk-in registrations. Please complete and bring a copy of the
downloadable registration form with your payment to the registration desk.

Registration: 7:30 AM (Day One Only)
Program Starts: 8:30 AM
Wrap-up: 4:00 PM

Course materials, continental breakfast, refreshments included.

About This Workshop


The contracting officer’s technical representative (COTR) plays an essential role in the planning, awarding and management of the government contract. They are the “eyes and ears” of the contracting officer in ensuring that technical requirements are being met and that the contractor is adhering to the terms and scope of the contract. Their technical expertise and project management skills are critical in designing performance-based acquisitions that successfully respond to risk, motivate excellent contractor performance, manage cost and schedule constraints and achieve contract goals and objectives.

In the Critical Roles and Responsibilities of the Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative course, you’ll learn the critical roles, responsibilities and best practices for being an effective COTR. The course covers the COTR’s role throughout the government contracting process—from defining initial requirements to effective post-award performance management. You’ll learn the importance of early risk assessment and how risk mitigation and control influences the pre and post award management of the contract. You’ll also learn the many areas of the acquisition process where COTR participation is essential in helping the contracting officer protect the interests of the government during contract execution. For industry attendees, you will gain keen insight into your government customer and how your company can help support the important role of the COTR.

You will develop skills through various practical exercises and will receive a course manual containing many useful references that can be used long after you have completed the class.

“Very informative – I’m new to COTR…I was a novice.”
— Program Analyst, USDOL

What You Will Learn

  • Defining the scope of the acquisition through use of a contract Work Breakdown Structure
  • Identifying, analyzing and documenting risk
  • Conducting market research and effectively collaborating with industry
  • Planning and implementing a performance based services acquisition
  • Developing a risk-focused Request for Proposal and evaluation criteria
  • Understanding and participating in a best value source selection
  • Properly executing the roles and responsibilities of the COTR in post-award contract performance

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Who Should Attend

  • Current and future COTRs, CORs and Technical Monitors
  • Commercial Vendor Relationship Managers (VRMs)
  • Government and commercial project leaders and managers
  • Contracting officers and administrators
  • Acquisition officers
  • Quality assurance personnel
  • General Counsel
  • Federal advisory and assistance contractors

A List of Previous Registrants Include:

  • BOR, GIS Coordinator
  • Department of Homeland Security/FEMA, Map MOD COTR
  • Department of Homeland Security/FEMA, Program Specialist
  • Department of Interior, Senior Telecommunications Specialist
  • Department of Labor, Accounts Payable Manager
  • Department of Labor, Program Analyst
  • Inter-American Foundation, Auditor
  • NIAID, Budget & Policy Analyst
  • Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Program Analyst

"I enjoyed it all.
As a new COTR, it is difficult for me to identify the most important part.”
— Strategic Planning and Legistative Analyst, USDOL

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Course Syllabus

1. Roles, Responsibilities and Authorities

a. Members and roles of the acquisition team
b. Types, limits and delegation of contractual authority
c. General authorities of the COTR
d. Standards of conduct and procurement integrity
e. Organizational conflicts of interest

2. Determining Acquisition Scope and Assessing Risk

a. Statements of need
b. Use and purpose of work breakdown structures
c. Identifying, assessing and mitigating risk
d. Integrating risk and acquisition management

3. Conducting Market Research and Planning the Acquisition

a. Requirement for and benefits of market research
b. Steps in the market research process
c. Exchanging information with industry
e. Competition requirements
f. Acquisition planning requirements
g. Commercial item acquisition

4. Performance Based Acquisition

a. Definition and purpose of performance based acquisition
b. Performance work statements and statements of objective
c. Critical performance standards and acceptable quality levels (AQLs)
d. Quality assurance surveillance plans
e. Performance incentive approaches

5. Developing the Request for Proposal and Planning the Source Selection

a. Elements of the Uniform Contract Format (UCF)
b. Developing evaluation factors for award and proposal submission instructions
c. Key terms and conditions
d. Streamlining the source selection process
e. Effective use of the advisory multi-step process

6. Conducting the Best Value Source Selection

a. Overview of the best value source selection process
b. Performing the technical evaluation of offeror proposals
c. Cost and past performance evaluations
d. Competitive range determination and discussions with offerors
e. Comparative assessment, tradeoff analysis and contract award

7. Post-Award COTR Contract Management Principles

a. Essential elements of a binding contract
b. Principle of contract privity
c. Interpreting the contract
d. COTR documentation and record keeping requirements
e. Types of contract changes
f. Equitable adjustments
g. Government furnished property
h. Inspection and acceptance
i. Terminations
j. Excusable delays
k. Invoices and payments
l. Contract closeout

 


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About Your Instructor

Mr. Robert Watts has over 26 years of federal acquisition experience in the disciplines of contracting, project management and financial management. He is the President of LodeStar Acquisition Services, a small business, acquisition training and consulting firm headquartered in the greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Previous to founding LodeStar Acquisition Services, Mr. Watts was Vice President of Acquisition Services at ManTech Integrated Data Systems from 1998 – 2004. The organizations he has led have helped over 500 government teams efficiently select and manage mission critical contractor products and services.

Mr. Watts is a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel and a former member of the Defense Acquisition Corp. Prior to his retirement from the USAF, he was the Director of the National Reconnaissance Office’s (NRO’s) Acquisition Center of Excellence (ACE), a unique organization of over 60 personnel dedicated to providing the NRO workforce a dedicated acquisition support capability and infrastructure. As ACE Director, Mr. Watts was the architect of the NRO’s process for competitive procurement of over $15B in space-related hardware and software.

Mr. Watts is also a senior instructor, researcher, writer and consultant for The George Washington University’s (GWU’s) Educational Services Institute International. He received his MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

What Previous Students Said About Your Instructor:

"The instructor was very knowledgable. He used great "real life" situations in getting the points across." - Financial Analyst, US Air Force

"The instructor was very effective and held our attention." - Contract Specialist, Dept. of Commerce/NOAA

"Very knowledgable and was able to answer 99.9% of questions right away." - Financial Analyst, Booz Allen Hamilton

“Instructor was very knowledgeable and informative. I enjoyed the class and the intructional material and it’s layout/format.” - Strategic Planning and Legistative Analyst, USDOL

“Excellent examples drawn from personal experience; trivia warm-ups a great idea; courteous and professional.” - GIS Manager, USBR

“Great expertise and experience!!” - Program Specialist, FEMA



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Contact Us

  • For registration information, please contact Pamela Greenstein at (703) 807-2758
  • For general information about this workshop, please contact Russ Eustice, (703) 807-2753

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Registration Fee

  • Government attendees: $1,095 per person
  • Small Business (less than 100 employees): $1,195 per person
  • Industry: $1,295 per person

Registration Options

Online Registration for this conference is closed, but seats are available for walk-in registrations. Please complete and bring a copy of the downloadable registration form with your payment to the registration desk.

Registration form requires Acrobat Reader.

Registrations are payable by Visa, American Express, Mastercard, company check or government purchase order.

CANCELLATION POLICY: You may designate a substitute in writing any time before the conference. If you need to cancel your registration, you must send your notice in writing and will be subject to a $50 processing fee. No refunds are given for cancellations received 48 hours prior to the conference start date or later. PLEASE NOTE: No shows will be liable for the entire registration fee.

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Location and Hotel Information

The workshop will be held in the Market*Access Training Center in the NRECA Building at 4301 Wilson Boulevard, Suite #1003 (10th floor), Arlington, VA 22203. Public parking at the facility is available for $9 a day. The NRECA Building is just one block from the Ballston Metro Station in the orange line.

Ballston Metro stop information

Nearby hotels include:

 

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On-Site Training

Have a Large Staff to Train? Can't Make These Dates? Tight Travel Budget?

Market*Access can provide training, wherever and whenever you need, including on-site at your facility. Our staff will cost-effectively implement training customized to your needs. If you have group of attendees (usually 15 or more), we can bring this course to you and help save you time, travel costs, and more!

To request a proposal and schedule training, e-mail Laura Johnson, VP of Conferences & Strategic Planning, at ljohnson@marketaccess.org or call (703) 807-2747.

To download a PDF of planned training conferences and workshops
for 2006, please click here.

 

Marketing, Conference Management and Production by:

Market*Access International, Inc.
4301 Wilson Boulevard
Suite 1003
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 807-2755

 
©2005 Market*Access International