Performance-Based Service Acquisition

Register Now Click class session below to register Classes & Locations Washington, DC 9/20/2010-9/24/2010: (10107605) Denver, CO 2/14/2011-2/18/2011: (11107610) 8/1/2011-8/5/2011: (11107611) Phoenix, AZ 12/6/2010-12/10/2010: (11107606) San Diego, CA 5/23/2011-5/27/2011: (11107613) San Francisco, CA 3/21/2011-3/25/2011: (11107612) Seattle, WA 8/22/2011-8/26/2011: (11107614) Vienna, VA 12/13/2010-12/17/2010: (11107607) 4/4/2011-4/8/2011: (11107608) 7/25/2011-7/29/2011: (11107609) Washington, DC 10/25/2010-10/29/2010: (11107601) 1/31/2011-2/4/2011: (11107602) 5/2/2011-5/6/2011: (11107603) 7/11/2011-7/15/2011: (11107604) 9/19/2011-9/23/2011: (11107605) Course Details PRICE:  $1025.00 LENGTH:   5 days FORMAT:  Lecture, discussion, practical exercises, independent readings, and final exam. LEVEL:  Intermediate FIELD OF STUDY:  Finance CPE CREDITS:  40

Contracting personnel who work with program officials to plan, award, and administer performance-based service contracts will benefit from this training course.  The training course addresses the unique aspects of acquiring services and embodies the Seven Steps to Performance-Based Services Acquisition. 

Note: Students seeking a training course on how to write a performance-based requirements document should consider taking Writing Performance Work Statements.
 
Suggested Prerequisite:  Introduction to Federal Contracting or Contract Administration or CON 112:  Mission Performance Assessment

Course Objectives:
After successful completion of this training course, the student will be able to:

• Discuss the unique aspects of service acquisition
• Analyze requirements with respect to the ability to contract based on performance
• Determine if the requirements document is performance-based
• Select the method of contracting and source selection process in a performance-based environment
• Prepare a quality assurance surveillance plan (QASP) 
• Administer a performance-based service contract

Major Topics:

• Introduction to Performance-Based Service Acquisition

Service contracting:  personal vs. nonpersonal services, private sector temporaries, advisory and assistance services, inherently governmental functions, acquisition from established sources, Service Contract Act, and professional services.  What is performance-based service acquisition?  Definitions.

• Planning for Performance-Based Service Acquisition

Objectives of acquisition planning.  Establish an acquisition team:  FAR guidance, roles and responsibilities of the team, role of senior management and additional stakeholders, relationship between the team and senior management, and maintaining the knowledge base.  Market research.  Relationship of the acquisition to mission and performance objectives.  Importance of acquisition planning.  Develop the acquisition plan.

• Defining the Need

Ways a need may arise.  Job analysis:  conduct a needs analysis, analyze the work, conduct an activity analysis, gather workload and resource data, identify government directives, conduct performance analysis, conduct incentive analysis, and conduct deduct analysis.  Benchmarking. 

• Prepare a Performance Work Statement (PWS)

Prepare a requirements document.  PWS considerations.  Format and language of performance work statements.  Reviewing the PWS. 

• Prepare a Statement of Objectives (SOO)

When to use a SOO.  Format of a SOO.  Due diligence.

• Prepare a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan

Select the method(s) of surveillance.  Identify sources of surveillance information.  Establish schedules, checklists, and reports.  QASP content and development considerations.

• Finalize the Source Selection Strategy

Determine best value.  Select evaluation factors.  State the evaluation factors in the solicitation.  Establish a scoring plan.

• Contract Formation

Prepare the solicitation.  Evaluate offers.  Conduct oral presentations.  Organizational conflicts of interest.  Contract documentation.

• Contract Administration

Determine contract administration personnel.  Review the QASP:  determine administrative duties, identify contractor and government obligations, review payment and deduct provisions, and develop a contract administration checklist.  Conduct a postaward orientation.  Monitor the contract.  Measure contractor performance.  Ensure compliance with the Service Contract Act requirements. 

ACE Recommendation: 

April 2003 to present: In the lower division baccalaureate/associate or upper division baccalaureate degree category, 2 semester hours in Business Administration, Public Administration, Procurement Management, or Purchasing.

Suggested Follow-on Resource:

• Performance-Based Contracting
  
• Delivering Project Excellence with the Statement of Work