GSA OASIS Draft RFP Series, #3 Contractor System, Compliance and Certification Requirements
Thank you for continuing to follow our special GSA OASIS blog series. Before discussing the requirements on OASIS and OASIS SB for contractor systems, compliance, and certifications, a disclaimer – all posts are based on information from the OASIS draft RFP and the most current information available on the OASIS Industry Community on GSA Interact. Changes are certain to occur between the draft solicitation and the final RFP; Aronson will identify major changes as soon as we are aware of them.
Before making a bid decision, companies must understand that simply meeting the minimum solicitation requirements will not be enough to win an OASIS contract. GSA wants to award to ‘best in class’ contractors, so points are only awarded for exceeding the minimum requirements. Although less than 18% of the total points are currently allotted to to systems and certifications, these could be critical differentiators if the competition is as intense as we expect. GSA stated in the most recent RFP Q&A that it did “not anticipate that many, if any, Contractors will have all systems and certifications that are encouraged. The evaluation process is about distinguishing between Offerors.”
There has been a lot of confusion regarding which systems and certifications are actually required. The purpose of this blog is to summarize what is actually a requirement versus what is merely a recommendation. Continue reading »
Reasonableness of Executive Compensation
Executive compensation is a hot topic and has been widely discussed in industry blogs, presentations, webinars, etc. Our discussion of executive compensation applies to all Government contractors, whether the compensation of their executives reaches the Government compensation cap or not. Previously, we have discussed the current compensation cap of $763,029 and the attempts by the Senate and the President (blog post coming soon) to reduce the cap. Below is a discussion of the factors used to determine what the reasonable executive compensation for contractors should be.
The compensation cap noted above applies when the amount of allowable reasonable compensation exceeds the cap; however, for many small and mid-size contractors reasonable executive compensation will not approach that amount. FAR 31.205-6(b)(2) states that compensation “must be reasonable for the work performed.” Comparison of compensation to other firms should take into account companies: Continue reading »
Next Howard County GovConnects Breakfast Series, May 16
On April 30th, Howard County government contractors and service providers attended GovConnects’ Monthly Business Breakfast Series: “The Current Landscape at Fort Meade for Small Business” at UMUC in Elkridge, Md. for a morning that combined important information with valuable networking opportunities.
Aronson LLC partner Mike Muscatello introduced the first keynote speaker, Colonel Rothstein, Garrison Commander at Ft. Meade. The Colonel spoke about the Ft. Meade community and the importance of the partnership with local businesses. He talked to attendees about the ways in which corporate innovation is playing an important role at “Team Meade,” the third largest military installation in the country. Continue reading »
Aronson Speakers in the Community
Employee Incentive Compensation: Powerful but Underutilized Tools for Navigating the Challenging Times Ahead: May 15, 8:00 – 10:00 am
Attracting and retaining key employees is a challenge every business faces, and government contractors know that a valuable contract can hinge on making the right staffing choices. Savvy government contractors also recognize the necessity to maximize human capital within the constraints of sequestration, continuing resolution and lowest price technically acceptable contracts. You’re invited to this breakfast workshop to learn about powerful employee incentive compensation strategies that can provide significant competitive advantages for your business. Continue reading »
Time’s Up: DCAA’s Renewed Focus on Incurred Cost Submissions
Free Webinar | May 1, 2013 | 11am Eastern
DCAA has made it clear to Congress that one of their top priorities will be addressing the extensive backlog of Incurred Cost Submissions (ICS). This news further emphasizes how important it is for government contractors to stay on top of DCAA requirements.
For example, are you aware that DCAA has a newly updated submission? Do you know if you have a requirement to file an Incurred Cost Submission? Do you understand the DCAA Adequacy Checklist? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, join Aronson LLC’s government contracting experts on May 1st for an informative webinar where we will guide you through deciding if an Incurred Cost Submission is required, what is involved to prepare an adequate Incurred Cost Submission, and how best to prepare for an uncomplicated audit.
Topics will include: Continue reading »
Grant Thornton’s Survey on the Government Contracting Industry – Were Your Predictions Right?
Results of the widely known and anticipated 18th Annual Grant Thornton Government Contractor Survey were recently released, offering both surprising and presumably expected insights. Julian Rosenberg, government contract advisory leader at Grant Thornton reported some noteworthy takeaways from the survey in the areas of cost accounting, company relationships with the DCAA, revenue, profit, win rates as well as indirect cost rates. Highlights from the survey also supplied interesting information on M&A activity.
Fringe Benefits are Increasing
In a time of fierce competition within the government contracting industry, accounting practices related to indirect costs and direct labor can be critical factors. According to the survey, Continue reading »
ACI’s Government Contract Cost & Pricing Conference
Thursday, April 18, 2013 at Hilton Crystal City, Arlington
Following extensive research with industry stakeholders and outside advisors, American Conference Institute has, once again, assembled a sophisticated program and multi-dimensional speaker faculty, who will discuss the most complex, pressing cost or pricing compliance issues affecting your business. Each year, industry and private practice professionals attend this event to hear the latest, cutting edge strategies for meeting heightened DCAA and DCMA compliance expectations. Continue reading »
Preparing for DCAA Incurred Cost Submissions
Live Webinar | Thursday, April 04, 2013 | 1PM Eastern
DCAA has made it clear to Congress that one of their top priorities will be addressing the extensive backlog of Incurred Cost Submissions. This news further emphasizes how important it is for government contractors to be aware of DCAA requirements.
Are you aware that DCAA has a newly updated submission? Do you know if you have a requirement to file an Incurred Cost Submission? Do you understand the DCAA Adequacy Checklist? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, this webinar will guide you through deciding if an Incurred Cost Submission is required, what is involved to prepare an adequate Incurred Cost Submission, and how best to prepare for an uncomplicated audit.
Learning Objectives Continue reading »
Yes, That is DCAA’s Website!
At first glance I thought I had accidentally gone to DCMA’s website instead of DCAA. It has a similar feel and look to DCMA’s website; however, it is just DCAA’s new look. This updated version is user friendly with the drop down tabs at the top and quick links. They organized all the checklists and Incurred Cost Submission model all under the new Checklist & Tools tab. The Guidance tab leads you directly to all of DCAA’s Audit Guidance Memos, the CAM, and a link to the FAR just to name a few. I also enjoy the Locator feature which allows contractors to find who their cognizant DCAA FAO is by CAGE code, DUNS code, or ZIP. Continue reading »
IG Reports on the Quality of 2010 DCAA Audit Reports
The Inspector General (IG) released the results of the 2010 Quality Assurance review of the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) on March 7, 2013. The results are not shocking as there is a 26% pass rate with 74% fail rate. DCAA did not exercise professional judgment on 37 out of 50 audit assignments reviewed. While the report is new the data released is old. DCAA has implemented a significant number of process improvements over the last 24 months that were not in place at the time of the review. This is a good time for you as a contractor to check out the new audit workplans and guidance that has been issued over the last 24 months. Obviously based on this report a lot needed to change at DCAA. We will not know the effectiveness of these changes for a few years. Continue reading »
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- A Marriage of Inconvenience: GSA Schedule Contracts & The Contractor Code of Business Ethics & Conduct Clause
- Emerging Small Businesses: To Grow Your Business, You Must Plan For Growth
- Government Contracting: Look Before You Leap!
- GSA Schedules – Strategies for Success
- New Employee vs. Independent Contractor Considerations
- Pay on Display – Understanding the Executive Compensation and Subcontractor Data Reporting Requirements & Ramifications
- The GSA Schedule: Your Ticket to the Federal Market (May 2010)
- The New FAR Codes of Conduct and Compliance Program Provisions
- The Seven Deadly Sins (of contract compliance)