PC 4010: Introduction to Federal Procurement

Class Description:

An introduction to federal government procurement & contracting processes, exploring the fundamental principles and techniques in detail. Students will gain an understanding of best practices from both government and industry perspectives, including subcontracting. The course will navigate the highly complex federal acquisition process including the governance roles (legislative, executive and judicial branches) and the operational roles (program office, contracts office, contractors/subcontractors) and how the intersection of these is integral to the success of each agency’s mission.

 

Learning Outcomes:

This course encompasses the entire federal acquisition lifecycle (from the time an agency’s need is identified through contract closeout) and the challenges that arises throughout the process. It will provide an understanding of the functions within all phases of the acquisition lifecycle including: pre-award/pre-solicitation, solicitation & award, and post-award management.

Students use the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to understand the rules needed to make sound business decisions. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

• Comprehend the “big picture” and the multitude of key stakeholders and diverse roles beyond just the “end points” (i.e. receipt of a purchase request through contract closeout)
• Describe the goals of the acquisition process in terms of compliance, timeliness, quality, customer satisfaction and value for money
• Understand the procurement & contracting business environment in order to act as business advisors
• Understand the difference between unethical and illegal activities and what constitutes appropriate standards of conduct
• Understand the essentials of acquisition planning including analysis of contracting requirements and planning for competition and source selection
• Know the fundamentals of contract formation including the drafting of solicitations, evaluation of quotes and offers, and awarding of contracts
• Understand the fundamentals of contract administration including planning for successful contract administration, monitoring contract quality, administering payments, as well as modifications, terminations and closing out the contracts.

 

 

Assessment Components:

Reading assignments, Weekly Class Participation Questions, Midterm, and Final.

 

Required Text:

Contract Management Body of Knowledge, Fourth Edition 
By: NCMA, Updated by Margaret G. Rumbaugh, CPCM, Fellow

ISBN- 978-0-9700897-7-9 PRICE: $50 (NCMA member)/$60 (nonmember) Purchase

 

 

Additional Resources:

 

(1) Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) - online:

https://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html

(2) Supplemental resources link, which contains all reading assignment materials.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.   Understand the contract business environment and act as business advisers                         

2.   Understand the essentials of acquisition planning including analysis of contracting requirements and planning for competition and source selection

3.   Know the fundamentals of contract formation including the drafting of  solicitations, evaluation of  quotes and offers, and awarding of contracts

4.   Understand the fundamentals of contract administration including planning for successful contract administration, monitoring of  contract quality, administration of  payments, as well as modification, termination and close out of contracts

 

 

Syllabus/Class Overview

 

General Class Information

   Instructor Name and Contact Information:  Ronald Falcone

 

Hours:                        Online 24/7

Phone Number:         I am also available via cellular phone at 703-407-1721 between the hours of 10AM – 10PM ET

Email Address           Pease use the Communication Tools/Email feature to send me an email any time and/or send directly to uvaronf@aol.com; I make every attempt to respond to student emails within 24 hours (Mon-Fri) and within 48 hours (Sat-Sun)

Alternate email: ref9e@virginia.edu

 

 

Subject Area and Catalog Number:   PC 4010

 

Year and Term:           Spring 2016

 

Class Title:                  Introduction to Federal Procurement

 

Level:                          Undergraduate

 

Credit Type:                3 Credits

 

Class Description: An introduction to federal government procurement & contracting processes, exploring the fundamental principles and techniques in detail. Students will gain an understanding of best practices from both government and industry perspectives, including subcontracting. The course will navigate the highly complex federal acquisition process including the governance roles (legislative, executive and judicial branches) and the operational roles (program office, contracts office, contractors/subcontractors) and how the intersection of these is integral to the success of each agency’s mission.

Required Text: Contract Management Body of Knowledge, Fourth Edition; By: NCMA, Updated by Margaret G. Rumbaugh, CPCM, Fellow; ISBN- 978-0-9700897-7-9 PRICE: $50 (NCMA member)/$60 (nonmember) Click here to Purchase

Learning Outcomes: This course encompasses the entire federal acquisition lifecycle (from the time an agency’s need is identified through contract closeout) and the challenges that arises throughout the process. It will provide an understanding of the functions within all phases of the acquisition lifecycle including: pre-award/pre-solicitation, solicitation & award, and post-award management.

Students use the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to understand the rules needed to make sound business decisions. Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

• Comprehend the “big picture” and the multitude of key stakeholders and diverse roles beyond just the “end points” (i.e. receipt of a purchase request through contract closeout)
• Describe the goals of the acquisition process in terms of compliance, timeliness, quality, customer satisfaction and value for money
• Understand the procurement & contracting business environment in order to act as business advisors
• Understand the difference between unethical and illegal activities and what constitutes appropriate standards of conduct
• Understand the essentials of acquisition planning including analysis of contracting requirements and planning for competition and source selection
• Know the fundamentals of contract formation including the drafting of solicitations, evaluation of quotes and offers, and awarding of contracts
• Understand the fundamentals of contract administration including planning for successful contract administration, monitoring contract quality, administering payments, as well as modifications, terminations and closing out the contracts.

Assessment Components: Reading assignments, Weekly Class Participation Questions, Quizzes, Midterm, and Final.

 

Delivery Mode Expectations: This class is conducted entirely online and is accessed via the eCollab learning tool and in asynchronous environment including all assignments, threaded discussions, quizzes and exams.

 

Required Technical Resources and Technical Component:

• Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) – external online link: https://www.acquisition.gov/far/index.html
• Supplemental resources folder, which contains all reading assignment materials.

 

Class Specific Information

Class Instruction and Activities: Each weekly lesson is comprised of reading assignments including the course textbook and other reading materials specified in each lesson. Students are required to access assignments and submit their individual responses as well as participate in the discussion forums through threaded discussion questions. See Appendix A for Course Schedule & Due Dates.

 

Class Requirements:  Students are responsible for completing all of their coursework and also required to make up any missed coursework.  See Appendix B

Evaluation Standards and Assessments: Assessments are in the form of weekly quizzes that test the students’ comprehension of the relevant federal acquisition regulations. A mid-term and final exam test the student’s comprehension of federal procurement and contracting concepts, principles, processes, procedures and best practices.

Class Schedule: see Appendix A for specific due dates for assignments, forum discussions, quizzes and exams

Communication & Student Response Time:  Weekly announcements are posted for each week’s lesson. Additionally, reminders for periodic quizzes and exams are posted in the announcement section. Students may communicate privately with the instructor or other students using the Private Messages feature or via email. Students may also communicate with other students through public messages in the Forum lounge. The Forum is also used for threaded discussion assignments and feedback/comments from the instructor as well as other students participating in the course.

Assignments: Assignments are in the form of reading assignments of relevant reading materials/articles in procurement and contract management. Students are required to submit an individual assignment based on a discussion question related to the specific reading material. Students are also required to submit group assignments based on additional discussion questions and post them in the appropriate threaded discussion forum.

Resources: All resources are available via external web links or from within the course materials internal repository.

Grading: See Appendix B for detailed grading guidelines

Course Requirements	Total Points
Discussion Forum  Assignments	300
Discussion Forum Participation	300
Quizzes	600
Mid-term Exam	140
FINAL Exam	160
Total Points	1500

 

Grading Scale
Points	Percentage	Letter Grade
1500	100%	A+
1425 – 1499	95%--99%	A
1350 – 1424	90%--94%	A-
1305 – 1349	87%--89%	B+
1245 – 1304	83%--86%	B
1200 – 1244	80%--82%	B-
1155 – 1199	77%--79%	C+
1095 – 1149	73%--76%	C
1050 – 1094	70%--72%	C-
1005 – 1049	67%--69%	D+
945 – 1004	63%--66%	D
900 – 944	60%--62%	D-
899 – 0	Below 60%	F

 

 

Technical Specifications: Computer Hardware

• Minimum Operating System
  • Windows 7 SP1 (Professional preferred)
  • Mac OS X 10.8 or 10.9 
• Minimum Processor Speed: Equivalent to an Intel Core 2 Duo (1.5 GHz)
• Minimum RAM: 4 GB
• Minimum Hard Disk Space: 150 GB of free hard disk space (after all programs are loaded)
• Networking Capability: Wireless networking (802.11g or n) and an Ethernet port
• Strongly Recommended Accessories:
  • An Ethernet cable (Even if you will primarily use wireless, a wired connection is faster and more reliable for video-streaming, live online meetings and large file uploads and downloads.)
  • A power surge protector
  • CD/DVD drive and/or “thumb” or flash drive(s), plus a backup storage mechanism
• Technical Support Contacts
• Login/Password: scpshelpdesk@virginia.edu
• UVaCollab: collab-support@virginia.edu
• BbCollaborate Support: http://www.tinyurl.com/uvabbc

 

UVa Policies

SCPS Grading Policies: Courses carrying a School of Continuing and Professional Studies subject area use the following grading system: A+, A, A-; B+, B, B-; C+, C, C-; D+, D, D-; F.  S (satisfactory) and U (unsatisfactory) are used for some course offerings. For noncredit courses, the grade notation is N (no credit). Students who audit courses receive the designation AU (audit). The symbol W is used when a student officially drops a course before its completion or if the student withdraws from an academic program of the University. Please visit www.scps.virginia.edu/audience/students/grades for more information.

 

• : Students are expected to attend all class sessions. Instructors establish attendance and participation requirements for each of their courses. Class requirements, regardless of delivery mode, are not waived due to a student's absence from class. Instructors will require students to make up any missed coursework and may deny credit to any student whose absences are excessive. Instructors must keep an attendance record for each student enrolled in the course to document attendance and participation in the class.

 

University Email Policies: Students are expected to check their official UVa email addresses on a frequent and consistent basis to remain informed of University communications, as certain communications may be time sensitive. Students who fail to check their email on a regular basis are responsible for any resulting consequences.

 

End-of-Class Evaluations:Students are expected to complete the online end-of-class evaluation. As the semester comes to a close, students will receive an email with instructions for completing this. Student feedback will be very valuable to the school, the instructor, and future students. We ask that all students please complete these evaluations in a timely manner. Please be assured that the information you submit online will be anonymous and kept confidential.

 

University of Virginia Honor System:All work should be pledged in the spirit of the Honor System at the University of Virginia. The instructor will indicate which assignments and activities are to be done individually and which permit collaboration. The following pledge should be written out at the end of all quizzes, examinations, individual assignments and papers:  “I pledge that I have neither given nor received help on this examination (quiz, assignment, etc.)”.  The pledge must be signed by the student. For more information, visit www.virginia.edu/honor.

 

Special Needs: It is the policy of the University of Virginia to accommodate students with disabilities in accordance with federal and state laws. Any SCPS student with a disability who needs accommodation (e.g., in arrangements for seating, extended time for examinations, or note-taking, etc.), should contact the Student Disability Access Center (SDAC) and provide them with appropriate medical or psychological documentation of his/her condition. Once accommodations are approved, it is the student’s responsibility to follow up with the instructor about logistics and implementation of accommodations. Accommodations for test taking should be arranged at least 14 business days in advance of the date of the test(s). Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the SDAC: 434-243-5180/Voice, 434-465-6579/Video Phone, 434-243-5188/Fax. Further policies and statements are available at www.virginia.edu/studenthealth/sdac/sdac.html

For further policies and statements about student rights and responsibilities, please visit www.scps.virginia.edu/audience/students