Government Contracts
Inside the Capitol Beltway
Government contracting is a world apart from commercial business. While people in the commercial world are all too familiar with long hours at the negotiation table, procurement both with and without RFPs, incomplete contracts, renegotiation, and sometimes vendor-dominated transactions, those working inside the Capitol Beltway face very different but equaling difficult challenges.
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) serves as the overarching framework within which all Government business is conducted. Under this framework, past performance, responsiveness to RFPs, “best value” vendor selection, financial responsibility, internal accounting systems, and subcontractor management become pressure points for contract formation and management. Other sources of policies and practices such as the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), the General Services Administration (GSA), the General Accounting Office (GAO), the Defense Acquisition Center of Excellence (ACE), and the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) further fill out this framework. Proposal preparation, subcontracting, knowledge of the competitive and legal constraints on the acquisition process, compliance with laws and regulations, understanding agency requirements, rigorous organizational adherence to standards, and a commitment to complete and continuous contract management are the keys successfully doing business with the Government.
James River’s Application of Commercial Practices within the Federal Acquisition Framework
At the same time, opportunities exist within the Government contracting framework to create value through commercial contract management best practices. James River takes pride in its through knowledge of the FAR and its active participation in the Government contracting community. We have developed and maintain a specialization in the management of long term, complex Government services and the acquisition of Software-as-a-Service and Cloud Computing services.
Optimizing Performance Based Acquisition Management for professional IT and management services is a good example of how James River drives value through innovation and expertise. The James River approach to Performance Based Acquisition Management balances legal constraints on contracts such as change management and scope with performance measurement systems and more relational governance methods to drive greater value from services. Methods such as Purpose Driven Governance™ integrate outsourcing governance practices within the Federal Acquisition Framework. Drafting and proposing commercial terms of service are another way that James River drives value in Government IT, professional and administrative services.
Acquisition, Prime Contract and Subcontract/Teaming Agreement Services
For Government contractors
James River offers the following services:
- Subcontract Teaming Agreement Negotiation and Support
- Subcontract Consent Support
- Prime Contract and Task Order Administration
- FAR Research and Advice
- Contract Management Operations Maturity Modeling
- Proposal Compliance, Proposal Risk Management and Proposal Review
- Disputes
- SaaS/Cloud Computing Offerings
