380 likes | 598 Views
The Five Most Common Mistakes in Cost-Reimbursement Contracting - and How to Avoid Them!. Breakout Session #802 Jim Kirlin, Manager, Program Contracts, Raytheon Date April 14, 2008 Time 1:50 – 2:50 p.m. Disclaimer and Non-attribution. Disclaimer
E N D
The Five Most Common Mistakes in Cost-Reimbursement Contracting - and How to Avoid Them! Breakout Session #802 Jim Kirlin, Manager, Program Contracts, Raytheon Date April 14, 2008 Time 1:50 – 2:50 p.m.
Disclaimer and Non-attribution • Disclaimer • The views in this presentation are those of Jim Kirlin only and are not to be construed as the views of the Raytheon Company • Non-attribution • Do not attribute the discussions today to the speaker or those in the audience
Ensuring Trust in Cost-Reimbursement Contracting • Acquisition Process • Cost-Reimbursement contracting is a sophisticated business arrangement • People • People must know the rules • Teams • Buyer and Seller teams must be on the same page • Tools • Systems must be used to manage Mistakes erode trust!
Learning Objectives • Know the Five Most Common Mistakes • Know How They Occur • Know How to Avoid Them
Outline • Scenario for This Presentation • Characteristics of Cost-Reimbursement (C-R) Contracting • The Five Mistakes • What are they • How they occur • How to avoid them • Summary • Resources for Further Information • Contact Information • Questions and Answers
Scenario for this Presentation • FAR Cost-Reimbursement contract • Contract administration (not formation) phase • Highlight common issues • Provides buyer and seller view • The perspective is that of a contract manager • Based on my 23 years of experience in government and industry • I made these mistakes!
Characteristics of C-R Contracting • Payment of allowable incurred costs to the extent prescribed in the contract • An estimated total cost is established • A funding ceiling is established that the seller may not exceed (except at its own risk)
Characteristics of C-R ContractingUse When • Uncertainties do not permit costs to be estimated with sufficient accuracy to use any type of fixed-price contract • Contractor’s accounting system is adequate for determining costs applicable to the contract • Appropriate buyer surveillance • Prohibited for commercial items (FAR 2 & 12)
Characteristics of C-R ContractingTypes of C-R contracts • Cost • Cost-sharing • Cost-plus-incentive fee (CPIF) • Cost-plus-award fee (CPAF) • Cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) • Cost-plus-percentage of cost is prohibited
The Five Most Common Mistakes in Cost-Reimbursement Contracting
The Five Most Common Mistakes in Cost-Reimbursement Contracting • Misunderstanding Scope • Statement of Work is the Most Important • Misunderstanding Amount of Effort Required • Misunderstanding the Difference Between Price and Funding • Change Management is Not Important
How the First Mistake Occurs Misunderstanding Scope • Buyer: We’d like you to go to the planning meeting • Seller: What! That’s out of scope. We’ve been to 100 meetings so far • Buyer: The Statement of Work (SOW) says “attend meetings” so it’s within the scope of the contract so you have to go • Seller: But we only proposed 10 meetings • Buyer: Your proposal isn’t on contract Audience: What was the Seller really trying to say?
How to Avoid the First Mistake Misunderstanding Scope • Scope is about the “four corners of the contract” • Changes clause allows unilateral changes “within the general scope of the contract” • Changes beyond the scope of the contract are considered Cardinal changes and cannot be ordered under the Changes clause • Typical standards to determine within scope • Within the contemplation of the parties • Essentially the same work
How to Avoid the First Mistake Misunderstanding Scope • Generally, most day to day changes are about theories of equitable adjustment • Specification changes • New work • Buyer delays • Etc. • Key strategies to avoid mistake • Educate teams to use proper terms • Focus on the cause of the equitable adjustment
How the Second Mistake Occurs Statement of Work is the Most Important • Buyer: I still want you to go to the meeting • Seller: We are out of money • Buyer: The SOW says “attend meetings” so you have to go • Seller: Are you going to provide more money? • Buyer: No. What part of “attend meetings” do you not understand? Audience: What is the importance of the SOW compared to the rest of the contract?
How to Avoid the Second Mistake Statement of Work is the Most Important • Order of Precedence used to resolve inconsistencies in the contract • The SOW is generally low in the Order of Precedence
How to Avoid the Second Mistake Statement of Work is the Most Important • In this scenario, the Buyer is pointing out that the Limitation of Funds (or Costs or Government Obligation) clause takes precedence over the requirements of the SOW • Key strategies to avoid mistake • Educate teams on order of precedence • Educate teams on key contract clauses • Emphasize reading contract as a whole “What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away” (author unknown)
How the Third Mistake Occurs Misunderstanding Amount ofEffort Required • Buyer: If you deliver late, I’m going to terminate you for default. The delivery schedule is specific. • Seller: You can’t, cost-reimbursement is a level of effort • Buyer: This isn’t time-and-materials. You have to deliver the final product on time • Seller: No way. If you don’t like my level of effort, tell me to stop. By the way, we’re out of funds • Buyer: Keep going. Deliver or I’ll see you in court! Audience: How are they right? Wrong?
How to Avoid the Third Mistake Misunderstanding Amount of Effort Required • These clauses do not allow themselves to be trumped (unless by specific reference to the clause and stated as an exception) • Limitation of Funds (52.232-22) for incremental funding C-R • Limitation of Costs (52.232-20) for fully funded C-R • Limitation of Government Obligation (LOGO) – agency specific • Seller required to use its best efforts to perform the work within the estimated cost of the contract • Seller not obligated to perform beyond funding on the contract • Buyer not obligated to reimburse costs beyond the funding on the contract
How to Avoid the Third Mistake Misunderstanding Amount of Effort Required • Do not rely on Best Effort standard to excuse non-performance • Less fee • Termination for convenience • Bad past performance • Less future business • Key strategies to avoid mistake • Educate team on Limitation of Funds, Costs, LOGO clauses • Provide required funding notices required by these clauses • Track performance closely via EVMS
Fourth MistakeMisunderstanding the Difference Between Price and Funding
How the Fourth Mistake Occurs Misunderstanding the Difference Between Price and Funding • Buyer: Perform this change with no increase in price • Seller: This change will cause an overrun. What work do you want to cut out to pay for this change? • Buyer: Don’t cut any work. There is money to pay for this because you haven’t spent all of the money yet • Seller: Speaking of money, I’ll need more of that also • Buyer: I don’t have any more money! Audience: What is being confused?
How to Avoid the Fourth Mistake Misunderstanding the Difference Between Price and Funding • Funding • Dollars obligated to the contract • Used to pay bills • Can be spent • Using funding faster than planned results in funding shortfalls • Price • In C-R contracting, price is expressed as “estimated total cost” • Price or “estimated total cost” is called Budget in Earned Value Management System (EVMS) language • Budget is a plan (e.g. – your annual household budget) • Budget cannot be used to pay bills • Budget cannot be spent • Overrun means that more budget is used to accomplish the work than estimated or planned
How to Avoid the Fourth Mistake Misunderstanding the Difference Between Price and Funding • Key strategies to avoid mistake • Educate teams on the differences • Use of EVMS to track cost vs budget • Provide funding notifications required by Limitation of Funds or similar clause • Evaluate changes for unfunded and unbudgeted mandates • Suggest cost avoidances to stay within budget and within funding profiles
How the Fifth Mistake OccursChange Management is Not Important • Buyer: You’re late sending in several proposals to definitize prices • Seller: What’s the problem? We’re turned on and we have funding. You can’t argue with actuals, right? • Buyer: We’re supposed to get these definitized asap. By the way, do you agree the last change was at no increase in price? • Seller: No big deal, as long as you keep paying the bills, we’re happy. If we need to submit a request for equitable adjustment later, I’ll let you know. Don’t worry! • Buyer: I am worried. I don’t know what this program is going to cost us! Audience: Why should both parties care about managing the changes?
How to Avoid the Fifth MistakeChange Management is Not Important • Key strategies to avoid mistake • Thorough requirements definition • Accurate cost estimating • Good EVMS discipline • Strong risk and opportunity management program • When bidding: enough opportunities to offset risks • Execution phase: tracking and implementing • Educate team on the requirements in the contract regarding change management • Who is authorized to change the contract • Required notice to buyer when a change is noted • Accepting changes and negotiating impacts • Definitizing changes in a timely manner
Summary • The Five Mistakes • Misunderstanding Scope • Statement of Work is the Most Important • Misunderstanding Amount of Effort Required • Misunderstanding the Difference Between Price and Funding • Change Management is Not Important • How They Occur • Misunderstandings in common day to day administration of the contract • How to Avoid • Smart people and teams • Good processes and tools Result: Trust in Cost-Reimbursing Contracting
Resources for Further Learning • FAR 16.3 Cost-Reimbursement Contracts • Chapter 8 – Types of Contracts in Formation of Government Contracts, Nash and Cibinic, The George Washington University • Chapter 4 – Changes in Administration of Government Contracts, Nash and Cibinic, The George Washington University
Contact Information • Jim Kirlin • 260.429.6259 • Jim_W_Kirlin@raytheon.com
Questions and Answers • You have comments – please share • You have questions – we have answers • Audience help in answering is welcome • Share the time with others • Must conclude formal part on time • Be glad to discuss afterwards outside room
It’s Been an Honor! Thank You!