“MARK LUMER HAS A WILD BEARD. HE WEARS A SUIT THAT SWALLOWS HIM LIKE A FISH….”

2. “MARK LUMER HAS A WILD BEARD. HE WEARS A SUIT THAT SWALLOWS HIM LIKE A FISH….” HARPER’S MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2004 NCMA World Congress 2005 “Prime Time: Contract Management at the Core of the Enterprise”

3. WHAT I’VE LEARNED • GENERAL OBSERVATIONS - SARCASM - IRONY - HUMOR DOES NOT PLAY WELL “SHOOTING CONTRACTORS” - ABOVE ALL ELSE, BE HONEST- ADMIT BAD NEWS EMPHASIZE GOOD NEWS “IRAQ IS RELATIVELY SAFE” - BE PREPARED FOR THE UNEXPECTED – IF NOTHING ELSE, A VILLAGE IDIOT WILL BE FOUND TO CONTRADICT YOU LAS VEGAS CONFERENCE - DEVELOP A PUBLIC AFFAIRS PLAN – KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO EMPHASIZE AND STAY ON MESSAGE NCMA World Congress 2005 “Prime Time: Contract Management at the Core of the Enterprise”

4. WHAT I’VE LEARNED…. • GENERAL OBSERVATIONS (CONT)- - NEVER SPECULATE, NEVER GUESS - NEVER DISCUSS MOTIVATIONS OF OTHERS – YOU HAVE NO REAL WAY OF KNOWING - NEVER ANSWER QUESTIONS OUTSIDE OF YOUR AREAS OF EXPERTISE OR RESPONSIBILITY … “HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE MILITARY STRATEGY IN IRAQ?” - NEVER DISCUSS POLICY DECISIONS UNLESS YOU MADE THE POLICY DECISION YOURSELF …POLICY IS ABOVE YOUR PAY GRADE. YOU IMPLEMENT POLICY - YOU FOLOW THE DECISIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE CONGRESS TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY NCMA World Congress 2005 “Prime Time: Contract Management at the Core of the Enterprise”

5. WHAT I’VE LEARNED • GENERAL OBSERVATIONS (CONT)- -THE WASHINGTON POST TEST IS A GOOD ONE – USE IT IN YOUR INTERNAL DELIBERATIONS - A TOTALLY CORRECT TECHNICAL ANSWER TO A POLITICAL QUESTION IS 100% WRONG - IF THEY CAN’T ATTACK YOUR POLICIES OR PROCEDURES, THEY WILL ATTACK COSTS – BE PREPARED TO DEFEND YOUR EXPENDITURES - KNOW THE JOURNALISTIC RULES – BACKGROUND, DEEP BACKGROUND, “SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL” - NOTHING IS EVER”OFF THE RECORD” - MEMOS AND E-MAILS ARE THE MEDIA’S FREND, NOT YOURS NCMA World Congress 2005 “Prime Time: Contract Management at the Core of the Enterprise”

6. WHAT I’VE LEARNED • GENERAL OBSERVATIONS (CONT)- - ALWAYSCLEAR TALKING TO THE MEDIA WITH YOUR BOSS AND THE PAO. ALWAYS ESTABLISH IN ADVANCE WHETHER YOU WILLTALK TO THE MEDIA IF BUTTONHOLED SOMEWHERE. - ALWAYS ASSUME THERE ARE UNANNOUNCED MEDIA IN THE AUDIENCE WHEN YOU GIVE A SPEECH OR PRESENTATION. … MEDIA HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO ANNOUNCE THEMSELVES, EVEN IF ASKED. NCMA World Congress 2005 “Prime Time: Contract Management at the Core of the Enterprise”

7. WHAT I’VE LEARNED - GET QUESTIONS (MEDIA) OR ISSUES (CONGRESS AND FOREIGN GOVTS) IN ADVANCE IF POSSIBLE • TAPE INTERVIEWS YOURSELF • ESTABLISH IN ADVANCE HOW LONG YOU WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR AN INTERVIEW • HAVE A PRE-ARRANGED SIGNAL WITH YOUR PAO TO CUT OFF A QUESTION OR ALLOW “ONE MORE QUESTION.” • IF YOU PROMISE TO PROVIDE AN ANSWER OR ADDITIONAL DATA AT A LATER DATE, MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH TO DO SO. • ANSWER YOUR MAIL- 100% OF THE TIME – EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE AN ANSWER OR YOU DISAGREE. NCMA World Congress 2005 “Prime Time: Contract Management at the Core of the Enterprise”

8. WHAT I’VE LEARNED • DON’T ASSUME CONGRESS UNDERSTANDS HOW THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OPERATES OR WHAT YOU AND ORGANIZATION DO …PAST PERFORMANCE EXAMPLE • DON’T ASSUME CONGRESS IS MOTIVATED BY THE SAME THINGS YOU ARE …SENATOR- WHAT DO I TELL MY BUDDY? • SOME CONGRESSIONAL STAFFERS HAVE MORE INFLUENCE THAN SOME CONGRESSMEN - DON’T IGNORE THEM OR GIVE THEM SHORT SHIFT • DON’T CREATE ANSWERS IF YOU CAN’T LEGITIMATELY ANSWER A QUESTION – “DON’T KNOW” IS BETTER THAN A “WRONG” ANSWER …HOW MANY IOWANS… NCMA World Congress 2005 “Prime Time: Contract Management at the Core of the Enterprise”

9. WHAT I’VE LEARNED • THE MEDIA EXIST TO ENTERTAIN, NOT NECESSARILY TO INFORM - NEVER INTERACT WITH MEDIA UNLESS YOUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER IS WITH YOU - FIND OUT THE BACKGROUND OF THE MEDIA PERSON THAT WANTS TO TALK TO YOU - LIKE EVERY OTHER PROFESSION, THERE ARE TRUSTWORTHY AND UNTRUSTWORTHY REPORTERS- MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHICH CATEGORY YOUR INTERVIEWER IS IN – UNSURE = UNTRUSTWORTHY NCMA World Congress 2005 “Prime Time: Contract Management at the Core of the Enterprise”

10. WHAT I’VE LEARNED • FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO, ESPECIALLY IN THE CONTRACTING AREA • YOU MUST BE EXTRAORDINARILY CAREFUL WHEN INTERACTING WITH FOREIGN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS – JARGON, ACRONYMS, IDIOMS AND ANALOGIES MUST BE AVOIDED …WHAT’S A “NOTIONAL”? NCMA World Congress 2005 “Prime Time: Contract Management at the Core of the Enterprise”

11. WHAT I’VE LEARNED - “I CAN THINK OF NO FINER ANSWER WHEN ASKED (WHAT I DO) THAN TO SAY THAT I WORK FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.” JOHN F. KENNEDY - “EVEN IN MY FISH SUIT, I AM PROUD TO BE A CIVIL SERVANT.” MARK J. LUMER AKA “WILD BEARD” NCMA World Congress 2005 “Prime Time: Contract Management at the Core of the Enterprise”