Alpha Contracting
Alpha Contracting
Michelle McCoy
July 25, 2011
William Salinas
ACM 394
Introduction to Contract Management
Alpha Contracting
Alpha Contracting is defined as an acquisition process adopted to reduce the acquisition cyle time by replacing a serial process with a concurrent one, through government/contractor teaming without compromising the standard of a fair and reasonable price. This process involves the integration of the Program Manager/Acquisition Manager (PM/AM), the Contracting Officer, the Contractor, the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), and various other field activities into a cohesive team. The normal process would be the government and the contractor working independently in developing their positions for the requirement. In Alpha Contracting, together they work to resolve their differences and misunderstandings to the maximum extents possible during the period of interaction. Available through the Department of Defense, Alpha Contracting is the single-source acquisition process that allows to stream-line the time from solicitation development to award. Procuring goods and/or services in an expedited manner at a fair and reasonable price is the goal.
The process begins with an approved acquisition plan and then a joint government/contractor team is formed. As the team works together to develop requirements, draft a model contract, conduct the audit, and find the right price, they may also find the need to redo the program baseline to improve performance, lower risk, or reduce cost. The model contract may be revised as technical and price issues are settled. After they have completed their tasks, the contracting officer collects all of their inputs and combines into one proposal or offer. This is where the negotiation process begins with the government and contractor on opposing sides.
Because of the open communication between the government, the client, and contractor, in the beginning of the process there is a mutual
Michelle McCoy
July 25, 2011
William Salinas
ACM 394
Introduction to Contract Management
Alpha Contracting
Alpha Contracting is defined as an acquisition process adopted to reduce the acquisition cyle time by replacing a serial process with a concurrent one, through government/contractor teaming without compromising the standard of a fair and reasonable price. This process involves the integration of the Program Manager/Acquisition Manager (PM/AM), the Contracting Officer, the Contractor, the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), and various other field activities into a cohesive team. The normal process would be the government and the contractor working independently in developing their positions for the requirement. In Alpha Contracting, together they work to resolve their differences and misunderstandings to the maximum extents possible during the period of interaction. Available through the Department of Defense, Alpha Contracting is the single-source acquisition process that allows to stream-line the time from solicitation development to award. Procuring goods and/or services in an expedited manner at a fair and reasonable price is the goal.
The process begins with an approved acquisition plan and then a joint government/contractor team is formed. As the team works together to develop requirements, draft a model contract, conduct the audit, and find the right price, they may also find the need to redo the program baseline to improve performance, lower risk, or reduce cost. The model contract may be revised as technical and price issues are settled. After they have completed their tasks, the contracting officer collects all of their inputs and combines into one proposal or offer. This is where the negotiation process begins with the government and contractor on opposing sides.
Because of the open communication between the government, the client, and contractor, in the beginning of the process there is a mutual
References: Boyle, B., Godin, S., Heyward, E., Rapka, R. A Successful Alpha Contracting Experience. Army AL&T (March 2006) Huffstetler, S. Comanche and “Alpha” Contracting. Army Aviation Modernization (October 2000) White, M. Acquisition Contracting Overview. Acquisition Reform Week