Contract and Project Contract and Project Management:Management:

Are They One in the Same?Are They One in the Same?

Shelly L. Myers, PMP

Deputy Chief Information Officer

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)

Contract Management VersusContract Management VersusProject ManagementProject Management

Creative Tension…Project Management – To ensure that

customer requirements are metContract Management – To ensure the

contracts are legally executed

Contract Management VersusContract Management VersusProject ManagementProject Management

When we come together:

To ensure that programs and projects are executed within cost, schedule, and established performance parameters…

Let’s Look at a Little HistoryLet’s Look at a Little History

Project Management:

“In-House” capability

Close knit Government teams

“Hero” cultureContract Management:

Ordered parts and pieces

Managed service contracts

TodayToday

The Federal Government has been directed to outsource most of our business to the private sector

Therefore large-scale “outsourcing” has become the norm almost overnight!

Resulting in downsized Federal staffs and requiring new competencies

Good News/Bad NewsGood News/Bad News

Now we have a way to ensure program/project performance….

However,

We don’t have the skills collectively to ensure success in this new paradigm

OMB to the RescueOMB to the RescueOFPP Policy Letter 05-01 Dated April 2005 “The new policy broadens the definition of the acquisition

workforce by including acquisition functions such as program management…”

“This policy will allow civilian agencies to strengthen their whole acquisition workforce through training and career development, rather than focusing just on traditional contracting functions. By doing so, we will be able to create better partnerships between program managers and contracting officers to improve how we acquire more than $300B worth of goods and services each year.”

ResultResult

Contract and Project Managers together will become the “Acquisition Workforce”

We will work together to ensure that contractor performance can be documented and measured and that customer requirements can be traced

Ensure that contract deliverables are sound

Policy Letter 05-01 MandatesPolicy Letter 05-01 Mandates

Chief Acquisition Officers (CAO) to develop an acquisition career management program (training, funding, etc)

FAI shall develop certification programs that shall be accepted by all civil agencies for both the Contracting Series and Program/ Project Managers

CAO’s shall identify Program/Project managers who will be subject to these requirements

Policy Letter 05-01Policy Letter 05-01

Defines Acquisition competencies as:

Traditional contracting functions

Measurement of contract performance

Technical and management directionDirects FAI to develop core competencies

for program/project managers

FAI Core Competencies for FAI Core Competencies for Program/Project ManagersProgram/Project Managers

Project Planning Project Execution and ManagementRisk ManagementPersonnel ManagementCost and Schedule ControlLeadership and Communications SkillsTechnical Competence

OMB Policy Letter 05-01OMB Policy Letter 05-01

“…adhere to ethical contracting practices, apply sound business judgment, and otherwise engage in responsible stewardship of the taxpayers’ dollars.”

SummarySummary

Most of the work of the Federal Government today is done through outsourcing…

Which requires a balanced, well-trained, and well-funded Acquisition workforce…

With like goals but different skills…

Remember the need for:

Creative Tension