PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION

As we enter a new era of government contracting—an era of lower and tighter budgets—those of us in procurement, like you, must find better ways to do our jobs. Whether we serve in government or industry, we can be successful only if we know the rules, regulations, and principles for making procurement more efficient.

The enthusiastic reception we have received from the previous two editions has spurred us on to a third edition.

We continue to spend our days tracking regulatory changes, new ways of doing things, and the nuances of federal regulations. We want to help you take advantage of what we have learned. We continue to use the question-and-answer format, because your feedback tells us it is the best way to give you fast, accurate, and straightforward answers to your most pressing questions about procurement.

We’ve added new chapters on the GSA Schedule contracts, earned value management, and contractor qualifications. We have added questions and answers on avoiding proposal errors, debriefings, procurement vocabulary, changes in the regulations, and best practices. As anyone in the field knows, we are dealing with a topic area that changes constantly to accommodate national priorities. Therefore, we anticipate that our readers will use this book as a foundation to gain a broad understanding of the changes in our marketplace and then rely on the latest regulations and contract terms and conditions to govern their business decisions. We hope you enjoy this book and that it helps you understand the big picture as well as the details of federal contracting.

—Terrence M. O’Connor
—Mary Ann P. Wangemann