Contract Administration

Different interpretation could denote a dispute regarding the contractual obligations and expectation between the contracting parties. This paper addresses the need for clarity of standard form in Malaysia. Hence the objectives are to identify the problems in the language structure of standard form from the viewpoint of professionals, and the measures for improving the language structure of standard form. The research aims to mitigate or prevent construction disputes through better interpretation and understanding of construction contracts, and it offers a proactive approach to avoid the inevitability of conflicts occurring in a project. The data collection was mainly by questionnaire survey. Two experts from construction contracting were appointed to approve the questionnaire design and verify the research outcomes. The results identified eight clarity aspects and three legalese problems of language structure in PWD 203A (Rev. 10/83) Form. Besides, twelve out of thirteen measures were agreed upon by the respondents as to ways for improving the language structure. It is concluded that clarity needs to be considered in future contract drafting towards the understanding of standard forms, and thereby to contribute to the avoidance of disputes.

Built Environment education entails the acquisition of complex technical knowledge by students. Currently, the conventional lecture format is the dominant educational method used, with the main principle being that of information transfer. As the required knowledge base increases, so the ability of the students to effectively absorb and use information is reduced. There is, therefore, an identifiable need to establish alternative modes of learning for students. To address this challenge, Strathclyde University has developed an approach to professional simulations called SIMPLE (SIMulated Professional Learning Environment). One aspect of the project focuses on developing an interactive digital, simulated learning environment to enable postgraduate Architecture students to learn some aspects of the Management, Practice and Law syllabus. This paper describes the design, pedagogical structure, implementation and evaluation of the SIMPLE simulation within this module. The results of the evaluation show that the teaching strategies of critical observation followed by critical imitation help students understand the transition from knowledge of first principles as presented in lectures to applied knowledge.

School of Business, Southern Methodist University, Dallas. He is experienced in teaching a range of operations management and management science courses in the Executive and Fulltime MBA programs. Areas of Apte's research interests include managing service operations, supply-chain management, technology management, and globalization of information-intensive services. He has published over 30 articles, five of which have won awards from professional societies. His research articles have been published in prestigious journals, including Management Science, Journal of Operations Management, Decision Sciences, IIE Transactions, Interfaces, and MIS Quarterly. He has co-authored one book, Manufacturing Automation and has completed work on another co-authored book, Managing in the Information Economy.

Project delays and cost overruns are becoming major problems in many projects, especially industrial projects. The present economic situation has forced owners to establish time and cost reduction programs to control expenditure. The main objectives of this study are to study the perceptions of owners and contractors about incentive/disincentive (I/D) contracting. A questionnaire was used to gather the required data for the study. This was distributed among owners and contractor companies working in petrochemical plants, power plants, and refineries. The findings of the study support the use of I/D provisions in contracts. In addition, the use of I/D contract provisions ensure that contractors do their utmost to manage and control factors that influence labor productivity, project duration and/or project cost. #

Form Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.

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Form Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.

The second half of the workshop was devoted to small work group sessions, each addressing a different topic. These groups were charged with recommending concrete actions for progress. They made 32 recommendations, falling into six categories:

Performance Based Service Acquisition is a Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition reform that has had noted success in reducing cost and streamlining the management of noncore government service capabilities (Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense -Defense Acquisition Reform [OSD-DAR], 2000). The guiding principle in Performance Based Service Acquisition is that when an outside vendor exists who can perform a service more effectively than a government user could organically, that user should specify measurable outcomes to a service vendor, and allow the vendor to best determine the appropriate processes (how) of delivering the service. Performance Based Logistics (PBL) is an extension of Performance Based Service Acquisition aimed at the logistic services for major weapon systems. PBL is intended to reduce lifecycle cost, increase readiness, improve reliability and reduce the logistical footprint of weapon systems.

Form Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.

Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.

Form Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.

This paper presents the results of our empirical studies of current management practices in services acquisition in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The primary objective of these studies was to develop a comprehensive understanding of how services acquisition is being managed within, as well as across, individual military services. In these empirical studies, we developed and deployed a Web-based survey to collect primary data. Specifically, we studied the current management practices in such areas as contract characteristics, and acquisition management methods including regional- or installation-level acquisition, use of project management approach, acquisition leadership and ownership of requirements. We also studied other program management issues such as scope and ability of personnel responsible for acquisition, adequacy of acquisition billets and their fill rates, and training provided to services acquisition personnel. We found that for the most part the services contracts awa...

Military Construction: Time for a Change Colonel Donald J. Thomas, USAF Meeting USAF Civil Engineering Customer Expectations Captain IVIax E. Klrsctibaum, USAF Can We Win the War With What's on our Flight Line? Captain Gary L. Gennas, USAF An Expected-Value-Based Logistics Capability Assessment Model (ELCAM) Major Roy E. Rice, USAF DEPARTMENTS 16 USAF Logistics Policy insiglit 31 Career and Personnei Information 38 Logistics Eriquirer 40 Logistics Warriors (The photo featured on our Spring 1987 cover was talien by David Williams instead of Robert Martin. We extend our thanks for a superb product.

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive survey on warranty practices in the United States and a summary of the impact of warranty implementation on highway projects, based on questionnaire responses and interviews of State Department of Transportation ͑DOT͒ representatives, contractors, and surety companies. According to the results of the survey, the initial bid price increases due to warranty provisions are estimated to be somewhere between 0 and 15%, while the changes in maintenance and project life-cycle costs are expected to be minimal. Warranty provisions increased the quality of the projects and reduced the need for site inspection and record keeping for state DOTs. The study also revealed the unwillingness of surety companies to underwrite small contractors when the project calls for long term warranty durations.

Chapter 1-Introduction to the Monograph Chapter 2-Conventional Aircraft Oxygen Systems Chapter 3-History of Onboard Generation of Oxygen Chapter 4-Operational Requirements for and Major Design Features of Advanced Oxygen Systems Chapter 5-Physiological Requirements for Advanced Oxygen Systems Chapter 6-Molecular Sieves, Pressure Swing Adsorption, and Oxygen Concentrators Chapter 7-Breathing Gas Regulators and Masks for Advanced Oxygen Systems Chapter 8-Current Molecular Sieve Oxygen Generation Systems 51 Chapter 9-Sensors, Indicators and Controls in Advanced Oxygen Systems Chapter 10-Practical Aspects of the Design of Advanced Oxygen Systems Chapter 11-Effects of Contaminants on Molecular Sieve Oxygen Generators Index As will be apparent to the reader, we decided at the beginning of the preparation of this monograph that each author should write his contribution in his native English. We make no apology for this approach. We also took a pragmatic approach to units of measurements, allowing authors to use the units which they employ in their work and adding, where necessary, the equivalent in SI units in parenthesis. Many individuals in government establishments and industry have willingly supported this project for which we are most grateful. We should also like to thank Mr David Rabinowitz of Krug International, Inc., and Mrs Shirley Blackford and Squadron Leader Terry Adcock of the RAF School of Aviation Medicine for their help in the preparation of this final manuscript. Any errors must, however, be attributed to us. We hope that all those interested in enhancing the well being, performance and safety of the aircrew who are to operate the high performance agile combat aircraft of the future will find this monograph of value in the design of Advanced Oxygen Systems for these aircraft.

The higher education sector is being confronted with a confluence of radical changes including rapidly evolving bodies of interdependent knowledge and skills, growing numbers of students, decreasing funding, and demand for flexible and individually tailored pedagogical frameworks. Some of these changes are antithetical with other changes whereas some call for radical rethinking of traditional teaching and learning strategies. To address the challenges of wider educational change and our local conditions, Strathclyde University has developed an approach to professional simulations called SIMPLE (SIMulated Professional Learning Environment). One aspect of the project focuses on developing an interactive digital learning environment to enable postgraduate Architecture students to learn some aspects of the Management, Practice and Law syllabus. This syllabus is arguably rather abstract in its content, and our hypothesis was that the development of a simulation environment could provide a more effective and engaging method for learning professional knowledge and skills. This paper describes the design, pedagogical structure, implementation and evaluation of the SIMPLE simulation within this module.

Form Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.

, teaching a variety of economics courses, and serving on a number of committees to revise curricula for both the Management and Systems Engineering disciplines. His research agenda has focused on defense acquisition practices and military innovation. Presenter: Francois Melese, PhD, joined the NPS faculty in 1987. He earned his undergraduate degree in Economics at UC Berkeley, his Master's at the University of British Columbia in Canada, and his PhD at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. After five years as a faculty member in the Business School at Auburn University, Francois joined NPS as part of the Defense Resources Management Institute (DRMI). In his time at NPS, he has taught public budgeting and defense management in over two dozen countries and has published over 50 articles and book chapters on a wide variety of topics. More recently, at the request of the State Department and NATO Headquarters, he has represented the US at NATO Defense meetings in Hungary, the Ukraine, Germany and Armenia. His latest article (co-authored with Jim Blandin and Sean O'Keefe) appeared in the International Public Management Review. The article (available at www.ipmr.net) is entitled "A New Management Model for Government: Integrating Activity-Based Costing, the Balanced Scorecard and Total Quality Management with the spirit of the Planning, Programming and Budgeting System." Presenter: John Dillard joined the NPS faculty in the fall of 2000 with extensive experience in the field of systems acquisition management. His research focuses on defense acquisition policy and its implications. Dillard began his career in program and contract management after attaining a MS in Systems Management from the University of Southern California in 1985. He has been involved with myriad technologies and system concepts that have evolved into fielded products, such as the M-4 Carbine, 120mm Mortar, and M-24 Sniper Weapon. He was the Assistant Project Manager for Development of both the Army Tactical Missile System and, later, the JAVELIN Antitank Weapon System at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. All of these systems incorporate state-of-the-art technologies, are in sustained production and fielding, and are now battle-proven. He was the Product Manager for the Joint Advanced Special Operations Radio System, and in 1998 was appointed to head Defense Department contract administration in the New York metropolitan area. John has consulted for the governments of Mexico and the Czech Republic on achieving excellence in the public sector. As an adjunct professor for the University of California at Santa Cruz, he teaches courses in project management and leadership to Silicon Valley public and private industry professionals.

Project delays and cost overruns are becoming major problems in many projects, especially industrial projects. The present economic situation has forced owners to establish time and cost reduction programs to control expenditure. The main objectives of this study are to study the perceptions of owners and contractors about incentive/disincentive (I/D) contracting. A questionnaire was used to gather the required data for the study. This was distributed among owners and contractor companies working in petrochemical plants, power plants, and refineries. The findings of the study support the use of I/D provisions in contracts. In addition, the use of I/D contract provisions ensure that contractors do their utmost to manage and control factors that influence labor productivity, project duration and/or project cost.

: Department of Defense (DoD) obligations for service contracts rose from $82.3 billion in fiscal year 1996 to $141.2 billion in fiscal year 2005. DoD is becoming increasingly more reliant on the private sector to provide a wide range of services, including those for critical information technology and mission support. DoD must maximize its return on investment and provide the warfighter with needed capabilities and support at the best value for the taxpayer. GAO examined DoD's approach to managing services to do the following: (1) identify the key factors DoD should emphasize to improve its management of services, and (2) assess the extent to which DoD's current approach exhibits these factors. GAO recommends that DoD take a proactive approach to managing strategic and transactional level service acquisition elements. This includes establishing a normative position of service spending, determining risk areas for greater attention, and communicating these in a manner in whic...

In this thesis, we explore the goals and requirements of green procurement in order to assess the Air Force's degree of success with incorporating the Department of Defense's (DoD's) Green Procurement Program (GPP) into its procurement process. This thesis provides an outline of the federal policies and guidance regarding green procurement, including Executive Order 13514 (2009) and relevant parts of the Federal Acquisition Regulations. We examine the Air Force's progress towards a more environmentally friendly process, measured by the metrics set forth in the DoD GPP. To evaluate these metrics, we conducted an analysis to determine if the Air Force is implementing environmental considerations to the maximum extent practical. This analysis relied on the use of the Green Acquisition Gap Analysis (GAGA) model, which is a unique framework that we developed. The GAGA model fuses the personnel, platform, and protocol pillars of the Mandatory Pillars for Integrative Success (Yoder, 2010) framework with the Contract Management Process framework, which dissects the six segments of the contracting process: procurement planning, solicitation planning, the solicitation, source selection, contract administration, and contract closeout or termination (Rendon, 2007). Further, in order to document best practices for Air Force-wide dissemination, we identified the leading Air Force installations through our extensive research and collaboration with key leadership.

Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of ...