Show Notes
After establishing the legal and structural foundation of acquisition in Episode 4 (Topic 003), this episode shifts focus to one of the most decisive drivers of acquisition success—market research. In this episode, we break down the dual nature of market research, distinguishing between strategic market surveillance, which tracks long-term industry trends, and tactical market investigation, which validates real-world vendor capabilities against specific requirements. Together, these for...
More from COPS - The Contracting Officer Platform
In this episode of COPS – The Contracting Officer Platform, we’re debating one-step versus two-step sealed bidding. One-step is simple: describe what you need, receive sealed prices, open the bids, and make the award. Two-step exists because sometimes the Government knows exactly what it needs—except for the part where it has to explain it. Should we proceed directly to the bid box, or should industry first prove that its solution can actually work before somebody declares victory over the lo...
In this episode of COPS – The Contracting Officer Platform, we’re diving into sealed bidding—a process that sounds simple until an actual bid shows up. Publish the IFB, collect the bids, open the box, and award to the lowest bidder. Sure—and flying an airplane is just pointing it toward the sky. Was the bid received on time? Can the mistake be corrected? Is the defect merely form—or did the bidder change the Government’s bargain? And does “lowest” automatically mean “winner”? We’ll unpack the...
Welcome back for another episode of The Contracting Officer Platform. A quick heads up.... "Looks about right" isn't a pricing technique. At some point, every Contracting Officer has looked at a proposal and wondered, "Okay... but how do I actually know this price is fair and reasonable?" That's exactly what we're tackling in this episode. We'll walk through the complete commercial pricing process—from building a competitive mindset and conducting meaningful market research to finding the rig...
(Ignore the FAR 13 reference they gloss over.) Every acquisition starts with a mission. Most start with a solution. Only a few start with a problem. And that's exactly where Commercial Solutions Openings (CSOs) change the game. Welcome back! In this episode of COPS – The Contracting Officer Platform, we're opening the CSO Playbook to unpack one of the Department of Defense's most misunderstood—and most powerful—acquisition authorities. We'll explore why Congress created CSOs, how they differ...
COPS Debate Night: Commercially Speaking - RFO Part 12 vs. RFO Part 15 Welcome back to COPS Debate Night, where the regulations are real, the opinions are stronger, and everyone is convinced their acquisition strategy is the one the FAR intended all along. Hosted ESPN the AN. (Acquisition Network). Tonight's main event: Has RFO Part 12 changed Government acquisition forever... or does traditional negotiated procurement under RFO Part 15 still deserve the championship belt? **In the blue...