BOOKS FOR SALE

The following are books for sale only available from this location and no other source.  They are immediately available for download and printing in Adobe (PDF) format once payment is completed.  You will receive an email notification with a link to download the book you purchase.


BOOK:  The Performance Work Statement and Quality Assurance Plan Handbook.  This book contains information that every project manager, program manager, contracting officer and Contracting Officer's Representative needs to know in building and linking a PWS to the QASP. Only $10
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BOOK:  Understanding the PWS and QASP.  This handbook walk you through steps to develop and sound Performance Work Statement and Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan, but also delves into Service Level Agreements.Only $10
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BOOK:  The Post Competition Accountability Guidebook.  This handbook was developed to walk agencies through the process of performing a PCA review and assessment under OMB Circular A-76 regardless whether a contract or an in-house agency tender was the winner of the competitive outcomes. Only $5
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BOOK:  The Contracting Officer Representative's Guidebook.  The definitive guide for COR and COTRs on had to handle themselves, contracts and issues with everyday contract administration.  Only $5
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The COR GUIDEBOOK for Contracting Officer Representatives

By R.Knauer CPCM CPPO
Published by TAI Inc.

Federal contract spends billions on goods and services, so Federal contracting is clearly an effective and efficient way to do the government’s work but there is always room for improvement, according to the author of The COR Guidebook.

Ensuring that the Government meets the public’s interests in achieving successful contract outcomes requires that agencies have enough Federal employees with the right skills and competencies to design and oversee contracts.
While contracting has become more costly and more complex, the number of contracting officers available to work on contracts has remained essentially the same.  It is the job of the COR to assess and assure that goods and services are properly inspected and accepted per the FAR.

Surprisingly little attention has been paid to the Contracting Officer Representatives who provide the technical and program expertise for developing the technical aspects of contracts and for overseeing the technical work of the contractor. These employees are critical to ensuring positive contract outcomes, and the technical aspects of their contracting work have become increasingly more complex. In addition, CORs may have added pressure to take on more responsibility for managing contracts because there are relatively fewer COs available to work on current contracts.

Strengthening the acquisition workforce is critical to ensuring that the government gets the best value for the goods and services it buys each year. Each member of the acquisition workforce plays a critical role, including Contracting Officer’s Representatives (CORs), who ensure that contractors meet the commitments of their contracts. CORs are often the first to recognize when a program or contract is under-performing, and are increasingly being asked to manage high-value, complex contracts that involve varying degrees of risk.

To be sure they are trained and developed appropriately, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy’s (OFPP) requirements for the Federal Acquisition Certification for COTRs (FAC-COTR), originally issued in November 2007, to establish a risk-based, three-tiered certification program for civilian agencies that better reflects the important role of the COR, have been substantially revised.

The term “COTR” has been changed to “COR” to align with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) which now incorporates a definition for “Contracting Officer’s Representative” and includes designation of a COR as part of a Contracting Officer’s responsibilities. The new FAC-COR requirements are effective from January 1, 2012, and agencies should begin developing guidance to ensure their CORs are appropriately trained and certified.

This guidebook details the new requirements and examines the essential competencies and duties now required by CORs to perform satisfactorily.  It points out to CORs what their duties and responsibilities are, the dos and don’ts of contracting and how to stay out of trouble.

This practical guidebook looks at the complex duties performed by CORs and explains how best to carry them out in order to achieve a stronger contract performance. It covers the duties and responsibilities of all parties in the acquisition process, key skill areas required and how these are applied throughout the contracting life cycle, and while others charge as much as $165 for this book.  TAI only charges $5!