CONTRACT MANAGEMENT REVISITED

Indulge me in a personal note.  The purpose is to leave you with a word of advice based on 50 years of experience in government contracting.

I began at Boeing as a contract administrator reviewing contract actions.  Then to Itek Corporation as a contract manager with daily contact with the contracting officer.  From there, I moved to the Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) legal office where I was trial counsel in ASBCA appeals.  I moved to Washington, D.C. in 1972 to join the Gil Cuneo firm where I engaged in government contract litigation for 10 years before forming my own firm, Spriggs & Hollingsworth, where I practiced government contract law for 27 years.  For the last 8 years, I have continued in government contract counseling and litigation as Spriggs Consulting Services and Spriggs Law Group.

My ambition always has been to be a contract manager.  Hence, a consulting firm.  Alas, however, I have continued to engage in litigation.  Although I enthusiastically enjoy litigation, I am sorry that I have not been called upon often enough to engage in day to day contract management.

Now to the word of advice.  The salient thing I have learned over the years is that my clients have failed to see a contract problem early enough and failed to engage the contracting officer immediately upon recognizing the problem.  Too often, clients have not imaginatively created procedures to prevent problems.  But the bigger point is that they have not acted promptly by contacting the contracting officer when problems arise.  Too many of the litigation matters I have handled involve a client's failure to promptly contact the contracting officer and pursue an appropriate response in a timely manner.

So, read my post entitled "Good Contract Management" and undertake to resolve issues with the contracting officer promptly.

bill@spriggsconsultingservices.com