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Instructor Q & A

Background

Jim Owens has more than 20 years experience in the project management and procurement fields in both government and private industry. He has developed and taught courses for ESI covering everything from systems integration project management to contract pricing, best value source selection and performance-based contracting.

Previously, he served as Director of Programs and Contracts at Spectral Systems Inc., a systems-engineering firm. Jim also served as a member of the U.S. Air Force where he held numerous leadership positions in the acquisition career field. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Syracuse University where he taught economics and production management.

Jim holds a master's degree in business administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is a graduate of the Department of Defense Systems Management College. He is a certified Project Management Professional and member of the Project Management Institute, the National Contract Management Association, the Institute for Supply Management and the Air Force Association. Jim is currently president of a project management consulting firm, Xcelsi Group, LLC. He lives in Dayton, OH, with his wife and two sons.

1. What is your approach to teaching in the classroom?

"I always tell students that they'll learn as much from each other as they will from me. That's why I prefer to fill my classes with dialogue (rather than monologue) and an atmosphere of informality and banter. I view the prepared text as a point of departure for presenting material that is timely and perhaps more important and critical to the student.

I like to challenge students, and I like being challenged by students. By examining and discussing the absurd actions at either end of the continuum, students quickly realize that there is no single correct answer, and that the best answer usually lies somewhere in the middle."

2.What questions do you hear most in the classroom?

"I think students are surprised when I tell them there aren't always definite answers. Some students, especially those new to the contracting field, come to class expecting to take home a recipe for drafting source selection criteria or crafting incentives to motivate superior contract performance.

While I provide them with a methodology and guiding principles, there are many ways to "skin the cat," the best of which depends on many variables that are unique to a given situation. Good decision-making, whether it's selecting evaluation factors or performance incentives, is all about doing your homework, analyzing the information and exercising good judgment."

3. What are some of the major trends in contract management?

""No questions about it, we're going to see fewer regulations, more innovation, greater risk tasking and more emphasis on results than process. The U.S. Airforce calls this Agile Acquisition. All of these changes will place a premium on advanced education and continuous training.

Contract managers will be expected to keep pace with accelerating technology cycles, embrace innovation in acquisition reform and adapt to and enable changing doctrine."

4. What advice would you give contract managers in the field?

"I'd tell them not to be afraid to make a decision. Contracting people are, by nature, a risk-averse group. Sometimes paralysis gets in the way of a decision and then no decision is made. Making no decision is worse than making a bad decision. I think that problem grows from the culture of contracting.

I'd also advise them not to rely on the cut-and-paste approach to contract problem solving. In other words, sometimes contract managers approach current problems using methods that worked three or four years ago. But the approach they used three to five years ago may not apply to today. They should always re-evaluate previous solutions."

5. What is the value of earning a master' certificate in today's job market?

ESI's Master Certificates, including the Master's Certificate in Government Contracting, are yet another way an individual can distinguish him or herself from the masses. Advanced education and training say a great deal about a person's initiative and commitment, two qualities I've found correlate well with success in the marketplace and on the job."

6. What books or references do you recommend for contract managers?

"For contracting professionals, I recommend Contract Management magazine (published by NCMA) and at least one other monthly magazine pertinent to the domain in which they work. That might be Armed Forces Journal for the folks in uniform or The Economist for those in the financial industries.

As for references, the Ralph Nash-John Cibinic series on contracting are hard to beat. And the " Purchasing Handbook, A Guide for the Purchasing and Supply Professional," by Joseph Cavinato and Ralph Kauffman, is another great reference. Needless to say, the Internet is becoming an increasingly popular and timely source of information for any professional.

The new Jack Welch autobiography, " Jack Welch: Straight From the Gut," is an easy read and wonderful treatise on surviving and thriving in large bureaucracies. And anything written by Peter Drucker is a must (and not so easy) read for managing professionals."

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