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Student Q & A

Lisa Goodwine, U.S. State Department Contract Specialist, tries out the controls of an OV-10 used to train pilots. Goodwine is administering the contract for the aircraft, among other multiple contracts for the State Department.

Background

When you hear about the United Nations peacekeepers around the world, think of U.S. State Department Contract Specialist Lisa Goodwine. A recent recipient of the DAU/GW/ESI Master's Certificate in Government Contracting, Lisa is responsible for managing contracts from pre-award to close-out for the International Police Task Force, which serves the U.N. abroad and includes peacekeeping missions. Her mission as a contract specialist for the last two years has been to provide the program office with timely, cost-effective services ranging from services to used aircraft.

Lisa, who also served in government acquisitions in the U.S. Marine Corps for 16 years, credits her DAU/GW/ESI training with helping her demystify the complicated Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), her bible for all aspects of contracting. ESI spoke with Lisa about her classroom experience and her decision to pursue the DAU/GW/ESI Master's Certificate in Government Contracting.

1. How will the material covered in the DAU/GW/ESI Master's Certificate in Government Contracting Program help you on the job?

"All of my classes were really helpful because they gave me practical approaches to managing contracts and understanding the FAR guidelines. I find myself referring to the course materials all of the time. The FAR information in the DAU/GW/ESI materials is so much more in-depth than what you normally find within the actual regulations.

I especially liked the managing cost-reimbursement contracts course because it gave me practical advice for managing two of my cost-reimbursement contracts. The FAR is very vague about the administration of these contracts.

Also, I made contacts with other contract specialists and managers I met in the classes. It's great to have that peer network (with the government and industry) when you have questions or are looking for other approaches. When I needed an example of a source selection plan, I recently contacted one of my former classmates and got a sample copy of the source selection plan he uses."

2. What did you like most about your DAU/GW/ESI courses?

"The courses just make my job easier. For example, my instructor in my Managing Cost-Reimbursement contracts course sent the class an Excel file that computes the earned value management and net present value of projects. I thought, if only everyone else could simplify things this way. I will use the Excel file for recompetes, contracts up for rebidding, that I am working on when I'm trying to determine whether a contract proposal is providing a realistic work plan for a project."

3. What is your biggest challenge on the job?

"I'd have to say that my biggest challenge is juggling the multiple contracts I administer. In many ways, I'm a one-person shop and I manage two very large cost-reimbursement contracts and multiple fixed-price contracts. It's very time consuming."

4. Would you recommend this program to other colleagues?

"I absolutely would recommend this program. It gives you more in-depth information about the FAR guidelines, which is invaluable. Earning the master's certificate is a nice credential to include with your work experience. I learned a lot in the program and even though I received the master's certificate, I'm taking more courses. My next course will be the Task Order Contracting course.

Also, with the larger projects, there's more interaction at the executive level and being able to relate on their level is a must. You have to know how to put yourself in their shoes and how to view the project from a strategic level."

5. Would you recommend this program to other colleagues?

"Yes, I'd especially recommend it to those who have the Master's Certificate in Project Management and the Project Management Professional (PMP®). To stay ahead of the curve, you have to master new tricks. This track is particularly helpful, if you are trying to make the transition from a project manager to a program manager who will manage other project managers and projects. Now, projects, particularly in IT, tend to be smaller and often are part of larger programs that don't have a beginning or an end. The customer doesn't always know what he or she needs and this means that the experienced project managers become more involved in the actual strategy and become more of a business consultant.

Second, sharing war stories and strategies with contract managers at other firms helps us all better understand the differing positions and views of the other party to the contract. This, in turn, improves the business relationship and speeds the negotiation process."

6. What did you like best about your ESI courses?

"In my opinion, the best features are the quality of course development and delivery by the experienced instructors. Most of them have years of practical application experience. My favorite courses were Business Law and the Uniform Commercial Code and Financial Management of Commercial Contracts

From my experience, most contract managers have a business rather than legal background. The Business Law class provided interesting background information on our legal system and particular statutes. I think this helps us better interact with the lawyers. I also liked the Financial Management class because I could see a direct correlation between my own experience at NCR and the financial impact of non-standard terms and conditions in our contracts.

I should also comment on the very pleasant classroom facilities in Washington, DC and Arlington, VA. I always look forward to visiting the area."

7. Are there any trends in commercial contract management you think are interesting now?

"Yes, two come to mind. First, global contracting is becoming more common at NCR due to its increasingly wide reach in global outsourcing and services contracts. With these agreements, special consideration must be given to invoicing, taxes, dispute resolution and currency issues. Our customers are demanding that we support their global needs, and our contracting team must support this business requirement.

Second, both buyers and suppliers are becoming more sophisticated on the commercial side, driven in part by the increase in professional contract programs and outside negotiating seminars. Each party is looking for a better deal in their contracts to meet economic and competitive demands. Although competitive, both parties need to keep in mind that cooperation and partnership will drive a successful win-win relationship."

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