image
8-Week Course
image
8 Continuing Education Units
image
50.25 PDUs
image
80 Military Clock Hours

About the Course

The Essentials of Government Contract Management course helps professionals balance legal and business decision making by addressing many important subjects in the government contract management industry. This curriculum includes applying Agile methodology to contract management, laws and regulations, types of contracts, solicitation, as well as statements of work and ethics.

In addition, this course covers the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) process, which governs federal transactions. Government contracting is governed by multiple pieces of federal legislation. The FAR is a set of rules meant to harmonize the acquisition process. This course will help you understand the federal acquisition process, including pre-award, award and post-award phases of acquiring a government contract.

Today’s contract manager’s role is constantly expanding to accommodate technological advances. This course helps you understand the procurement process from contract definition to contract management, including everything from requisitioning to the enforcement of contracts to copyrights and patents.

Earn a Digital Badge
Villanova students will earn a digital badge when they successfully complete an individual course or full certificate program. These badges help to emphasize their skills and commitment to professional development and enables them to easily share and display the badge on a resume and/or social media.
Curriculum
8 Week Course
Week 1
Introduction to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) System
  • Describe the foundations of FAR system
  • Identify key terms related to FAR
  • Explain how the FAR functions
Week 2
Acquisition Planning
  • Describe market research and acquisition planning
  • Explain solicitation requirements
  • Define agile methods
Week 3
Contracting Methods & Contract Types
  • Describe various contracting methods
  • Interpret contractual provisions, rules and types
  • Explain the factors surrounding contract type selection
Week 4
Socioeconomic Programs & Audits
  • Describe the socioeconomic programs
  • Explain the government’s small business programs, policies and practices
  • Explain the audit process in contracting
Week 5
General Contracting Requirements & Cost/Price Estimating
  • Describe various methods of cost estimating
  • Define types of costs
  • Explain the parts of a cost estimate
Week 6
Protests, Disputes, and Appeals
  • Describe the protest process
  • Explain how to handle contract disputes
  • Discuss the appeals process
Week 7
Special Categories of Contracting and Negotiating
  • Describe construction and architecture-engineer contracts
  • Explain the important of contract negotiations
  • Discuss the importance of long-term business relationships
Week 8
Contract Administration
  • Discuss contract administration process
  • Discuss contract termination, inspection and acceptance
  • Explain the difference between termination for default and termination for convenience
Learning Objectives
Skills Learned
Negotiation Agile Conflict Management Performance Management Contract Management Market Research Legal Policy
What You’ll Study

Overview

  • Agile Methodology – Government
  • Contract Management Lifecycle
  • Cost/Price Analysis
  • Negotiation Evaluation
  • Performance Monitoring
  • Proposal Evaluation

Contract Law

  • Laws & Regulation
  • Contract Changes
  • Disputes and Terminations
  • Sarbanes-Oxley
  • Patents and Copyrights
  • Contract Modifications

Pre-Award Phase

  • FAR
  • Acquisition System
  • Government Law and Practices
  • Requests for Proposal

Types of Contracts

  • Fixed Price Contracts
  • Cost-Reimbursement Contracts
  • Additional Contract Issues

Award Phase

  • Role of Negotiation
  • Negotiation: What Is It?
  • Basic Rules of Negotiation
  • Negotiation Nuggets
  • Rules, Regulation and Process
  • Methods of Contracting
  • Developing Criteria and Applying Standards
  • Forming the Contract
  • Debriefing

Post-Award Phase

  • Contractor Purchasing System Review
  • Changes Clause
  • Constructive Changes Part 1 & 2
  • Value Engineering Changes and Other Concepts
  • Post-Award Phase: Invoicing and Payment
  • Claims
  • The Disputes Act
  • Terminations for Default
  • Terminations for Convenience
  • Contract Closeout
Related Certificate Programs

Contract Management Certificate

24 Weeks
3 Courses
$5,883+

Prepare to effectively manage contracts in the private and public sectors.

Certification Prep Certification Available

Who Should Register?

Essentials of Government Contract Management is ideal for the practicing governmental professional or those aspiring to work within the government sector. Scope of the course includes federal acquisition regulations, procurement, ethics and government property.

Tuition & Payment

Total Course Cost

$2,095

Course offerings and associated prices are subject to change without prior notice. Pricing for multi-course certificate programs varies depending on course selection. View the Professional Education Catalog for more information on the courses and programs.

Payment Options

There are multiple ways to pay for your certificate program. Just let your enrollment representative know the choice that works best for you.