New reference book helps state and local administrators with the contracting process

NEW YORK (Oct. 23, 2008)... Federal contracting officials have a comprehensive resource in the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) to guide them through the arduous contracting process; however, until now there has been no such counterpart for state and local government agencies. Contracting for Services in State and Local Government Agencies is the first reference book of its kind specifically designed to provide state and local administrators with a concise authoritative resource on contracting for services.

In preparation for writing this book, author William Sims Curry contacted all 50 state governments, as well a large selection of city and county governments, and asked them to participate in the development of templates for Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and service contracts. These agencies were asked to complete a questionnaire and provide copies of their RFP and service contract templates. Out of their contributions, the best features from each were incorporated into the Best Practices RFP and Service Contract, which are presented here in this volume. The templates can be readily downloaded from an included CD-ROM. These can be fully adapted to meet any specific need. In the text, both of these documents are examined, line by line, with the author explaining specific language choices.

In addition to these model documents, additional techniques and tools are introduced to assist agencies in improving their services contracting programs. The book is presented in the sequence of the contracting cycle, beginning with advance contract planning and proceeding to pre-solicitation, solicitation, proposal evaluation, negotiation, and award through contract administration and closeout.

By adopting the techniques in this book, state and local agencies will be able to effectively contract for services, get the best price available, and get important jobs done on time.

Contracting for Services in State and Local Government Agencies -
• Presents the contracting process in a sequential manner for easy reference
• Assembles the best elements of RFPs and service contracts from numerous state and local agencies
• Includes an explanation of each line of language in each document
• Discusses how to objectively evaluate proposals and and review contracts
• Covers practical problems such as dealing with underachieving contractors
• Includes working templates on CD-ROM for easy adaptability

About the Author

William Sims Curry is a consultant who spent many years in purchasing positions in both government and business. These include positions in the Air Force, private contractors on the Hubble Space Telescope and various Defense Department programs, and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center during construction of the Positron Electron Project. He has also held several positions with county government. His consulting clients include a state university and a county government. He was designated by the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) as a Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) and named as an NCMA Fellow. He is the author of numerous articles in professional journals. He holds a BS degree in Business Management from Florida State University, Beta Gamma Sigma honor society, and an MBA from Ohio State University.

Contracting for Services in State and Local Government Agencies
Price: $69.95
Hardcover
480 Pages
ISBN: 9781420078329

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Ralph Bernstein
CRC Press
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