Price Analysis on Commercial Item Purchases Within the Department of the Navy.

摘要

Problem Statement. Data overview. Contracting file checklist and Contracting personnel survey. The observations and conclusions. Problem Statement for the Research. 1. Before the procurement reforms in the late 1990s, most contract pricing of acquisitions was conducted using cost analysis by Contract Specialists 2. Then came FAR Part 12 and identifying items as commercial (FAR 2.101). 3. As a result, the federal acquisition workforce has had to adapt to the need for new skill sets: contracting specialists needed to have a greater knowledge of market conditions, industry trends, and market prices. So, instead of analyzing cost proposals, Contract Specialists are now using market forces to determine reasonable prices. 4. Thus, the increase of both market research and extensive use of price analysis methods 5. However, 2001 2014 reviews by DOD-IG concluded that new pricing skill sets have not always been present in the purchase of commercial items 6. Several initiatives have been introduced to improve pricing skill sets such as regulations, handbooks, DAU courses The overall goals fo the project: Can the researchers conclude that DoD is doing a better job in pricing commercial items? Can DoD do a better job in pricing our commercial purchases?