Use The Agile Contract Format To Procure Agile Software Development Services
By Waldo Jaquith, Randy Hart, , and Vicki McFadden
Challenge: Agencies are not structuring their contracts to support buying Agile software development services.
Executive Summary
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Legacy contract formats3 that detail hundreds to thousands of software requirements up front are not suitable for Agile software development services.
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With the Agile contract template, available as a template, agencies should procure developers time, as prioritized by the government product owner through an Agile cadence. Any contract must secure sufficient data rights for the agency in the work product or result of the development effort based on their mission needs.
Recommendation
For more than 20 years, using non-performance based formats, such as the Statement of Work, for professional services, has been strongly discouraged, as enshrined in FAR Part 37 – Service Contracting:
Performance-based acquisition is the preferred method for acquiring services . When acquiring services, including those acquired under supply contracts or orders, agencies must
Use performance-based acquisition methods to the maximum extent practicable
Performance-based service contracting emphasizes that all aspects of an acquisition must be structured around the purpose of the work to be performed with an objective assessment of contractor performance, instead of prescribing the manner in which the work is to be performed. It ensures that:
Structuring solicitations for Agile projects
Why Go For Marketing Research Templates
If you have worked in the marketing field for a while now, you must be pretty familiar with the concept of marketing research. This is the most important function of the marketing department of the company. For example, if the company is launching a new product, they would like to study the trends of the market before they launch marketing campaigns.
They should also be able to study the response of the market to such a product. All that is covered in marketing research. Now, this can be pretty complicated unless you know shortcuts. One such shortcut would have to be the various marketing templates that are found online.
Market Research Phase Process Flow
The market research phase of the procurement lifecycle is defined as the process of defining the specific need and determining the most appropriate acquisition method for a procurement. The market research phase is arguably the most important phase of the procurement lifecycle in that it is where the research is performed, the vast majority of major decisions are made about the procurement, and where the key components necessary to manage the contract after award are incorporated prior to solicitation.
The following are the major steps in the process flow for the market research phase:
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Evaluate Contractor Proposals Based On Industry Best Practices
By Waldo Jaquith, Randy Hart, , Vicki McFadden, Kelsey Foley, Miatta Myers, and Stephanie Rivera
Challenge: Traditional evaluation methods of custom technology practices are not based on industry standards.
Executive Summary
- Review the strengths, weaknesses, and risks of contractors proposals and then invite the most highly rated for a verbal interview.
Recommendation
Scenario: An agency has received contractors proposals and their evaluation team is about to embark on the important mission of determining which contractor is best suited to meet the agencys needs.
This overview supports the evaluation team and helps them identify both indicators that show a strong proposal and red flags that indicate a weak proposal. This list is not exhaustive every procurement is different.
Evaluation process
At 18F, we typically conduct targeted market research to identify a strong candidate pool of companies. As a best practice, we use the procedures allowed under FAR Part 8.405-2 to identify around ten potential companies interested in bidding before we issue any solicitation on GSA Schedule 70 this ensures that we solicit qualified and interested bidders. This method balances good competition and a reasonable number of proposals for the evaluation panel to assess.
Invite the companies with the most highly rated proposals for an interview. This is when the agency can verify that the contractor can perform to the level proposed in their bid.
Technical Approach
What to look for:
Use Time And Material Contract Types For Custom Agile Software Development Services
By , Vicki McFadden, Alan Atlas, and Waldo Jaquith
Challenge: Firm-fixed-price contracts are not appropriate for custom Agile development.
Executive Summary
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Use time and material contracts with a not-to-exceed ceiling. If there is an engaged government product owner on the development team, they will know what the team is working on every day, so the historical risk of T& M contracts costs spinning out of control is reduced.
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Your team wont know the exact requirements for a software product before development, so dont use firm-fixed-price for Agile software development.
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Dont measure Agile quality or outcomes by the completion of a number of sprints or user stories.
Recommendation
We recommend a time and material contract for Agile software development with a not-to-exceed ceiling.7
Flexibility is an absolute necessity for Agile software development. In an Agile project, there are no predetermined requirements listed as shall statements.
Instead, there is a product backlog comprised of user stories, which the product owner regularly adds to and re-orders to reflect each storys priority. Priorities can change at any time based on user research, changing agency needs, law or policy changes, etc. There is no way to know in advance what work will need to be done.
Find more information in our sample T& M determination and findings, which agencies can modify for their needs.
Labor hour contract
Firm-fixed-price contract
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Printable Marketing Research Proposal Template
Check out this market research proposal template that can help you do your market research effectively. This professionally designed template gives you a complete map of how you can outline the objectives and goals for your market research so that you can save enough time to do other tasks that are related to market research. You can use file formats such as MS Word and Pages for customization and editing purposes.
+ Free Marketing Research Templates Word Excel Pdf Docs
Anyone who has worked in the field of marketing must have come across the term market research at least once! The marketing department of a certain company carries out market research analysis at regular intervals to find out about market trends, ups and downs, and other factors that could affect your company.
Normally, a is used for such a purpose. Every company has a fixed target audience, and it is important to find out about how these marketing strategies could be implemented and how they can prove effective with that particular target audience.
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Govcon Gold Rush Sources Sought Introduction
IMPORTANT PLEASE READ 🙂
Hey there, it’s Derek here…
If you’ve been curious about GovCon Gold Rush, but for one reason or the other you haven’t applied to the program, I’ve got some GREAT NEWS FOR YOU!
“Wait, what’s this have to do with a Sources Sought Response Template???”
Well, I’ve decided to take a few of the Modules from the GovCon Gold Rush program and set them as more accessible “chunks” at a lower price point so many more people can access the great value that I’ve spent more than A YEAR building. My brand new “Sources Sought Response Module” is one of these “chunks”.
So anyway, it just so happens that I have created a number of brand new lessons on how to PROPERLY Read and Respond to sources sought notices in the GovCon Gold Rush program AND now you can get them as part of this sources sought response template course, too.
“Ohhhhh, neat”
Damn right it’s neat!
My intent for doing this is that I know you’re going to love the lessons so much, it’s going to make you want to join the program once you go through it to have access to the rest of it. So, for those of you who like to drive it before you buy it, here is an opportunity to get Module 5. Responding to Sources Sought notices outside of enrolling into the program. You also get all the new response templates and examples that I’ve incorporated from the program.
I hope to see you on the inside!
-Derek
Dsca Market Research Guide
After the market research has been carried out, an official report has to be presented, stating the findings and observations. Given the fact that this is an official report, you will have to adhere to the specific format. If you arent aware of this format, dont worry! To create this official report, youll need to follow a specific format that is demonstrated in a market research template Word!
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