Take the First Step Toward Building a Strong Foundation in Federal Acquisition! Federal Acquisition: Key Issues and Guidance is an essential guide to understanding and working within the complex world of federal government contracting. It offers brief but comprehensive explanations of the major phases and essential tasks in the contracting process. Written in a clear and easy-to-understand style, this resource provides the perfect foundation for building a thorough understanding of federal contracting. Author Paula Compton focuses on the most problematic areas of federal contracting, highlighting the deficiencies cited most often by the Government Accountability Office and Inspector General audits and reports, such as: • Not performing market research • Inadequate independent government cost estimates • Violation of the bona fide needs rule • Insufficient statements of work • Inadequate price or cost analysis Anyone new to government acquisition will find that reading this book is the ideal first step on the path to understanding the federal acquisition process. Seasoned contract professionals will find it an excellent quick review.

Includes selected provisions of: United States Code, Titles 5, 10, 18, and 31; Defense authorization and appropriations acts; Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994; Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949; and Small Business Act. Also includes: Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996; Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act; Inspector General Act of 1978; provisions imposing limitations on employment of officers of the United States; miscellaneous public contract laws; other related laws; and tables relating to Federal procurement laws.