Paper due Friday from Kim Woods

Week 6 Assignment 3 Submission

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Assignment 3: Contracting and Payment Options

Due Week 6 and worth 300 points

According to the textbook, when the government wants to purchase a certain product or service, it can use a variety of contracting methods as well as payment terms. Imagine that you are a contracts officer for the Internal Revenue Services (IRS), and your supervisor has tasked you with the purchase of software for processing tax returns. 

Note: You may create and/or make all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment.

Review the information from the following Websites:

· Federal Acquisition Review (FAR) “ 52.232-1 Payments ” 

· Federal Acquisition Review (FAR) “ Subpart 32.9—Prompt Payment ” 

· Prompt Payment Act

· Federal Acquisition Review (FAR) “ Subpart 532.9—Prompt Payment ” 

· Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA)

· Buy American Act

Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

1. Compare and contrast three (3) payments options and discuss the pros and cons of each.

2. Examine the three (3) elements of the Prompt Payment Act, and provide one (1) example of each. Determine whether or not Congress could make any revisions to each element in order to make prompt payment more seamless. 

3. Examine one (1) of the four (4) major areas of limiting government cost. Elaborate on the primary manner in which the government could minimize costs within the area you choose. As a contracts officer for the IRS, propose one (1) strategy that you could use to pair the limiting of government cost with the government’s audit rights.

4. Suggest two (2) revisions to the TINA that would lessen the requirements for the government’s procurement of technical data and computer software. Provide a rationale for your suggestion.

5. Compare and contrast two (2) of the exceptions to the Buy American Act, and conclude whether or not these exceptions are necessary. Justify your position.

6. Use at least five (5) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia does not qualify as an academic resource. 

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

· Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

· Describe the legal and administrative framework and socio-economic considerations of the federal procurement process.

· Explain the basic elements and compliance issues of the federal procurement framework (contract formulation, solicitation, costs, payment, financing, administration, and closeout).

· Use technology and information resources to research issues in procurement and contract law.

· Write clearly and concisely about procurement and contract law using correct grammar and mechanics.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills.  Click here  to access the rubric for this assignment.

Points: 300

Assignment 3: Contracting and Payment Options

Criteria

 

Unacceptable

Below 60% F

Meets Minimum Expectations

60-69% D

 

Fair

70-79% C

 

Proficient

80-89% B

 

Exemplary

90-100% A

1. Compare and contrast three (3) payments options and discuss the pros and cons of each.

Weight: 10%

Did not submit or incompletely compared and contrasted three (3) payments options and did not submit or incompletely discussed the pros and cons of each.

Insufficiently compared and contrasted three (3) payments options and insufficiently discussed the pros and cons of each.

Partially compared and contrasted three (3) payments options and partially discussed the pros and cons of each.

Satisfactorily compared and contrasted three (3) payments options and satisfactorily discussed the pros and cons of each.

Thoroughly compared and contrasted three (3) payments options and thoroughly discussed the pros and cons of each.

2. Examine the three (3) elements of the Prompt Payment Act, and provide one (1) example of each. Determine whether or not Congress could make any revisions to each element in order to make prompt payment more seamless. Weight: 15%

Did not submit or incompletely examined the three (3) elements of the Prompt Payment Act, and did not submit or incompletely provided one (1) example of each. Did not submit or incompletely determined whether or not Congress could make any revisions to each element in order to make prompt payment more seamless.

Insufficiently examined the three (3) elements of the Prompt Payment Act, and insufficiently provided one (1) example of each. Insufficiently determined whether or not Congress could make any revisions to each element in order to make prompt payment more seamless.

Partially examined the three (3) elements of the Prompt Payment Act, and partially provided one (1) example of each. Partially determined whether or not Congress could make any revisions to each element in order to make prompt payment more seamless.

Satisfactorily examined the three (3) elements of the Prompt Payment Act, and satisfactorily provided one (1) example of each. Satisfactorily determined whether or not Congress could make any revisions to each element in order to make prompt payment more seamless.

Thoroughly examined the three (3) elements of the Prompt Payment Act, and thoroughly provided one (1) example of each. Thoroughly determined whether or not Congress could make any revisions to each element in order to make prompt payment more seamless.

3. Examine one (1) of the four (4) major areas of limiting government cost. Elaborate on the primary manner in which the government could minimize costs within the area you choose. As a contracts officer for the IRS, propose one (1) strategy that you could use to pair the limiting of government cost with the government’s audit rights.

Weight: 20%

Did not submit or incompletely examined one (1) of the four (4) major areas of limiting government cost. Did not submit or incompletely elaborated on the primary manner in which the government could minimize costs within the area you choose. Did not submit or incompletely proposed one (1) strategy that you could use to pair the limiting of government cost with the government’s audit rights, as a contracts officer for the IRS.

Insufficiently examined one (1) of the four (4) major areas of limiting government cost. Insufficiently elaborated on the primary manner in which the government could minimize costs within the area you choose. Insufficiently proposed one (1) strategy that you could use to pair the limiting of government cost with the government’s audit rights, as a contracts officer for the IRS.

Partially examined one (1) of the four (4) major areas of limiting government cost. Partially elaborated on the primary manner in which the government could minimize costs within the area you choose. Partially proposed one (1) strategy that you could use to pair the limiting of government cost with the government’s audit rights, as a contracts officer for the IRS.

Satisfactorily examined one (1) of the four (4) major areas of limiting government cost. Satisfactorily elaborated on the primary manner in which the government could minimize costs within the area you choose. Satisfactorily proposed one (1) strategy that you could use to pair the limiting of government cost with the government’s audit rights, as a contracts officer for the IRS.

Thoroughly examined one (1) of the four (4) major areas of limiting government cost. Thoroughly elaborated on the primary manner in which the government could minimize costs within the area you choose. Thoroughly proposed one (1) strategy that you could use to pair the limiting of government cost with the government’s audit rights, as a contracts officer for the IRS.

4. Suggest two (2) revisions to the TINA that would lessen the requirements for the government’s procurement of technical data and computer software. Provide a rationale for your suggestion.

Weight: 15%

Did not submit or incompletely suggested two (2) revisions to the TINA that would lessen the requirements for the government’s procurement of technical data and computer software. Did not submit or incompletely provided a rationale for your suggestion.

Insufficiently suggested two (2) revisions to the TINA that would lessen the requirements for the government’s procurement of technical data and computer software. Insufficiently provided a rationale for your suggestion.

Partially suggested two (2) revisions to the TINA that would lessen the requirements for the government’s procurement of technical data and computer software. Partially provided a rationale for your suggestion.

Satisfactorily suggested two (2) revisions to the TINA that would lessen the requirements for the government’s procurement of technical data and computer software. Satisfactorily provided a rationale for your suggestion.

Thoroughly suggested two (2) revisions to the TINA that would lessen the requirements for the government’s procurement of technical data and computer software. Thoroughly provided a rationale for your suggestion.

5. Compare and contrast two (2) of the exceptions to the Buy American Act, and conclude whether or not these exceptions are necessary. Justify your position.

Weight: 15%

Did not submit or incompletely compared and contrasted two (2) of the exceptions to the Buy American Act, and did not submit or incompletely concluded whether or not these exceptions are necessary.  Did not submit or incompletely justified your position.

Insufficiently compared and contrasted two (2) of the exceptions to the Buy American Act, and insufficiently concluded whether or not these exceptions are necessary.  Insufficiently justified your position.

Partially compared and contrasted two (2) of the exceptions to the Buy American Act, and partially concluded whether or not these exceptions are necessary.  Partially justified your position.

Satisfactorily compared and contrasted two (2) of the exceptions to the Buy American Act, and satisfactorily concluded whether or not these exceptions are necessary.  Satisfactorily justified your position.

Thoroughly compared and contrasted two (2) of the exceptions to the Buy American Act, and thoroughly concluded whether or not these exceptions are necessary.  Thoroughly justified your position.

6. 5 references

Weight: 5%

No references provided

Does not meet the required number of references, and/or references are of poor quality.

Meets the required number of references; some or all references poor quality choices.

Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.

Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.

7. Writing Mechanics, Grammar, and Formatting

Weight: 5%

Serious and persistent errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

Numerous errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Partially free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

Mostly free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

Error free or almost error free grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

8. Appropriate use of APA in-text citations and  reference section

Weight: 5%

Lack of in-text citations and / or lack of reference section.

In-text citations and references are given, but not in APA format.

In-text citations and references are provided, but they are only partially formatted correctly in APA style.

Most in-text citations and references are provided, and they are generally formatted correctly in APA style.

In-text citations and references are error free or almost error free and consistently formatted correctly in APA style.

9. Information Literacy / Integration of Sources

Weight: 5%

Serious errors in the integration of sources, such as intentional or accidental plagiarism, or failure to use in-text citations.

Sources are rarely integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

Sources are partially integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

 

Sources are mostly integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

Sources are consistently integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

10. Clarity and Coherence of Writing

Weight: 5%

Information is confusing to the reader and fails to include reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

Information is somewhat confusing with not enough reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

Information is partially clear with minimal reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

Information is mostly clear and generally supported with reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

 

Information is provided in a clear, coherent, and consistent manner with reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.