Information Technology Market Research

ERIC GAUFF, EXPERIENCED PROCUREMENT PROFESSIONAL

Summary:

Thirty-nine years in Contracting experience performing acquisition Life Cycle Contracting (cradle-to-grave) at Federal Agencies and local agencies, including the U.S State Department (Contractor), Washington Metro Transit Agency (Consultant), Washington D.C. Government, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, U.S. Department of Transportation (MARAD), Defense Logistics Agency-Defense Fuel Supply Agency, Defense Contract Management Agency-DCASR, and the Department of the Army.

Work Experience:

Sr. Project Execution Advisor April 2021 to Present

All Native Synergies Company

(Client: U.S. Department of State (DoS))

Duties and Accomplishments:

Serves as the lead procurement advisor for the program offices within the Medical Bureau (MED) of DoS. Provides procurement advice and assistance to MED program managers for a large portfolio of contracts including IDIQs, contracts, purchase orders, delivery/task orders, BPAs and Call Orders for medical services and related supplies and equipment, as well as a host of other administrative and information technology requirements. Prepares and advises on procurement planning documents for program managers to include, development and analysis of SOWs, PWSs, SOOs and other project description documents. Conducts market research and prepares Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCE), drafts Acquisition Plans (formal and informal). Develops solicitation documentation (RFQs, RFPs and orders against indefinite quantity contracts and BPAs). Serves as MED’s lead advisor for all pre-award procurement activities (e.g., requirements analysis, market research, drafts J&As and D&Fs, advises on source selection strategy including instrument type). Coordinates with the budget office to secure project funding and prepares purchase requisitions. Assists technical evaluation panels (TEP) with their analyses of contract proposal documentation and instructs technical evaluation teams on proper evaluation processes. Performs cost price analysis. Drafts award documentation for Contracting Officer approval. Performs post award contract administration including assisting program offices with initiation of contract modifications, monitors contract performance, ensures options are timely exercised. Conducts programmatic contract close-out functions. Maintains programmatic procurement records and files. Performs special projects at the request of management. Provides advice and assistance to junior procurement support specialists.

Received a Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding performance during FY2022, FY2023, FY2024 and FY2025 from DoS.

Received a bonus payment for outstanding performance during FY2023 from ANS.

Contract Support Specialist September 2019 to April 2021

FwdThink and JASINT

(Client: U.S. Department of State)

Duties and Accomplishments:

Managed a large portfolio of contracts for the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau of DoS. Performed cradle to grave contract management tasks. Developed solicitation documentation (RFQs, RFPs and orders against indefinite quantity contracts and BPAs). Performed all pre-award activities (e.g., requirements analysis, market research, J&As and D&Fs, determines source selection strategy including instrument type). Analyzed contract proposal documentation and instructed technical evaluation teams on proper evaluation processes. Performed cost price analysis. Prepared summary negotiation positions and negotiated contact awards using best value or LPTA processes. Prepared award documentation for Contracting Officer approval. Performed post award contract administration including initiation of contract modifications, monitored contract performance, ensured options were timely exercised and resolved contract claims and disputes. Conducted contract close-out functions. Maintained electronic files. Drafted responses to audit findings. Performed special projects at the request of management. Provided advice and assistance to junior support specialists.

Received a Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding performance during FY2021.

Contracts Manager April 2019 to September 2019

HNTB Corporation

(Client: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA))

Duties and Accomplishments:

Supervised a team of contract professionals responsible for developing and managing multimillion-dollar contracts for the WMATA. Contract types managed include fixed price and cost reimbursable contracts including IDIQs. The services procured are primarily designed to provide engineering, construction, and information technology support services for the WMATA transit system. Responsible for supporting the project management needs of program offices within WMATA by awarding and administering support service contracts and task orders. Provided procurement planning and implementation support including, requirements development, independent cost estimate generation, drafting of contract and task order RFPs. Oversaw the source selection process following Brooks Act and best value procurement procedures. Conducted all pre-award functions including contact negotiations and all contract award activities.

Manages all post award contract administration functions including the processing of change orders, ensuring invoices are processed timely and accurately, monitors receipt and acceptance of deliverables. Monitored contract performance and resolved outstanding issues between the Authority and contractors. Worked with the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Office to ensure Authority goals are established for each contact action and monitors contractor activities to ensure contractors maintain their DBE commitments. Collaborated with high level WMATA officials to assess their procurement needs and to assist in the development of their contract requirements. Maintained electronic contact documentation from requirements development to contract close-out. Tracked procurement milestones and produced extensive reports for pre and post award procurement performance monitoring and reporting.

Supervisory Contract Specialist, MSS-15 September 2018 to April 2019

Washington D.C. Government

Office of Contracts and Procurement

Duties and Accomplishments:

Supervised a team of seven procurement professionals, providing guidance and direction in the processing of procurement actions from requirements initiation to contract closeout.

Identified and established performance goals, priorities and measures, develops, and documents internal procedures, plans and schedules work assignments, approves work hours and leave requests, tracked performance progress.

Contracting Officer with $20M warrant providing cradle-to-grave procurement needs for multiple clients within the D.C. Government to include, the Department of Employment Services, the office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and the Workforce Investment Council.

Assisted program managers and CORs with drafting procurement plans, SOWs, IGCEs and other procurement documents to ensure they comply with District requirements.

Reviewed procurement plans and acquisition requests to ensure they are complete and adhere to D.C. procurement policies and regulations.

Reviewed, processed, and approved procurement requests as the assigned Contracting Officer for contracts of all types (FFP, T&M, CR, IDIQs, BPAs, etc.) including small purchases, human care agreements and large dollar contracts.

Conducts market research to identify market trends, market prices and to assist program clients in developing cost estimates.

Developed procurement templates such as source selection plans, past performance surveys and technical evaluation scoring sheets.

Provided procurement related training and technical assistance to enhance the knowledge and skill of project managers and CORs regarding all aspects of contract management.

Lead Integrated Product Teams ensuring all procurement related project activities are properly planned, coordinated and executed to achieve program outcomes.

Developed, implemented, and maintained regular communications with all Departmental program clients and vendors providing top quality customer care.

Responded to a variety of correspondence relative to complex contractual inquiries, inclusive of vendor protests, allegations of contractor non-compliance, and responds to special requests for the Mayor’s office and the City Council regarding critical procurement actions.

Prepared periodic program/project performance and quality reports to monitor contract/project performance.

Monitored contractor performance including adherence to contract delivery schedules.

Negotiated consideration or issues cure notices and initiates contract terminations for poor performance when deliverables or contract schedules are not met.

Conducted all pre and post-award contract activities to ensure effective contract execution and performance to achieve project outcomes.

Supervisory responsibilities included recruitment, interview, and selection of staff members.

Recommended awards and recognition for high performance, established corrective action plans, disciplinary, and took other personnel actions when appropriate.

Contract Review Board Chair December 2011 to September 2018

(Sr. Procurement Analyst) GS-1102-15

U.S. Agency for International Development

1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW (M/OAA/OD

Washington, DC 20523

Duties and Accomplishments:

Chaired the Contract Review Board leading a Board of senior procurement officials review of high dollar value (above $25 million) procurements executed worldwide.

Annually conducted the detailed review of a portfolio of procurement actions valued at approximately $7 billion.

Served as principal agency advisor to program managers for various award types.

Reviewed contract documentation to determine regulatory compliance and to improve contract competition and avoid potential contract protests and claims.

Conducted cover to cover reviews of all pre-award documentation including all pre-solicitations, competitive range, and pre-award documentation.

Provided feedback and direction to COs, and technical evaluation team members to enhance the quality of the contemporaneous documentation that supported award.

Served as the agency expert regarding procurement matters to ensure all high dollar valued procurement actions adhered to Federal and agency regulations, policies and procedures.

Produced semi-annual trend analysis reports on Review Board findings and developed best practices which were disseminated agency wide and presented during periodic formal and informal Agency meetings.

Provided procure training for program clients and acquisition staff on all aspects of the procurement process including pre and post-award activities (e.g., how to conduct and document technical evaluations of proposals, past performance evaluations and many other topics).

Served on IPTs providing procurement guidance and direction.

Designed/developed processes and policy procedures to ensure procurement actions were compliant with Agency Strategic Goals.

Developed and enhance procurement related templates and user guides for the entire acquisition lifecycle to ensure consistent and compliant design of agency procurement documentation (e.g., cost analysis, technical evaluation, competitive range, and negotiation memos, etc.).

Senior Program Analyst GS-343-15 July 2001 to December 2011

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Office of Departmental Grants Management and Oversight (ODGMO)

Duties and Accomplishments:

Served as liaison to program offices across the Department to identify and resolve issues and provide guidance on grants policy, oversight and compliance.

Provided grants mgt related technical assistance to Departmental program offices, and external HUD clients (States, cities, local governments, nonprofits and other grant recipients). -Interpreted grant related laws, regulations, policies and procedures for Department program staff and grantees.

Represented and advocated HUD’s interest while participating in interagency grants policy workgroups. Provided direct assistance to program offices to ensure adherence to government wide grants management requirements (Admin Requirements, Cost Principles, etc.)

Represented HUD during OMB’s Grants Policy Committee (GPC) activities as a member of the GPC’s interagency work groups tasked to develop Government wide plans and actions to simplify/standardized grants management processes and improve the delivery of services to the public. Such activities included:

Sharing info developed during GPC work group activities with HUD program mgrs.

Championed policy positions favorable to HUD.

Presented HUD’s recommendations for improving the grant process to work groups.

Conducted research on subject matter issues and provided recommendations/ solutions.

Served on an interagency subcommittee tasked to develop standard terms, condition and Nat Policy requirements to be included in all Fed grant agreements.

Served as the Chair of a task force which developed a Real Property report for use by all Federal agencies that is currently used government wide (SF-429).

Served as the primary reviewer of grant program application packages for forty plus discretionary programs. Ensured policy statements and content aligned with HUD’s Strategic Goals.

Addressed requests from representatives of the public (Federal, States, Cities, Local govts, Non-profits, grant applicants and recipients) seeking info on Agency grant related topics.

Oversaw and coordinated the review of HUD grantee’s Indirect Cost Rates and facilitated the establishment of Indirect Cost Rate Agreements when HUD was the cognizant agency. Served as the Agency wide Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) for these services responsible for all contract administrative functions (e.g., initiation of procurement requests, develop SOW, contract negotiations, option exercise, review and approval of invoices, identify performance risks).

Coordinated the delivery of grantee risk assessment services to all HUD program offices providing information regarding the financial health and ethical status of potential grant awardees.

Managed the Department’s Grants helpdesk that provided comprehensive info and assistance to the public on HUD’s grant programs, projects, policies and procedures.

Served as the COR for the Agency’s Logic Model Development contract for grants mgt. (see related responsibilities above).

Coordinated Departmental responses to OMB data calls for grants related information, collected the data and delivered coordinated responses.

Served as COR for the development of HUD’s Grants Information Management System (GIMS), which is used to retrieve grant applications from Grants.gov.

Supervisory Contract Oversight Specialist January 1999 to January 2001

(Deputy Division Director) GS-1101-15

Department of Housing and Urban Development,

451 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20410

Duties and Accomplishments:

Supervised a team of 14 Contracting Officer Representatives (CORs), 4 Management Analysts and support staff.

Managed a portfolio of approximately 150 contracts (including IDIQs, task orders, Interagency Agreements and small purchases) with a value in excess of $1.2 billion.

Provided guidance and leadership for the Division to ensure the portfolio was properly managed and the appropriate administrative contract oversight was conducted.

Contract types managed include firm fixed priced, cost reimbursement, CPFF, CPAF, including Performance Based contracts.

Contract portfolio including Information Technology and Administrative management service type contracts (including contracts for the Office of Information Technology, Office of Management and Planning, Office of Human Resources, Office of Administrative Management Services, Office of HUD Training Academy, and the Office of the Comptroller).

Monitored and managed contractor compliance with their assigned contracts, including addressing all administrative issues, ensuring contractors meet the contract and project schedules, and ensuring that the contractor’s performance was maintained at a level acceptable to our program office clients.

Coordinated with the program offices to ensure their contract needs were meet including overseeing and approving requests for contract services, reviewing and drafting the scopes of work (SOW) and evaluation criteria, conducted market research and provided procurement advice and assistance to program managers on a routine basis.

Oversaw the monitoring of all contract activity including tracking deliverable status, invoice processing, identifying performance problems and collaborating with the contractors and program staff to resolve outstanding issues.

Designed training courses for CORs and helped design a class on how to develop Performance Based SOWs for IT contracts.

Developed a template for the design of Performance Based SOWs for IT maintenance and development projects.

Management Analyst (Team Leader) March 1998 to September 1998, and Contract Oversight Specialist GS-0343-14/3 September 1998 to January 1999

Department of Housing and Urban Development,

451 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20410

Duties and Accomplishments:

Served as Team Leader of a group of Government Technical Representatives (GTRs) responsible for managing the contracts under the Department’s multibillion-dollar asset sales program, and for the Office of Multifamily Housing Assistance Restructuring program (OMHAR).

Responsible for the management of the Asset Sales and OMHAR contracts including initiation of the requirements, securing funding, participated in contractor source selections, functioned as liaison between the Department’s Asset Sales and OMHAR program.

Reviewed procurement requests submitted by all the Office of Housing’s (FHA) program areas prior to them being submitted to the Office of Procurement and Contracts for solicitation. Provided technical assistance to program officials on how to properly draft a SOW and provided advice and assistance on all procurement related topics.

Supervisory Procurement Analyst, GS-1102-14/2, April 1996 to March 1998

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Duties and Accomplishments:

Served as the Chief of the Support Branch of the Contracting Division, providing procurement support services for Contracting Division staff, all program area staffs, and HUD grantees throughout the jurisdiction of the Atlanta Administrative Service Center (ASC).

Had authority over the thirteen southeast and southwest states, and the Caribbean.

Held a Contracting Officer’s warrant with unlimited obligation authority.

Developed internal directives and operating procedures for procurement staff located in the ASC’s jurisdiction. Directives and procedures encompassed the entire procurement process, with step-by-step instructions on how individual procurement actions were to be prepared and processed.

Planned, developed and conducted procurement training and technical assistance for the Atlanta ASC Contracting Div. staff including 43 Contracting Division staff, and numerous program office staff located in twenty-one cities throughout the ASC’s jurisdiction.

Provided training and technical assistance for HUD grantees throughout the southeast, southwest, and Caribbean. Grantees included, Community Planning and Development offices representing all the cities, and Public Housing Authorities under the ASC.

Conducted internal evaluations of the contracting practices of HUD staff involved in the procurement process. Evaluated procurement practices of HUD grantees.

Served as the ASC’s liaison and advocate for small, minority and women-owned businesses. -Provided advice and assistance to small businesses on how to obtain contracting opportunities with the Department and other Federal agencies.

Planned, coordinated, marketed, and produced a minority and women-owned business (MBE) opportunity conferences for the ASC.

Contract Specialist, GS-1102-13/3, October 1994 to April 1996

Department of Housing and Urban Development

451 7th Street, Washington, DC 20410

Duties and Accomplishments:

Developed procurement policy and procedures for all procurements managed by the Office of Housing’s program staff nationwide.

Prepared procurement circulars and other procurement related materials used to provide technical guidance for the Office of Housing procurement officials.

Lead conference discussions and meetings with HUD officials and other Federal and Industry Representatives to address procurement and grants related policy and procedural matters for the Office of Housing.

Performed comprehensive reviews and provided on-site technical assistance to Housing staff in the Acquired Property Offices at HUD field offices nationwide. Provided procurement advice and technical assistance to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the Housing procurement staff nationwide.

Provided advice and technical assistance to Regional Directors and their staff on all matters concerning property disposition contracts.

Served on the Departmental Grants Working Group helping to develop HUD policy for grants management.

Contract Specialist, GS-1102-13/3 July 1992 to October 1994

Department of Transportation-Maritime Administration

Duties and Accomplishments:

Negotiated multimillion-dollar contracts, contract modifications, requests for equitable adjustment, and contract claims for the Ready Reserve Force (RRF).

Provided contract administration oversight services for contract administration staff located in three regional Administrative Contracting Offices, which included reviewing procurement documentation and procedures and providing procurement advice and technical assistance to procurement staff at the ACOs and contractor facilities.

Developed and executed a Contract Administration Review program, used to conduct procurement system reviews of the three regional ACO offices, and all for all the Ship Managers and General Agents who performed contract administration functions for MARAD.

Conducted on site reviews of the ACOs, Ship Managers and General Agents, providing recommendations for the proper implementation of procurement policy and procedures to aid and improve the effectiveness of the Ship Manager Program.

Responded to Congressional inquiries related to ship management contracts.

Prepared justifications and approvals to support sole source procurement actions.

Researched and prepared Contracting Officer’s Final Decisions on claims presented against the Administration.

Researched and prepared Rule Four files for litigation initiated by and against the Administration.

Received incentive award for accepting additional assignments outside my normal duties. Received incentive award for negotiating sixteen major contract modifications, which resulted in savings for the Administration.

Received National Performance Review Certificate of Appreciation (Hammer Award) from Vice President Gore for innovative efforts to streamline operations while providing sustained excellence in customer service.

Procurement Analyst, GS-1102-12 March 1991 to July 1992

Defense Logistics Agency-Defense Fuel Supply Center

Alexandria, VA 22304

Duties and Accomplishments:

Procurement Consultant, advising management, Contracting Officers and procurement staff on matters pertaining to contract policies and procedures.

Reviewed contract actions and practices of all the Center’s procurements performed by approximately eighty staff members.

Conducted pre-solicitation, pre-award, and post-award contract reviews of all the procurement offices at the Center.

Prepared contract review reports which detailed my analysis of each contract file indicating problems found and provided recommendations for corrective actions.

Conducted one-on-one training sessions on various procurement topics with contracting staff at the center upon request.

Received a letter of appreciation for assisting procurement staff in negotiating a multimillion-dollar contract for petroleum storage in Guam.

Contract Administrator, GS-1102-11 April 1989 to March 1991

Defense Contract Management Agency-DCASR

Dallas, TX 75202-4399

Duties and Accomplishments:

Performed contract administration of DoD contacts assigned to the Defense Plant Representative Office (DPRO) located on-site at Texas Instruments (TI), defense electronic and optical manufacturing facility in Dallas, Texas.

Personally administered eighty plus contracts assigned to me. Contract administration included reviewing the contract actions to ensure appropriateness of clauses, funding, contract type and structure.

Resolved all ambiguities that occurred between the awarding DoD agency and the contractor. Served as liaison between TI and the DoD Departments.

Conducted onsite reviews of the contractors’ operations and ensured compliance with contract terms, serving as the leader of a team of government officials, including Production Engineers, Quality Assurance Specialists, and Property Management Specialists.

Conducted post-award conferences with contractors to clarify issues or resolve problems that arose related to newly awarded contracts.

Negotiated orders against Indefinite Delivery contracts issued by the DoD Departments, for hardware and services. Reviewed contract proposals and performed technical and cost/price analysis.

Negotiated contracts and prepared contract documents; monitored contractor performance and compliance with contractual terms; monitored contractor performance against established delivery schedules and ensured contractor payments were timely and appropriate.

Coordinated contract related requests from Defense agencies and foreign Governments.

Negotiated consideration from the contractor when delinquencies occurred in the contract delivery schedule.

Performed contract closeout when production under assigned contracts were completed.

Received cash awards for volunteering to perform assignments beyond my responsibilities.

Contract Specialist, GS-1102-9 October 1985 to April 1989

U.S. Army Missile Command, Redstone

Arsenal, AL 35898

Duties and Accomplishment:

Graduated from the Army Material Command’s “Procurement Intern Program” where I received extensive procurement and administrative training (on the job and formal).

Had extensive formal procurement training as well as extensive on the job training as a Contract Specialist.

Negotiated and administered contracts for the TOW and Multiple Launch Rocket Systems.

Negotiated and awarded contracts for spare and repair parts and entire missile systems, along with their related spare parts, depot maintenance and engineering services. The contract types included FFP, cost reimbursement, and incentive type contracts. Also administered and awarded contract orders under Basic Ordering Agreements.

Developed advance procurement plans for major missile system programs. Reviewed procurement packages to ensure thoroughness and completeness once received from the program offices.

Processed procurement documents and reports. Evaluated sole source and competitive proposals and conducted cost/price analysis to establish negotiation objectives. Negotiated and administered foreign military sales contracts.

Provided procurement advice and support to program office representatives and initiated required actions needed to successfully implement and manage high visibility procurements.

Acquisition Systems and Business Applications:

●Prism

●Ariba

●GFMS/RFMS

●PeopleSoft

●SharePoint

●Microsoft Suite

●Momentum

●FPDS-NG

Certifications and Training:

FAC-C Level III Contracting Certification (5/23/2017)

National Grants Management Association

Education:

American University, Washington, DC

Graduate Level Coursework

Credits Earned: 12 Semester hours

Major: Public Administration

Southern University, Baton Rouge LA

Bachelor's Degree

Major: Business Management, Minor: Economics

Security Clearance: Active Secret

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