The purpose of this thesis is to determine the need for qualified Contracting Officers in the execution and administration of contracts formulated under the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program. This 15-year Program is mandated by Republic Act (RA) 7898, otherwise known as the AFP Modernization Act. This law is implemented through Department of National Defense Circular (DC) No. 1 dated 06 March 2000 (replacing DC 29 dated 19 May 1996). The Circular provided adequate guidance for the conduct of major system contracting, but barely touched on the process of contract execution and administration by Contracting Officers, except for assigning this function to the Major Services under the supervision of the Chief of Staff, AFP (CSAFP). It assumes that the parties involved would infer the process of contract administration from the terms and conditions of the contract itself. Contract administration, as handled by qualified Contracting Officers, is a vital process in government acquisitions. It ensures the successful completion of the contract according to the satisfaction of the parties involved. Without this system in place, the AFP risks failure in its Modernization Program (AFPMP). This thesis ascertains the need for qualified Contracting Officers to handle the complex contracts that are sure to come out of the AFPMP. It evaluates the existing contract execution and administration structure in the AFP vis-aÌ -vis existing guidelines to establish the need for βContracting Officerγ positions. Once established, the thesis expounds on the envisioned role of Contracting Officers as they handle the various contracting activities in the AFPMP. It also recommends the associated career paths, education, training and certification programs needed to establish the said position. / Philippine Navy author

Thesis (M.S. in Management) Naval Postgraduate School, Dec. 2001. / Thesis advisors, Jeffrey R. Cuskey, David V. Lamm. "December 2001." Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-81). Also available in print.

Thesis (M. S. in Management) Naval Postgraduate School, March 1997. / Thesis advisor(s): Lamm, David V. ; Shockley, Danny A. AD-A331 796. "March 1997." Includes bibliographical references (p. 141-148). Also available online.

In order to achieve the stated goal of reducing the final closing procedure time cycle for construction projects at the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Odessa District, several standard operating procedures (SOPs) for project construction control and management had to be revised. Seemingly unrelated tasks created posterior chains of events that resulted in bottlenecks in the process and delayed final project closing. Four specific SOPs were identified and analyzed to determine which tasks required modification and what was expected from these modifications. A mission for each specified SOP was conceived and written to give a clear view of the intent of the procedure. Afterwards, district policies were drafted to provide the means to fulfill the intent. The procedural changes, compatible with TxDOT statewide procedures, allowed the time spent in the processes to remain the same but redistributed it to reduce the end-loading of the control process. The new SOPs require an even time distribution cyclically throughout the project. Control procedures are done only once, shortening the final closing procedure for projects by doing one-time, short, cyclical, consecutive control tasks of the same procedure throughout the life of the project, rather than doing some of them once cyclically and then again at the closing procedure and others just at the closing procedure. These changes resulted in a shorter end-cycle time, which substantially reduced the final closing procedure time for each project, without affecting the integrity and safeguards of the project. The changes resulted in more efficient and timely financial, managerial, and engineering control of projects. The procedures revised were (1) Review and Approval of Change Orders; (2) Review and Approval of Monthly Progress Estimates; (3) Review and Approval of Interim and Final Audits and Final Estimate; and (4) Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SW3P) Records Management and Auditing Procedures.

No contexto atual de competitividade e racionalização nos negócios, a maioria das organizações não dispõe de todos os recursos necessários para a realização de seus projetos, requerendo a participação de fornecedores de materiais, equipamentos, serviços, sistemas, soluções e, até mesmo, de todo o projeto. Isto faz com que a escolha da modalidade de contratação mais adequada a cada item ou pacote a ser adquirido no mercado tenha efeitos determinantes sobre os prazos, custos, qualidade, riscos e esforços, podendo contribuir significativamente para o sucesso do projeto. Como esta escolha geralmente é feita com base nas regras de uso das modalidades, as opções acabam se restringindo a modalidades cujas regras são mais conhecidas. É possível, porém, utilizar um conjunto de fatores que, uma vez identificados, podem facilitar a escolha de modalidades mais adequadas. Este trabalho apresenta as principais características de um espectro amplo de modalidades de contratação aplicáveis em projetos, identifica os principais fatores que influenciam na escolha das modalidades e propõe uma abordagem estruturada para a escolha da modalidade de contratação, partindo das características do projeto e do ambiente em que é realizado e não das complexas regras de uso das modalidades. A aplicação de um modelo operacional resultante desta abordagem estruturada permitiu demonstrar, através de simulações de campo, que embora existam aspectos específicos de cada projeto, é possível identificar um conjunto de fatores que possibilitam definir a modalidade de contratação mais adequada em cada aquisição do projeto. / In the current context of competitiveness and rationalization in business, most of the organizations do not have all the necessary resources to develop their projects, requiring the participation of suppliers of materials, equipment, services, systems, solutions or even the whole project. Thanks to this, the choice on contract type for each item or package to be purchased on the market has determinant effects on schedule, costs, quality, risks and efforts, and can contribute decisively to success of the project. As this choice is usually based on rules of use of the contract types, the options are frequently restricted to those contract types whose rules are known. However, it is possible to use a set of factors that, once identified, can facilitate the choice of most appropriate contract types. This thesis presents the main characteristics of a broad spectrum of contract types applicable in projects, identifies the main factors influencing the decision of contract types and proposes a structured approach for choosing the type of contract, based on project characteristics and environment instead of the complex rules of use of the contract types. Field simulations using an operational model resulting from this structured approach allowed to show that, although there are specific aspects in every project, it is possible to identify a set of factors that help define the appropriate type of contract for each project acquisition.

Tomando por hipótese fatores e habilidades influentes na gestão de projetos e de contratos, esta dissertação tem por objetivo propor um conjunto mínimo de procedimentos que oriente o planejamento da Administração de Contrato, com base no gerenciamento de riscos. Partindo de uma revisão da literatura sobre os processos de administração de contratos e de riscos, o trabalho discute a sua interface e investiga os pontos de vista das partes compradora e vendedora que celebram contratos de obras do setor da construção pesada, aqui representadas por duas organizações com forte presença no mercado brasileiro. Também é apresentado e discutido um método de análise e estruturação de contratos. O trabalho revela os principais requisitos do planejamento da Administração de Contrato. / Assuming influential factors and skills on project and contract management, the aim of this dissertation is to propose a minimum set of procedures to serve as guidance on Contract Administration planning, based on risk management. Grounded in a review of the literature on contract and risk management processes, this work discusses its interface and examines the viewpoints of the buying and selling parties that sign contracts of projects in the heavy construction industry, herein represented by two companies that play a significant role in the Brazilian market. In addition, a contract analysis and structuring method is presented and discussed. This work shows the main requirements of Contract Administration planning.

No contexto atual de competitividade e racionalização nos negócios, a maioria das organizações não dispõe de todos os recursos necessários para a realização de seus projetos, requerendo a participação de fornecedores de materiais, equipamentos, serviços, sistemas, soluções e, até mesmo, de todo o projeto. Isto faz com que a escolha da modalidade de contratação mais adequada a cada item ou pacote a ser adquirido no mercado tenha efeitos determinantes sobre os prazos, custos, qualidade, riscos e esforços, podendo contribuir significativamente para o sucesso do projeto. Como esta escolha geralmente é feita com base nas regras de uso das modalidades, as opções acabam se restringindo a modalidades cujas regras são mais conhecidas. É possível, porém, utilizar um conjunto de fatores que, uma vez identificados, podem facilitar a escolha de modalidades mais adequadas. Este trabalho apresenta as principais características de um espectro amplo de modalidades de contratação aplicáveis em projetos, identifica os principais fatores que influenciam na escolha das modalidades e propõe uma abordagem estruturada para a escolha da modalidade de contratação, partindo das características do projeto e do ambiente em que é realizado e não das complexas regras de uso das modalidades. A aplicação de um modelo operacional resultante desta abordagem estruturada permitiu demonstrar, através de simulações de campo, que embora existam aspectos específicos de cada projeto, é possível identificar um conjunto de fatores que possibilitam definir a modalidade de contratação mais adequada em cada aquisição do projeto. / In the current context of competitiveness and rationalization in business, most of the organizations do not have all the necessary resources to develop their projects, requiring the participation of suppliers of materials, equipment, services, systems, solutions or even the whole project. Thanks to this, the choice on contract type for each item or package to be purchased on the market has determinant effects on schedule, costs, quality, risks and efforts, and can contribute decisively to success of the project. As this choice is usually based on rules of use of the contract types, the options are frequently restricted to those contract types whose rules are known. However, it is possible to use a set of factors that, once identified, can facilitate the choice of most appropriate contract types. This thesis presents the main characteristics of a broad spectrum of contract types applicable in projects, identifies the main factors influencing the decision of contract types and proposes a structured approach for choosing the type of contract, based on project characteristics and environment instead of the complex rules of use of the contract types. Field simulations using an operational model resulting from this structured approach allowed to show that, although there are specific aspects in every project, it is possible to identify a set of factors that help define the appropriate type of contract for each project acquisition.

Tomando por hipótese fatores e habilidades influentes na gestão de projetos e de contratos, esta dissertação tem por objetivo propor um conjunto mínimo de procedimentos que oriente o planejamento da Administração de Contrato, com base no gerenciamento de riscos. Partindo de uma revisão da literatura sobre os processos de administração de contratos e de riscos, o trabalho discute a sua interface e investiga os pontos de vista das partes compradora e vendedora que celebram contratos de obras do setor da construção pesada, aqui representadas por duas organizações com forte presença no mercado brasileiro. Também é apresentado e discutido um método de análise e estruturação de contratos. O trabalho revela os principais requisitos do planejamento da Administração de Contrato. / Assuming influential factors and skills on project and contract management, the aim of this dissertation is to propose a minimum set of procedures to serve as guidance on Contract Administration planning, based on risk management. Grounded in a review of the literature on contract and risk management processes, this work discusses its interface and examines the viewpoints of the buying and selling parties that sign contracts of projects in the heavy construction industry, herein represented by two companies that play a significant role in the Brazilian market. In addition, a contract analysis and structuring method is presented and discussed. This work shows the main requirements of Contract Administration planning.

O gerenciamento de aquisições vem se tornando um dos aspectos mais importantes do gerenciamento de projetos, acompanhando a tendência das organizações de se dedicarem mais à sua vocação competitiva e passarem a adquirir de fontes externas os recursos, materiais, equipamentos, sistemas, soluções e serviços necessários à realização de seus projetos. Esta tendência tem feito com que, num número cada vez maior de projetos, a organização empreendedora realize grande parte e, às vezes todo o projeto, através de organizações externas. Neste contexto, a equipe do projeto gerencia, na verdade, um portfolio de fornecimentos aos quais tem que aplicar metodologias, técnicas e ferramentas de todas as demais áreas de conhecimento do gerenciamento de projetos. Não obstante sua crescente importância, o gerenciamento de aquisições em projetos é um tema relativamente pouco coberto pela bibliografia de gerenciamento de projetos e sua terminologia é pouco consensual. Este trabalho destaca a crescente importância do gerenciamento de aquisições em projetos, sintetizando os processos, técnicas e ferramentas reconhecidas atualmente como as melhores práticas nesta área de conhecimento. Foi desenvolvido um modelo de maturidade específico para gerenciamento de aquisições em projetos, com o objetivo de aferir o alinhamento entre o que é praticado nas empresas e as melhores práticas apresentadas nas principais referências bibliográficas. Através do estudo de casos de três empresas com forte atuação em projetos, foi possível aferir o alinhamento de suas práticas com um padrão previamente estabelecido, aplicando e validando o modelo desenvolvido. A pesquisa permitiu, também, avaliar o reconhecimento da importância do gerenciamento de aquisições nas empresas pesquisadas, bem como o grau de consenso na terminologia utilizada em seus processos de aquisições. / Procurement management has became one of the most important aspects in project management, accompanying the trend to focus organizations in their core business, and therefore contracting resources, materials, equipments, systems, solutions and services from external sources, to have their projects accomplished. This trend results that in a crescent number of projects, the performing organization gets a considerable part of the project, and sometimes the whole project, done by external sources. In this context, the project team manages, in fact, a portfolio of sourcing projects, to which it is necessary to apply methodology, tools and techniques from all others knowledge areas of project management. Nevertheless its increasing importance, project procurement management is a subject poor covered by project management references and its terminology is not consensual. This work emphasizes the growing importance of project procurement management and synthesizes the processes, tools and techniques actually recognized as best practices in this knowledge area. A maturity model specifically to project procurement management has been developed to evaluate the alignment level of what is being done in real world companies with the best practices presented by the most representative references. Through case studies of three companies that perform projects consistently, it was possible to evaluate the alignment of their practices with a standard previously set, applying and validating the model. The research also has allowed gauging the recognition of the procurement management importance within the researched companies, as well as the grade of consensus on the terminology used in their acquisition processes.

Contract management starts with the contract negotiations and lasts until the end of the contract, and is the process that covers three fundamental functions required to compensate the goals of the project / Relationship Management, Project Delivery, and Administration of the contract. This thesis focused on investigating contract management behavior of Turkish construction companies in international projects. A survey was composed and interviewed with professionals for investigating the contract management behavior of contractors. The survey aimed to investigate / factors influencing contractors&rsquo / behaviors, key success factors for contract management, company contract management organizations, claim issues, and conflict and dispute resolution behavior of firms. 51 companies participated to the survey. The survey results revealed that Turkish contractors consider contract management to be significant for success at international markets. Contractors are aware of the need for a continuous contract management application although this rate cannot be achieved in practice. Considering awareness as a driving factor for improvement it can be estimated that in future Turkish contractors will be managing their contracts in more efficient, organized and systematic ways than today. Results revealed that / contract management behaviors are mostly affected by the risk and complexity of the project, regular contract process is the most impactful process on the success, and change order requests of the owners are the most frequent reasons of claims. According to respondents contract management can reduce number of conflicts and disputes.