Contractual Transition

On a recent contractual project, I work on revised an internal document regarding Contractual Transition. The purpose of the document was to provide a high-level understanding on how to put together the information to respond to an RFP.

The text below is the streamlined version of what I wrote for the company.

‘Successful contract transition requires stakeholders to view the transition as a project itself. For example, when our organization is faced with the challenge of responding to task orders nationwide within days, we apply project management methods and practices to overcome those challenges successfully.”

“It is critical to consider the people who will execute the work. A thorough plan to find, leverage, and keep staff with the right skills, certifications, and experience will minimize transition risks. A flexible, comprehensive approach to finding those who can best perform the work is another key to effecting smooth transitions”.

Incumbent Transition – Clarify and communicate how crucial incumbent retention is to the ongoing success of the project. Contractors can then propose a multi-pronged strategy to retain incumbents through methods such as:

·         Documented transition procedures tailored to client and mission needs

·         Regular communications, with face-to-face sessions to ensure personnel understand the new contractor and their continued role in the contract

Recruitment – A strong recruitment plan provides people who are not only qualified with required certifications, education, and experience, but who possess intangible qualities that will make them a good fit for both the government agency and the support contractor. A robust candidate pipeline depends on:

·         Recruiting technology solutions that provide efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and transparency

·         Rapid recruiting capability and past performance demonstrating the ability to respond quickly to task orders with domain experts

Retention – A smooth transition should ideally, lead to a smooth contract lifecycle. However, factors such as staff turnover can lead to bumps in the road, which is why stability and retention are so important. A solid retention approach will include:

·         A well-defined strategy and clearly communicated organizational values

·         Recognition and reward for high-quality work

Seth