COMMENTARY >> How does contracting work?

By Lt. Col. Mitchell Appley
314th Contracting Squadron commander


It’s the end of June, and the boss comes to you with a hot requirement to purchase a new audio visual system for your unit’s conference room.

You do some market research of your own and find out that a system, with the features and specifications you need, will probably cost about $50,000. You realize the purchase will need to be made through the contracting squadron but you’re not sure how to get started and panic begins to set in.

We understand that the acquisition process can sometimes seem complicated and confusing especially if it’s the first time you’ve prepared a requirement’s package.

The 314th Contracting Squadron is committed to providing you with the best possible acquisition support that we can, and we’ve developed some resources we hope can help.

A good place to get started is on the 314th Contracting Squadron community of practice where you’ll be able to find and access squadron points of contact, our customer guide, a cheat sheet for preparing your AF Form 9, resource management training and other useful information.

Here are a few important tips to remember to help the acquisition process go smoother:

• DO contact us as soon as you know of a requirement!

• If you’re the resource advisor, remind your commander or management team to keep you involved and if you’re a
commander or project officer, keep your resource advisor involved!

• DO ensure someone who knows about the requirement will be available to answer the contracting officer’s questions, especially in September!

• DO provide an “approved” civil engineer work request, Air Force Form 332, with your Air Force Form 9 for the purchase or modification of real property. Examples: Installation of equipment requiring wiring (audio visual or PA equipment); equipment to be attached to the walls or floors (space saver filing systems, chapel pews)

• Before you go to the trouble of preparing an AF Form 9 for anything computer-related – hardware, software, or information technology services – contact the base equipment control officer 987-8265 or the wing information assurance office at 987-8628 for guidance

• DON’T hold your requirement package because you are waiting for quotes or because you don’t know exactly what you want. Contracting can assist with market research and save you time and money!

• DON’T ask a contractor to come out and look at your conference room, office setup, furniture or anything else. Why? 1. You can be charged for the visit. 2. There’s no guarantee that contracting will award to the vendor you “selected.” 3. You could easily compromise the entire process.

So remember there’s no need to panic about how to get that hot requirement on contract for your boss.

Call the contracting squadron first and we will aggressively work with you to define requirements, identify optimum acquisition solutions and deliver the right products and services to meet your mission requirements.