Price, Cost and Finance - Resources & Training

Resources

Contract Pricing Reference Guides

The Contract Pricing Reference Guides are a set of reference volumes that were developed jointly by the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) and the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT).

The Guides were developed to provide instruction and guidance for contracting personnel. They include examples of applying pricing policies to pricing problems.

The Contract Pricing Reference Guides are posted on the DAU Acquisition Tools & Resources Website located here.

Commercial Acquisition Resources

DCMA Commercial Item Group Website

Department of Defense Guidebook for Acquiring Commercial Items

Access to commercial items and commercial practices brings significant benefit to the DoD including the creation and integration of new technology, increased competition, and an expanded pool of innovative and non-traditional contractors who seek to do business with the DoD. This guide is written for acquisition professionals that are seeking additional information on the commercial acquisitions including the commercial item definition, how to make a commercial item determination, and how to price commercial items.

Performance Based Payments Resources

Performance Based Payment Guidebook

The purpose of the Guide is to provide assistance to users based on lessons learned over the past fifteen years. It is important for users to read the entire guide because of the inter-relationship of the topics covered. It includes Chapters such as:

  • Contracting Financing Basics-FAR Part 32
  • Performance Based Payments (PBPs) Basics
  • Determining When PBPs are practical
  • PBP Planning
  • Identifying PBP Events
  • Establishing Completion Criteria for PBP Events
  • The Importance of the Expenditure Profile
  • Establishing PBP Event Values

The Guide is Available for download here.

Contract Incentive Resources

Contract Incentive Guidebook

Incentive-type contracts are proven vehicles for DoD and industry to share equitably in cost savings or risks. When structured correctly, an incentive contract aligns industry motivations with the Government’s desired outcomes. DFARS 216.104 requires contracting officers to follow the principles and procedures in Guidance on Using Incentive and Other Contract Types, dated April 1, 2016.

Training

Striking the Balance

This innovative training series, taught by subject matter experts across the DoD, covers pricing-related topics of interest to help acquisition professionals strike the balance between competing objectives. The webinar series is moderated by DAU and sponsored by Defense Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy (DPCAP). Registration is required for new webinars. Webinars have included topics such as pricing variable quantities; cost plus incentive fee contracts; lessons learned and best practices on speed, price and quality; and performance-based payments. A list of Striking the Balance webinars to include presentation materials and links to recorded sessions may be found here and via the DAU playlist.

Performance Based Payments Training

It is imperative that acquisition professionals have a solid understanding of how to develop a PBP contract financing arrangement that is beneficial for both Government and Industry. This course covers six key steps in how to develop an adequate PBP agreement.

Click Here for the August 2020 PBP training

PCF has created a training demonstration on how to appropriately use the PBP tool to structure and negotiate “win-win” agreements with the contractor.

Click Here for the July 2021 PBP tool training, which was a Striking the Balance webinar series course entitled Performance Based Payments.

Inflation Training

DPCAP has partnered with DAU to provide training for acquisition professionals regarding the impact of inflation based on contract type pertaining to existing contracts, and the proper use of the Economic Price Adjustment (EPA) clause to address inflation-related concerns for prospective contracts. This training consists of a DAU online training course, CON 7470 Inflation and Economic Price Adjustments, and a Striking the Balance webinar series course entitled "Striking the Balance: Constructing Fair Economic Price Adjustment Clauses".

Commercial Acquisition Training

DAU Commercial Acquisition Resources: Examples, Roles, and References

  • DAU Continuous Learning Module CLC 020, Commercial Item Determination
  • DAU Continuous Learning Module CLC 139, Acquisition of Commercial Items
  • DAU Course CMC 170, Pricing Commercial Acquisitions