Federal Contracts Training Center

Gregory A. Garrett, CPCM, C.P.M., PMP

Gregory A. Garrett is the Managing Director and leader of the Navigant Consulting, Inc. Government Contractor Services practice, headquartered in Vienna, Virginia. He is an internationally recognized expert in government contracting, cost estimating, contract pricing, proposal management, and project management. He is also a best-selling author of 16 books and 90+ published articles, a former highly decorated United States Air Force Military Officer, acclaimed speaker, and respected international business consultant. During the past 25+ years, he has successfully managed more than $30 Billion of large complex contracts and projects in both the U.S. government and industry. He has taught and consulted with more than 25,000 professionals in 40+ countries. He is the recipient of numerous national and international business awards for his writing, teaching, consulting, and leadership.

Mr. Garrett provides client support in assessing business risk and providing recommendations for performance improvement of contractor business systems, including: purchasing systems, cost estimating systems, contract pricing systems, contract administration systems, earned value management systems, subcontract management processes, and program management methodologies. He also serves as an expert witness in support of client claims/litigation.

Prior to joining Navigant Consulting, he served as Chief Operating Officer for Acquisition Solutions, Inc. where he led consulting engagements for over 30 U.S. Federal Government Agencies. He served 9 years with Lucent Technologies, Inc. as Chief Compliance Officer and VP of Program Management. Previously, he served as Partner and Executive Director Global Business at ESI International. Formerly, he served as a highly decorated military officer, for the United States Air Force, including assignments as: program manager Space Systems Division, warranted contracting officer Aeronautical Systems Division, professor of contracting management Air Force Institute of Technology, and acquisition action officer, HQ USAF the Pentagon.

Professional Experience
Mr. Garrett has worked with government contractors on a variety of complex issues, including:
• Guiding emerging government contractors to develop strategies to win business with U.S. Federal Government agencies
• Evaluating government prime contractors and subcontractors business systems, including: cost estimating systems, contract pricing systems, purchasing systems, government property management systems, earned value management systems, and contract administration systems
• Creating a Global Program Management Methodology, with processes, policies, tools, and training, supporting more than 2,000 project managers in over 40 countries for a Fortune 100 information technology firm
• Creating a comprehensive bid/proposal/capture management methodology, with process, policies, tools, and training for a Fortune 100 global services firm
• Evaluating the Life-Cycle buying and selling contract management and subcontract management processes of numerous Fortune 500 Firms to determine action plans to optimize business results
• Developing and implementing a robust and cost effective Earned Value Management System (EVMS) for a growing Top 50 U.S. Department of Defense government contractor
• Preparing companies for pending government reviews and audits conducted by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), including: Contractor Purchasing Systems Review (CPSR), Government Property Management Systems Review, Integrated Baseline Review (IBR), Cost Estimating, and Contract Pricing Systems Reviews
• Serving as an expert contract negotiator/consultant to enable numerous Fortune 500 firms to obtain the best possible contract negotiation results on large complex high technology contracts
• Conducting Benchmarking studies of contract management, subcontract management, and logistics management processes, policies, tools, and training for numerous government agencies and government contractors
• Developing, evaluating, and conducting customized professional training seminars on numerous business topics worldwide, including: cost estimating, contract pricing, contract negotiations, bid/proposal/capture management, performance-based contracting, contract administration, program management, supply chain management, risk management, and leadership

Mr. Garrett is the author or coauthor of 16 books, including:

(1) Managing Contracts for Peak Performance, NCMA, 1990
(2) World Class Contracting, ESI International (1st Edition 1997), CCH, (2nd, 3rd, & 4th Editions 2001, 2003, 2007)
(3) The Capture Management Life-Cycle: Winning More Business (CCH, 2003)
(4) Managing Complex Outsourced Projects (CCH, 2004)
(5) Contract Negotiations (CCH, 2005)
(6) Contract Management Organizational Assessment Tools (NCMA, 2005)
(7) Performance-Based Acquisition (NCMA, 2006)
(8) U.S. Military Program Management (Management Concepts, 2007)
(9) Leadership: Building High Performance Buying & Selling Teams (NCMA, 2007)
(10) Solicitations, Bids, Proposals, & Source Selection (CCH, 2007)
(11) Getting Results: Six Disciplines of Performance-Based Project Management (CCH, 2008)
(12) Cost Estimating and Contract Pricing (CCH, 2008)
(13) Risk Management for Complex U.S. Government Contracts and Projects (NCMA, 2009)
(14) Managing Subcontracts(Thomson-West, 2009)
(15) Contract Administration (CCH, 2009)
(16) Time and Materials Contracts and Pricing (CCH, 2010)

Mr. Garrett has authored or coauthored over 90 published articles, in more than 12 professional magazines and journals on the following topics:

• Cost Estimating
• Contract Pricing
• Contract Negotiations
• Contract Administration
• U.S. Government Contracting
• Performance-Based Acquisition
• Commercial Contracting
• Bid/Proposal Management
• Project Management
• U.S. Military Program Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Risk Management
• Subcontract Management
• Earned Value Management
• Leadership

John G. Williams

John Williams is a Director in the Government Contractor Services practice of Navigant Consulting, Inc. Mr. Williams has 24 years experience in the areas of government contract compliance; claims and investigation support; government contracts accounting; regulatory compliance; internal control systems audits; and supporting numerous financial and manufacturing systems implementations.

Prior to joining NCI, Mr. Williams worked for a major consulting firm as Director of GSA Compliance. He has held positions at a big four international public accounting firm, at two government contractors, and as a commissioned officer in the US Army where he frequently interacted with US and international contractors in all facets of government contracting.

Professional Experience

Both as a consultant and in industry positions, Mr. Williams has helped companies establish, assess, and improve, government contract compliance programs. Particular areas of emphasis in this regard have been cost accounting; pricing and estimating; procurement and subcontract management; program management; and GSA Schedule oversight. In addition to his experience with developing, establishing, and monitoring policies, procedures, and practices in this connection, he has also developed and delivered a variety of training programs.

Coupling his compliance experience at several government contractors with his experience as a warranted Contracting Officer and as a customer in the US Army has allowed Mr. Williams to offer his clients unique perspectives and practical solutions to their procurement-related challenges. In this regard, Mr. Williams has experience interpreting and applying the requirements of FAR Parts 12 and15 from both a government and an industry point of view. His experience and perspective is particularly beneficial to clients preparing for Contractor Purchasing System Reviews (CPSRs) as well as assisting clients to prepare to for interactions with government customers and contracting personnel. He has performed all manners of price reasonableness determinations, including market surveys, price analyses, and cost analyses.

Mr. Williams has supported internal and external counsel in the areas of claims and investigations. Mr. Williams assisted external counsel and a prime contractor that was terminated for default in the conversion of the claim to a termination for convenience and in developing the associated termination claim. Mr. Williams also assisted external counsel for a CDC contractor to investigate and develop the quantum of a subcontractor’s alleged fraudulent billing practices.

Mr. Williams also has broad and deep experience with all facets of government contract cost accounting and related compliance with FAR Part 31 cost principles and the Cost Accounting Standards. He has advised clients on and assisted them in: preparing incurred cost submissions; developing indirect cost accounting structures, and evaluating the supportability of their complex cost allowability and allocability practices. He has performed assessments of Material Management Accounting Systems (MMAS) and Material Resource Planning Systems (MRP). Additionally, he has acted as liaison to DCAA and Inspector General auditors in connection with pre- and post-award GSA audits, as well as incurred cost and systems-related internal control audits.

Mr. Williams often consults with clients on matters early in the negotiated contract lifecycle, including devising indirect cost structures, developing detailed cost estimates in connection with preparation of contract cost/price proposals and preparing forward pricing rate proposals. He advises clients on the proper accumulation, organization, and disclosure of cost or pricing data, including consultation on “sweeps” and certifications prior to cost/price negotiations.

Mr. Williams has over 24 years of service as a commissioned officer in the US military. Recently, he served approximately 4 years on active duty supporting Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. During his tenure in the military he:

• Served as a warranted contingency contracting officer in support of the ARFOR-T Commander in Eastern Turkey. He awarded numerous contracts totaling approximately $1 million for supplies and base support services.
• Served as a contract pricing analyst at the US Air Force Contracting Squadron in Ramstein, Germany. During the course of the negotiation of a multi-year base support contract he was directly responsible for approximately $750,000 in savings to the Government.
• Served as the chief of Logistics Information Systems at the 21st Theater Support Command in Germany. In this position he led a professional staff composed of Dept of Army military, civilians and contractors with various functional and technical backgrounds. He was primarily responsible for the operations and support of transportation and logistics systems in use within the European theater in support of 62,000 troops spanning 35 countries and 35,000 square miles. He was responsible for the procurement of RFID, wireless and satellite based communication equipment as well as related technical support services.
• Served as the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) in Hungarian Response 2001 held in Taborfalva, Hungary. During this four week exercise, he was instrumental in drafting new requirements and modifications to existing task orders for the Contracting Officer. He also was involved in monitoring and verifying contractor delivery under existing task orders and assisted the contracting officer in resolving service delivery issues.

While in industry at a mid-tier government contractor, Mr. Williams managed an accounting team responsible for general ledger, cost accounting, accounts payable, invoicing, and accounts receivable. He was an accounting core team member involved in the selection and subsequent implementation of Deltek to replace the existing non-integrated job cost accounting system.