2. Background
General Timeline
• Transition Environment (Staff, Support companies, Customers/Projects)
• Core Transition Responsibilities
General message – We should all care and help ensure successful contract transitions. It’s not
just the successors responsibility
‘Parental Style Mindset’ – Release your tasks, projects and transitioning staff as if you were
sending them off to college. Well equipped and knowing that you want them to succeed.
3. Personal Experience
• Began working in 1984 at GSFC since 1989 Employed by SGT Inc.
• Masters – Space Systems Engineering
• Held many roles supporting NASA – Currently Program Manager
MSES IIA contract at Goddard Space Flight Center
Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies
• Founded in 1994; Headquartered in Greenbelt, MD
• 1,600 employees: engineers, scientists, IT professionals
• Key Customers
– NASA – NOAA
– Goddard Space Flight – Department of IT 24%
Center Transportation
– Ames Research Center – Air Force Space Engineering 61%
– Glenn Research Center Command Science 5%
Program
– Stennis Space Center – USGS M anagement
– Langley Research Center 10%
– Johnson Space Center
– Kennedy Space Center
4. Timing
• Contracts generally turn over every 5 -7 years
• Transitions will not be in alignment with supported Projects
• Procurement schedules generally won’t be fixed
Variables: Procurement delays, protest, etc.
Contractor and Staffing Mix
• Some transitions and contracts can be very large and complicated
• Uncertainties of employees through the process
• Most likely new mixture of contractors on succession vehicle
• Incumbent contractor is likely pursuing the follow-on contract in some fashion
For the purposes of this presentation – it’s assumed the incumbent will transition
follow-on the contract to a successor contractor
5. CONTINUITY OF SERVICES (JAN 1991)
(a) The Contractor recognizes that the services under this contract are vital to the Government and must be
continued without interruption and that, upon contract expiration, a successor, either the Government or
another contractor, may continue them. The Contractor agrees to—
(1) Furnish phase-in training; and (2) Exercise its best efforts and cooperation to effect an orderly and efficient
transition to a successor.
(b) The Contractor shall, upon the Contracting Officer’s written notice, (1) furnish phase-in, phase-out services
for up to 90 days after this contract expires and (2) negotiate in good faith a plan with a successor to
determine the nature and extent of phase-in, phase-out services required. The plan shall specify a training
program and a date for transferring responsibilities for each division of work described in the plan, and shall be
subject to the Contracting Officer’s approval. The Contractor shall provide sufficient experienced personnel
during the phase-in, phase-out period to ensure that the services called for by this contract are maintained at
the required level of proficiency.
(c) The Contractor shall allow as many personnel as practicable to remain on the job to help the successor
maintain the continuity and consistency of the services required by this contract. The Contractor also shall
disclose necessary personnel records and allow the successor to conduct on-site interviews with these
employees. If selected employees are agreeable to the change, the Contractor shall release them at a
mutually agreeable date and negotiate transfer of their earned fringe benefits to the successor.
(d) The Contractor shall be reimbursed for all reasonable phase-in, phase-out costs (i.e., costs incurred within
the agreed period after contract expiration that result from phase-in, phase-out operations) and a fee (profit)
not to exceed a pro rata portion of the fee (profit) under this contract.
(End of clause)
6. Stage 1
• Phase 1) Proposal Development and Submissions
Varied timeframes as companies pursue opportunities approaching release
Synopsis, Industry Day(s), RFI, customer visits, Draft RFP, RFP
• Phase 2) Board Assessments
6-9 months
• Phase 3) Award Announcement and contract start
Unprotested transition could start immediately (after the debriefs)
Stage 2
• Phase 4) Transition
30, 45, 60 and 90 variations (for bulk of contracts)
Stage 3
• Phase 5) Contract Execution by Successor
Dependent on opportunity (5-8 years)
7. Phase 1: Proposal Development and Submission
Stressors:
– Proposal input, writing and reviewing demands
– Project timelines don’t change due to proposal schedule
– Current operating team may not be teammates on follow-on efforts
» Information, working styles and visibility practices may be adjusted near the end
of an executing contract.
On contract (Incumbent) Responsibilities
– Ensure current work continues at a high level (technical and management)
– Increase communications with staff – technical and management level flows.
Contract performance should never be compromised
– Ensure follow-on contract teaming arrangements don’t adversely affect ongoing
contract performance
8. Phase 2: Board Assessments
Stressors:
– Hallway rumors, expectations, realities of contract ending, employee uncertainties
On Contract Responsibilities
– Continue communications to executing team, continue to stress focus on assigned
task and commitments.
– In most cases technical incumbent team will not be adversely impacted by a
transition – convey the message.
– Begin to refine preparatory documents that will be needed for transition
» Task lists, staffing list, property list, ITAR documents and critical project
schedules.
» Have a checklist for every task, work with your NASA Technical Monitors
9. Phase 3: Award Announcements
Stressors
– Realities of contract ending are cemented
– Employee uncertainties have peaked if communications have been lagging
On Contract Responsibilities
– Meet with your current COTR/CO and make sure everyone is on the same page with
regard to the transition
– Generate a proposed schedule for phase out activities
– Work with your current Civil Servant Task monitors
» Descopes and expectations
» Task continuations on succession vehicle (lose visibility but you still have
obligations to your current staff. Is everyone getting picked up on the follow-on
vehicle)
» Realize and help staffers manage change (Internally and/or attending open
houses of successor)
10. Phase 4 On Contract Responsibilities
• The Transition
Stressors:
– Employee uncertainties, some early staff movements are realistic to
assume
– Continue efforts to ensure no interruptions in work or performance
– Maintain trust with current customers through the last day
– Follow-on contract may not be straight forward succession
11. Civil Servant Team Incumbent Contractor Team
(most likely will consist of) Program Manager
Contract Manager or owner Business Manager
Contracting Officer (CO) Contracts Manager
Contracting Officer's Technical Corporate assigned Transition Manager
Representative (COTR)
Resource Analyst (RA)
Representatives from other Major-Use
Organizations
Chief Information Officer's (CIO)
Information Technology (IT) Personnel
Security Personnel
• Execute transition to governments satisfaction
• Entity ensures the governments best interest is
• Execute transition consistent with FAR 52.237-
maintained and serves as official executer of
3 – Continuity of Services (JAN 1991)
the transition
• Should work very closely with incumbent in
ensuring a readiness posture for the transition.
A close relationship will usually yield the most
effective set of information and possibilities for
a smooth transition.
12. On Contract Responsibilities and more elements
Schedule a meeting with the govt, your transition manager and the successor
• Handle requests as appropriate (i.e. current support, contractor team mix, meet weekly)
Finalize Inventory for everything on contract task
• Staffers, subcontracts, equipment, badges
• Readdress and Review critical schedules or milestones
• Document and prepare to disposition all technical equipment, intellectual property,
software, data, licenses and customized scripts that will be transferred.
Identify all contractor-owned technical equipment, intellectual property, software, data, and
end items that must be removed from NASA facilities and ensure the government understands
Establish a definite check-out procedure for all incumbent contractor employees, technical
equipment, intellectual property, software, data, and end items that reside on or at a
government facility.
Facilitate subcontract phase out procedures
• Dependent on size of contract this could be a large effort
13. On Contract Responsibilities and more elements
Task monitors to need access dependencies which might cause some tasks not to transition on day
one
– Large procurement in process, TAA’s, Critical phase of a projects
– All successor transition teams aren’t equal
– Understand your existing task values as it relates to EAC
» Government will need to obligate funding to new vehicle
Additional Notes
– Training – Certification information where appropriate (if any key records held outside of Satern)
– IT Security (Badge transfer process – some badges may not be transferred)
– Clearances (Transfers may have to occur- corp and Govt. security need to be involved)
– ITAR and TAA (3-6 month process)
– Property (GFE listing)
– Final task reports
» add element to final monthly (disposition all deliverables and property held under task order)
14. Phase 5 On Contract Responsibilities
• Contract Execution by Successor
Stressors:
– You and your Business Manager are the only ones left
Responsibilities
– Complete any remaining final task reports
– Final 533’s, Close up trailing costs and invoice processing
– Execute any remaining tasks due lagging issues (ie ITAR, Critical schedules or
government’s convenience)
15. Transition Environment is complex
• (Staff, Support companies, Customers, Projects)
Transition Elements and Core Responsibilities
Make it a success and everybody wins in a variety of ways
16. • Thanks (Shelley Johnson/SGT and MSES Management Team)
• Questions, Comments ?
• Contact Information for follow-up questions and other inquiries:
Tracy Dorsey
tdorsey@sgt-in.com
SGT Inc.
7515 Mission Drive
Suite 300
Lanham, Md. 20706
(Office) 301-464-7557 / (Cell) 301-526-6621
