Contracting Officer Podcast 2.0 (samples)

Latest Episodes:

157 Targeting 101 (Updated) Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)This is an update to one of our earliest podcasts, Episode 16 “The Importance of Targeting”. We decided to refresh the content and take advantage of the improvements we’ve made in our audio over the past couple of years. Targeting is a critical element of winning bids in the federal market. Poor targeting creates many of the problems we discuss on the Contracting Officer Podcast – from miscommunication between buyer and seller, to adversarial debriefs, and yes, even to protests. Regardless of where you sit in the federal buying and selling process, it is critical that you understand the importance of targeting. In this updated episode we explain how to identify your Ideal Target Market by stitching together three elements of targeting: your Reachable Market, your Target Market and your Weight Class. ——————This episode is brought to you by Skyway Acquisition. To get help with the Government market, become a Skyway Community member. The Skyway Community ensures you are better positioned to take advantage of opportunities and better equipped to manage the challenges of government contracts. Members have access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and training resources from our team of former COs, including the ability to get the perspective of our whole team in Ask A Contracting Officer Forum, get specialized training from our on-demand webinars and articles, targeting support through our RFP Score™ assessment tool, as well as our consulting from our team of former COs who help solve your unique puzzles. Personal memberships start at $50 with no contract. To learn more, visit skywaymember.com.__________Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer created the Contracting Officer Podcast to help Government and Industry acquisition professionals understand more about how the other side thinks. Admittedly, the podcast’s name sounds very limiting. It is not just for contracting officers or even just for those in the contracting profession. Anyone with an interest in the Federal acquisition world can benefit from the insight and down-to-earth explanations of complicated topics provided by the hosts.

152 Excusable Delays Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)Sometimes a contractor is unable to deliver the required goods or services according to the terms of their contract. If the reasons for delivery issues are truly out of the contractor’s control, and not due to their fault or negligence, the Government may consider this an “excusable delay”. Kevin and Paul discuss excusable delays (per FAR 49.401 and 52.249-14) and importance of documenting the causes of delays in order to avoid termination of the contract. ——————This episode is brought to you by Skyway Acquisition. To get help with the Government market, become a Skyway Community member. The Skyway Community ensures you are better positioned to take advantage of opportunities and better equipped to manage the challenges of government contracts. Members have access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and training resources from our team of former COs, including the ability to get the perspective of our whole team in Ask A Contracting Officer Forum, get specialized training from our on-demand webinars and articles, targeting support through our RFP Score™ assessment tool, as well as our consulting from our team of former COs who help solve your unique puzzles. Personal memberships start at $50 with no contract. To learn more, visit skywaymember.com.__________Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer created the Contracting Officer Podcast to help Government and Industry acquisition professionals understand more about how the other side thinks. Admittedly, the podcast’s name sounds very limiting. It is not just for contracting officers or even just for those in the contracting profession. Anyone with an interest in the Federal acquisition world can benefit from the insight and down-to-earth explanations of complicated topics provided by the hosts.

161 Should I Protest? Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)Kevin holds a roundtable (or round-Skype) discussion with Christi Gilbert (an industry contracts/proposal manager) and Steve Lucianetti (a former Government Contracting Officer) to learn their opinions on why protests happen and the conditions under which industry should submit a protest. (if you’re not familiar with protests in the Government acquisition world, check out Episode 23 “What is a Protest?”)——————This episode is brought to you by Skyway Acquisition. To get help with the Government market, become a Skyway Community member. The Skyway Community ensures you are better positioned to take advantage of opportunities and better equipped to manage the challenges of government contracts. Members have access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and training resources from our team of former COs, including the ability to get the perspective of our whole team in Ask A Contracting Officer Forum, get specialized training from our on-demand webinars and articles, targeting support through our RFP Score™ assessment tool, as well as our consulting from our team of former COs who help solve your unique puzzles. Personal memberships start at $50 with no contract. To learn more, visit skywaymember.com.__________Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer created the Contracting Officer Podcast to help Government and Industry acquisition professionals understand more about how the other side thinks. Admittedly, the podcast’s name sounds very limiting. It is not just for contracting officers or even just for those in the contracting profession. Anyone with an interest in the Federal acquisition world can benefit from the insight and down-to-earth explanations of complicated topics provided by the hosts.

154 Personal vs. Non Personal Services Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)Kevin and Paul explore the important distinctions between Personal Services contracts and the more common Non-Personal Services Contract. Learn why FAR 37.104 strictly limits the use of Personal Services contracts and why many service contracts create the appearance of personal services.——————This episode is brought to you by Skyway Acquisition. To get help with the Government market, become a Skyway Community member. The Skyway Community ensures you are better positioned to take advantage of opportunities and better equipped to manage the challenges of government contracts. Members have access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and training resources from our team of former COs, including the ability to get the perspective of our whole team in Ask A Contracting Officer Forum, get specialized training from our on-demand webinars and articles, targeting support through our RFP Score™ assessment tool, as well as our consulting from our team of former COs who help solve your unique puzzles. Personal memberships start at $50 with no contract. To learn more, visit skywaymember.com.__________Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer created the Contracting Officer Podcast to help Government and Industry acquisition professionals understand more about how the other side thinks. Admittedly, the podcast’s name sounds very limiting. It is not just for contracting officers or even just for those in the contracting profession. Anyone with an interest in the Federal acquisition world can benefit from the insight and down-to-earth explanations of complicated topics provided by the hosts.

155 The Importance of the Debrief Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)“The debriefing is an opportunity to prevent protests, not cause them.”Kevin and Paul return to the topic of debriefings. Learn why debriefs are often a missed opportunity for both Government and Industry to improve future acquisition outcomes.——————This episode is brought to you by Skyway Acquisition. To get help with the Government market, become a Skyway Community member. The Skyway Community ensures you are better positioned to take advantage of opportunities and better equipped to manage the challenges of government contracts. Members have access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and training resources from our team of former COs, including the ability to get the perspective of our whole team in Ask A Contracting Officer Forum, get specialized training from our on-demand webinars and articles, targeting support through our RFP Score™ assessment tool, as well as our consulting from our team of former COs who help solve your unique puzzles. Personal memberships start at $50 with no contract. To learn more, visit skywaymember.com.__________Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer created the Contracting Officer Podcast to help Government and Industry acquisition professionals understand more about how the other side thinks. Admittedly, the podcast’s name sounds very limiting. It is not just for contracting officers or even just for those in the contracting profession. Anyone with an interest in the Federal acquisition world can benefit from the insight and down-to-earth explanations of complicated topics provided by the hosts.

156 Buy American? with Shelley Hall Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)We’re happy to welcome back one of our favorite retired Contracting Officers, Shelley Hall. Shelley and Paul discuss the web of confusing requirements surrounding the Buy American Act (BAA), Trade Agreement Act (TAA), and Berry Amendment. Learn how these laws restrict Government purchases of most supplies originating from non-domestic sources and why bids & proposals can be eliminated from a competition if they aren’t compliant. Shelley also provides advice on how to deal with exceptions to RFP requirements relating to the BAA, TAA, and Berry Amendment. ——————This episode is brought to you by Skyway Acquisition. To get help with the Government market, become a Skyway Community member. The Skyway Community ensures you are better positioned to take advantage of opportunities and better equipped to manage the challenges of government contracts. Members have access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and training resources from our team of former COs, including the ability to get the perspective of our whole team in Ask A Contracting Officer Forum, get specialized training from our on-demand webinars and articles, targeting support through our RFP Score™ assessment tool, as well as our consulting from our team of former COs who help solve your unique puzzles. Personal memberships start at $50 with no contract. To learn more, visit skywaymember.com.__________Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer created the Contracting Officer Podcast to help Government and Industry acquisition professionals understand more about how the other side thinks. Admittedly, the podcast’s name sounds very limiting. It is not just for contracting officers or even just for those in the contracting profession. Anyone with an interest in the Federal acquisition world can benefit from the insight and down-to-earth explanations of complicated topics provided by the hosts.

158 What is a Proposal Manager? Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

f you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)Kevin discusses the role of the Proposal Manager with special guest Vicky Strycharske. Vicky is a former Army Contracting Officer with over 20 years on the industry side developing proposals for both small and large businesses. A proposal manager implements the proposal process, assigns tasks, ensures quality and leads the team to submit a compliant proposal on schedule. Learn why this role can make the difference between winning and losing a bid and how the role differs in small and large businesses.——————This episode is brought to you by Skyway Acquisition. To get help with the Government market, become a Skyway Community member. The Skyway Community ensures you are better positioned to take advantage of opportunities and better equipped to manage the challenges of government contracts. Members have access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and training resources from our team of former COs, including the ability to get the perspective of our whole team in Ask A Contracting Officer Forum, get specialized training from our on-demand webinars and articles, targeting support through our RFP Score™ assessment tool, as well as our consulting from our team of former COs who help solve your unique puzzles. Personal memberships start at $50 with no contract. To learn more, visit skywaymember.com.__________Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer created the Contracting Officer Podcast to help Government and Industry acquisition professionals understand more about how the other side thinks. Admittedly, the podcast’s name sounds very limiting. It is not just for contracting officers or even just for those in the contracting profession. Anyone with an interest in the Federal acquisition world can benefit from the insight and down-to-earth explanations of complicated topics provided by the hosts.

159 Communicate Your Schedule Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)Kevin and Paul discuss the value of communicating schedule changes as early as possible. Changes that aren’t clearly communicated can cause the delays to compound as they ripple through your schedule. Early communication helps to align expectations and minimize impacts. ——————This episode is brought to you by Skyway Acquisition. To get help with the Government market, become a Skyway Community member. The Skyway Community ensures you are better positioned to take advantage of opportunities and better equipped to manage the challenges of government contracts. Members have access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and training resources from our team of former COs, including the ability to get the perspective of our whole team in Ask A Contracting Officer Forum, get specialized training from our on-demand webinars and articles, targeting support through our RFP Score™ assessment tool, as well as our consulting from our team of former COs who help solve your unique puzzles. Personal memberships start at $50 with no contract. To learn more, visit skywaymember.com.__________Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer created the Contracting Officer Podcast to help Government and Industry acquisition professionals understand more about how the other side thinks. Admittedly, the podcast’s name sounds very limiting. It is not just for contracting officers or even just for those in the contracting profession. Anyone with an interest in the Federal acquisition world can benefit from the insight and down-to-earth explanations of complicated topics provided by the hosts.

160 Is This a Contract? Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)Kevin and Paul review the basic elements required to create a legal contract. This is the first of a series that will examine each element in detail. DISCLAIMER: We are NOT lawyers. This stuff is complicated. If you’re in a dispute about the legality of a contract, please consult an attorney. __________Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer created the Contracting Officer Podcast to help Government and Industry acquisition professionals understand more about how the other side thinks. Admittedly, the podcast’s name sounds very limiting. It is not just for contracting officers or even just for those in the contracting profession. Anyone with an interest in the Federal acquisition world can benefit from the insight and down-to-earth explanations of complicated topics provided by the hosts.

150 ENCORE The End of the Fiscal Year Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

If you work in the Government acquisition world, this podcast is for you. (not just for Contracting Officers!)____________The Government Fiscal Year (GFY is the common acronym) runs 1 October through 30 September. The last month of the GFY has the potential for great drama because Government funds have an expiration date. (check out Ep. 019 “Colors of Money” for more on that) Kevin and Paul talk through what happens in Government acquisition offices at the end of the fiscal year and offer some simple recommendations for both Government and Industry to help reduce the panic and stress that September often brings. ___________________This episode is brought to you by Skyway Acquisition. To get help with the Government market, become a Skyway Community member. The Skyway Community ensures you are better positioned to take advantage of opportunities and better equipped to manage the challenges of government contracts. Members have access to one-on-one insights, time-saving tools, and training resources from our team of former COs, including the ability to get the perspective of our whole team in Ask A Contracting Officer Forum, get specialized training from our on-demand webinars and articles, targeting support through our RFP Score™ assessment tool, as well as our consulting from our team of former COs who help solve your unique puzzles. Personal memberships start at $50 with no contract. To learn more, visit skywaymember.com.____________________Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer created the Contracting Officer Podcast to help Government and Industry acquisition professionals understand more about how the other side thinks. Admittedly, the podcast’s name sounds very limiting. It is not just for contracting officers or even just for those in the contracting profession. Anyone with an interest in the Federal acquisition world can benefit from the insight and down-to-earth explanations of complicated topics provided by the hosts.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Contracting Officer Podcast 2.0 (samples)

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected