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Traditionally, parties to a government contract have sought administrative or judicial review to resolve disputes; however, appeals to these courts are costly and may take years to reach a conclusion. Congress has encouraged the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution methods to resolve disputes arising in federal government contracting. Alternative Dispute Resolution includes a broad range of techniques, including mediation; however, use of Alternative Dispute Resolution to resolve disputes in contracting has focused on arbitration. Arbitration is the Alternative Dispute Resolution method most similar to a trial. Attorneys largely lead the resolution of these contractual disputes given their expertise in contract law. This expertise in contract law as well as comfort and familiarity with the litigation process may encourage attorneys to select arbitration over other means of Alternative Dispute Resolution that may be more beneficial to all parties. "Lawyers bred in litigation may not realize when one or more of the techniques in the ADR procedural array may be far preferable to court litigation, and they may take an unnecessarily narrow view of their clients' interests" (Section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice, 2001). "Arbitration has become expensive and time consuming because of increasing demands for discovery (a process through which both parties exchange information prior to an administrative or judicial hearing), which results in an unintended consequence of participants not fully engaging in Alternative Dispute Resolution processes. The increased costs of arbitration associated with the discovery process encourages disputants to forgo investing in Alternative Dispute Resolution methods and proceed directly to administrative or judicial hearings where the parties can get a final ruling on the merits of the case with limited appeals options. If Alternative Dispute Resolution is to fulfill its original mandate or promise, parties must find resolution before the parties even get to arbitration. To encourage a fuller exploration of other Alternative Dispute Resolution methods, federal contracts should include mandatory dispute avoidance measures and mediation. Mediation should be required before parties can proceed with a grievance or a lawsuit.
The National Academy of Construction (NAC) has determined that disputes, and their accompanying inefficiencies and costs, constitute a significant problem for the industry. In 2002, the NAC assessed the industry's progress in attacking this problem and determined that although the tools, techniques, and processes for preventing and efficiently resolving disputes are already in place, they are not being widely used. In 2003, the NAC helped to persuade the Center for Construction Industry Studies (CCIS) at the University of Texas and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to finance and conduct empirical research to develop accurate information about the relative transaction costs of various forms of dispute resolution. In 2004 the NAC teamed with the Federal Facilities Council (FFC) of the National Research Council to sponsor the "Government/Industry Forum on Reducing Construction Costs: Uses of Best Dispute Resolution Practices by Project Owners." The forum was held on September 23, 2004, at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. Speakers and panelists at the forum addressed several topics. Reducing Construction Costs addresses topics such as the root causes of disputes and the impact of disputes on project costs and the economics of the construction industry. A second topic addressed was dispute resolution tools and techniques for preventing, managing, and resolving construction- related disputes. This report documents examples of successful uses of dispute resolution tools and techniques on some high-profile projects, and also provides ways to encourage greater use of dispute resolution tools throughout the industry. This report addresses steps that owners of construction projects (who have the greatest ability to influence how their projects are conducted) should take in order to make their projects more successful.
This new, single-volume resource provides the most complete guidance available for analyzing the cost and pricing aspects of federal government contracts--so you can propose and negotiate appropriate prices and win contracts. The practical Contract Pricing Reference Guide reference combines five manuals into a single source, covering: Price Analysis Quantitative Techniques for Contract Pricing Cost Analysis Advanced Issues in Contract Pricing And Federal Contract Negotiation Techniques Determine the Proper Pricing to Win Government Business Throughout these pages, you will find highly detailed explanations of how the government evaluates proposals, arrives at pricing, chooses contractors, and awards contracts. With Contract Pricing Reference Guide, you can more confidently: Conduct market research for price analysis Employ proven techniques of quantitative price analysis Propose a fair and appropriate price Confidently engage in sealed bidding Include only what's allowable in the price Employ the most effective, competitive pricing strategies And engage in effective contract negotiations The One-of-a-Kind, Time-Saving Pricing Resource The all-new Contract Pricing Reference Guide provides a road-map for how to set correct pricing and engage in the competitive bidding process. It is a practical business tool to help you acquire government contract business--and it brings all the most valuable pricing information together in an easy-access, single-volume resource that puts everything you need literally right in front of you. No other resource delivers all of this together in one place, making it the most convenient way to obtain the most vital information on pricing government contracts.
In order to avoid unnecessary, time consuming, and costly litigation, the Department of Defense, and more specifically the United States Navy, has adopted the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to resolve contract disputes. One of the less-used but highly successful ADR techniques is known as the Mini-Trial. The primary goals of this thesis are to provide contracting professionals and attorneys with a better understanding of the Mini-Trial, explore how the Navy might make better use of the technique, and outline the steps the Navy should take to further implement its use. The thesis provides information on the Mini-Trial's background, factors for use, advantages and disadvantages, format, and roles of participants. The researcher found that there are a number of issues surrounding the Mini-Trial including; problems with neutrals and principals, and the perception that the Navy was reluctant to use the technique. Principal findings from the research revealed that there are key measures of success for the Mini-Trial, that barriers exist to convince contractors to participate, that there are certain conditions for its use, and that the Navy will increase its use of the technique in the further. Principal recommendations are that the Navy should not second guess its principals, ensure settlement funds are paid promptly, establish an agency ombudsman to answer ADR questions, and conduct face-to-face discussions with contractors to convince them that the Mini-trial and ADR are in both parties' best interest.