The Government has a very strict code behavior that dictates the interactions between government officials and contractors.
The policies and procedures for avoiding improper business practices and personal conflicts of interest and for dealing with their apparent or actual occurrence are defined in the Federal Acquisitions Regulations (FAR) Part 3. Here are some of the excerpts.
I have always advised all my clients to read and understand FAR part 3-101.1 and 3-101.2 prior to commencing any business related contact with Federal Government personnel. I will not list the exact text of these two parts in this article. However, here are some real life situations.
- Do not feel offended if Government personnel refuel to have lunch with you. The FAR permits a maximum exchange of monetary value totaling $25 in any calendar year. I recommend the following.
1. Do not invite a Government official to lunch or dinner or 2. If you would like to invite them to lunch start the conversation with I understand FAR Part 3, would you like to accompany me for lunch if we can both pay our own share. You are more likely to get a positive response. However do not be offended if they decline.
- NEVER offer a gift to any Government Official. You may leave them brochures, pamphlets, printed presentations that describe your business capabilities. It is generally acceptable if these brochures contain some cheap giveaway like a pen or key chain with your company logo etc.
- NEVER give Government Personnel tickets to sports events, concerts etc.
Most of these policies (written and unwritten) are well known to seasoned Government Contractors. However, if you are an entrepreneur or business owner that is new to doing business with the Government, I recommend the following.
1. Invest the time to read and understand important parts of the FAR which can be found at www.acquisition.gov or 2. Hire a consultant to explain these nuances to you and guide you through your first six months of Government contracting.
You can find the complete FEDERAL ACQUISITIONS REGULATIONS in HTML and PDF format at www.acquisition.gov
Please look for additional articles by Atul Uchil on doing business with the Federal Government including set-aside contracting, 8(a), SDVOSB, etc. in the management section of www.evancarmichael.com
DOING BUSINESS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PART II - To learn more about this author, visit Atul Uchil's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Related Articles |
|
DOING BUSINESS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PART II
|
| |
This article deals with the standards of conduct when doing business with the Federal Government. The policies and procedures for avoiding improper business practices and personal conflicts of interest and for deali...
|
DOING BUSINESS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PART 1
|
| |
The FAR is a body of regulations which is the primary source of authority governing the government procurement process. The FAR, which is published as Chapter 1 of Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations, is pre...
|
Government Small Business Loans
|
| |
Whether you run a beauty salon, a car repair shop, a dance studio, a pet spa, or an accounting firm, you dont have to get through the ups and down of the corporate world alone. Government small business loans are a...
|
DOING BUSINESS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PART III
|
| |
In many cases, the government and its established vendors require you to have a GSA schedule to respond to a government requirement. The reason for this is the Schedule has pre-negotiated rates and prices, so the g...
|
What's the Point of Getting a Federal Trademark?
|
| |
After reading about Common-Law, you're probably wondering why you'd even be interested in getting a Federal Trademark for your name. Well, let's break down the key reasons as
|
|
Atul Uchil
(Visit Atul's Website)
Dr. Atul Uchil is an entrepreneur,
business-owner and author. Prior to
founding Uchil, LLC, Dr. Uchil spent over
eighteen years in a variety of senior
management roles at several large
consulting organizations. In addition to
his PhD Dr. Uchil also holds an MBA and a
BSEE. Dr. Uchil's doctoral degree is
apostilled by US Secretary of State,
General (Ret.) Colin L. Powell and bears
his signature and seal.
Dr. Uchil is a lifetime member of the
Chartered Institute of Professional
Management (CIPM), a lifetime member of
Armed Forces Communications and
Electronics Association (AFCEA), a
lifetime member of National Defense
Industrial Association (NDIA), and a
member of the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Dr. Uchil
also serves as a Staff Officer in the US
Coast Guard Auxiliary.
In addition to several research papers,
Dr. Uchil has published the following
books that are available at Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, Ingram, Borders, and many other
respected and recognized national-
international book retailers.
- The Corporate America Survival Handbook:
ISBN - 1598000942
- Consulting: A Job or A Lifestyle: ISBN -
1598000640
- I Opted Out: ISBN 1598000713
|
|
 |
|
|
Atul Uchil's
Complete
List Of
Management
Articles
|
|
Author's Free Downloads
Risk Management
| |
|
|
|
|