The representative asked for something extra. Can I just do it?

No. A representative cannot change the contract. Put it in writing to the contracting officer, say what it would cost and what it would do to the schedule, and wait for a modification. Doing it first is how firms end up performing work they are never paid for.

How long does the first payment take?

Longer than the terms suggest, because the first invoice on any contract usually finds a mismatch somebody has to fix. Assume the first one takes an extra month and plan cash accordingly. The second one, on the same contract, is usually routine.

What do I do when the funded value is nearly spent?

Send the notice the clause requires, in writing, with your figures. Then decide, deliberately, whether to continue. You are generally not obliged to work beyond the funds allotted, and continuing without authorisation is a risk you carry rather than a favour anybody records.

Can I dispute a performance rating I think is unfair?

You have a right to review and comment before it becomes final, and there is an escalation route above the person who wrote it. Respond with facts and dates rather than with tone, and attach the correspondence that supports you. An unanswered rating stands for years.

How long do I have to keep the records?

The retention periods are set by clause and vary by record type, generally several years after final payment. Keep the contract file, the modifications, the invoices and the labour records at least that long, and longer on cost-type work that has not been closed out.

Course, module 15 of 16

Performing and getting paid

Winning is the start of the obligations. This module is the part nobody teaches and everybody learns expensively.

the money is moving at twice the rate of the clock, and the notice has a date on it

By the end of this module you will be able to

Set a contract up in the first week so that nothing has to be reconstructed later
Handle a change the way the contract requires, rather than the way the customer asked
Send an invoice that is paid rather than rejected
Watch the funded value against the spend and send the notice before the clause is breached
Read and respond to the performance record the government writes about you

Set up before you start work

A contract number and a charge code, so every hour and every purchase is recorded against this contract from day one. Reconstructing it later is the single most common audit finding.
A deliverables calendar, including reports, not just the product. Contract data requirements lists are easy to overlook and are a compliance failure when missed.
The named contracting officer, the representative, and the paying office, with contact details.
Your invoicing route, registered and tested before the first invoice is due.
A file for this contract: the contract, every modification, all correspondence, inspection records and invoices. If it is disputed in three years this file is your case.

Keep reading

The rest of this module opens with your name and email

All sixteen modules open on this device for about six months. No card and no password.

Still to come in this module

Modifications, and the one rule
Options
Inspection, acceptance and payment
Why an invoice gets rejected, and the fix
The systems you will meet
Closeout
The words in this module, defined
Questions at this stage