Revised 04/2025

CON 127 - Contract Administration (3 CR.)

Course Description

Covers the fundamentals of federal contract management and administration procedures. Introduces the process of developing and implementing performance assessment strategies, how to make price contract changes after contract award, properly address contract disputes, and how to properly close-out contracts. Lecture 3 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

Provides students with the knowledge necessary to identify, develop and utilize appropriate performance metrics when evaluating contractor performance. The course is intended for beginning contract officers and students who are near the beginning of a Contract Management program. This course prepares the student for several industry standard certifications offered from the National Contract Management Association (NCMA). These certifications are accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The curriculum content for this course aligns with NCMA’s Contract Management Standard (CMS) and the NCMA Contract Management Body of Knowledge (CMBOK). Both the CMS and CMBOK are ANSI accredited.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Prerequisite: CON 100.

Course Objectives

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:

  • Develop and execute the major elements of contract administration planning.
  • Categorize the proper policies and procedures for the post award orientation of contractors.
  • Examine and determine the proper components and procedures for managing contract performance.
  • Examine and determine the FAR policies and procedures for processing contractor payments.
  • Examine and determine the proper policies and procedures for preparing contract modifications.
  • Examine and determine the proper policies and procedures for resolving contract disputes.
  • Examine and determine the proper policies and procedures for the termination of contracts.
  • Examine and determine the proper policies and procedures for properly closing contracts.

Major Topics to Be Included

  • Developing contract administration functions.
  • Identify the purpose of post-award orientations.
  • Developing procedures of properly monitoring contractor performance.
  • Develop strategies for surveilling the contractor.
  • Develop policy and procedures for documenting contractor performance information.
  • Develop the remedies for managing contractor performance.
  • Understand the different types of payments methods used by the government contracts.
  • Understanding the policies and procedures governing contract modifications.
  • Understand the many different types of contract modifications.
  • Understand and interpret the requirement consideration in contract modifications.
  • Understand the contract disputes process.
  • Understand the different policies and procedures as they pertain to contract terminations.
  • Understand and explain the responsibilities of the contract administration office for closing out contracts.