Insights Blog

Are your proposal reviews derailing the win? APMP SPAC 2018 Presentation | Lisa Pafe

March 22, 2018 | Cobb Energy Performance Arts Center (CEPAC), Atlanta

Date/time: March 22, 2018 at 2:40 pm Location: Cobb Energy Performance Arts Center (CEPAC), Atlanta Proposal best practices dictate that we hold color team reviews — Blue, Pink, Red, and Gold — practically the entire rainbow. Yet, often our proposal reviews prevent us from successfully reaching the finish line for three primary reasons. First, typical review teams are bloated with unprepared, un-briefed, unqualified, and/or uninterested reviewers. Second, our proposal reviews place incorrect focus on the likes and dislikes of the reviewers rather than on how customer proposal evaluators will score and rank proposals. Third, we rarely give reviewers enough time to perform their assignments effectively. This presentation will present and solve these problems, with ample audience polling and discussion. Click to learn more Lisa Pafe, Vice President at Lohfeld Consulting Group, CPP APMP Fellow and PMP, has 25+ years’ capture and proposal experience. She served as President of the APMP-National Capital … Continue reading Are your proposal reviews derailing the win? APMP SPAC 2018 Presentation | Lisa Pafe →

Federal Government shutdown, continuing resolutions (CRs), and what contractors need to do

Contractor resources for addressing government shutdowns

Mark Amtower’s January 19, 2018 show on Federal News Radio discussed the Federal Government shutdown and related steps contractors need to take—as well as Continuing Resolutions (CRs) and past shutdowns from both the government and contractor points of view. The show also provided step-by-step guidance on how to minimize a shutdown’s impact on contractors, employees, and their customers. Simon Szykman, former CIO of the Department of Commerce and NIST and current CTO of Attain, and Bob Lohfeld, CEO of Lohfeld Consulting Group, provide the commentary. The show is the first one that takes a close look at shutdowns and their impact on the contractor community. Some of the interesting discussions during the broadcast include: Mark Amtower pointed out an appalling statistic from the Bipartisan Policy Center—from 1976 to present, there have only been four budgets passed on time. The last one passed on time was in 1996—22 years ago. What … Continue reading Federal Government shutdown, continuing resolutions (CRs), and what contractors need to do →

The real cost of CRs and shutdowns | Amtower Off-Center

Click here to listen to Mark’s interview On January 22, 2018 Amtower Off Center host Mark Amtower talked with Simon Szykman (CTO of Attain and former CIO of Commerce) and Bob Lohfeld (CEO, Lohfeld Consulting) about continuing resolutions and shutdowns. CRs are both a way of life and a standing joke in the govcon arena, but there are consequences. Shutdowns, less frequent, but often threatened, have both significant costs and dire consequences beyond the parks being closed. Topics include: The impact of CRs on agencies and contractors The end-of-FY spending as a result of CRs The mandated preparation by contractors and Feds for impending shutdowns Small business collateral damage as a result of shutdowns Shutdown impact on the overall economy Hosted by nationally-known speaker and consultant Mark Amtower, Amtower Off-Center highlights the good, the bad, the ugly and the just plain silly of doing business in the government market. Every week experts … Continue reading The real cost of CRs and shutdowns | Amtower Off-Center →

A 2017 Recap – Part 2 | Amtower Off-Center

Host Mark Amtower interviews industry experts Bob Lohfeld, Nick Wakeman, and Jason Miller

Click here to listen to Mark’s interview. On January 15, 2018, on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower wrapped up 2017 and started looking into 2018 with Lohfeld Consulting Group Founder and CEO Bob Lohfeld, Federal News Radio’s Executive Editor Jason Miller, and Washington Technology Editor-In-Chief Nick Wakeman. This is part two of the two-part interview. Topics include: OTAs (other transactional authorities) on the rise at DOD? The emergence of “centers of excellence” Contracts to watch for, including Encore III and SeaPort NxG Hosted by nationally-known speaker and consultant Mark Amtower, Amtower Off-Center highlights the good, the bad, the ugly and the just plain silly of doing business in the government market. Every week experts join Mark for a lively discussion of current issues facing the government contractor community. Bob Lohfeld, CF, APMP Fellow, serves as Chairman of Lohfeld Consulting Group. He has more than 30 … Continue reading A 2017 Recap – Part 2 | Amtower Off-Center →