Inside the March 2013 issue...
Revisiting the Acquisition Team Definition 
Often the ideal acquisition team paradigm and its fundamental tenets are damaged by breakdowns in communications, unwarranted distrust, and failure to understand and appreciate the interests of our working colleagues. These risks can be mitigated with a practical approach to sound business judgment and re-commitment to the core values of the acquisition team definition.
By: Matthew Jeffery
Our Chat with Joseph Jordon, Administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy
In December 2012, NCMA Executive Director Michael Fischetti sat down with Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) Administrator Joseph Jordon to discuss OFPP's initiatives for 2013, as well as Jordan's thoughts on several important issues affecting the acquisition profession.
By: Ryan Burke
Verbal Disclosure of Proprietary Information
An examination of verbal disclosure of proprietary information, how to mitigate the risks involved, and a call to action to start a discussion about verbal disclosure within each of our spheres of doing business of a proprietary nature.
By: Gary A. Willert
A Strongly Matrixed Life
Working in a matrixed environment presents advantages to project managers, but presents challenges to the contracting community. Organizational behavior research offers some ideas for those contracting professionals who are struggling in such an environment.
By: Andrew W. Chellinsky
What Crime Scene Investigators Would Find if They Evaluated Major Software Acquisitions
U.S. federal government acquisitions of enterprise software systems have led to some gruesome failures, and the causes are not always apparent. So what would a team of CSIs find at the scene of these "crimes"?
By: Evan McDonnell
Living the "Four Questions" and Developing the Leader Within
This article takes the theoretical context of the "Four Questions You Must Answer to Solve any Data Rights Issue" and demonstrates how it works. In addition, the concept of growing the "leader within" is applied to challenge all contracting and acquisition professionals to take on the hard tasks that many shy away from.
By: Gene Pickarz
Liquidated Damages and Incentive Provisions in Construction Contracts: Seeking a Balanced Approach from an Owner's Perspective
A comprehensive discussion of the strategies and philosophies associated with these two contractual provisions in the construction industry, as well as their benefits and successes, so as to render a more balanced approach.
By: Prodosh K. Mitra
Professional Development
The Dark Side of Teams: Seven Lessons the Business World Can Learn from the Downfall of Lance Armstrong
By: Bruce Piasecki
Legal Forum
The Buck Stops Here: Prime Contractor Responsibility and Government Authority in Government Contracts
By: Jack Horan and Patrick J. Stanton