Adventures in Contracting: Recent Episodes
Leona Charles
A podcast about government contracting by government contractors. We talk about the highs, lows and everything in between.
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In this episode, we discuss how the Michigan Department of Transportation handled a company that falsely claimed minority-owned and disadvantaged status, and the overreach of an FBI agent who ultimately proved to be in the wrong.
Case Filings
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-mied-1_23-cr-20676/pdf/USCOURTS-mied-1_23-cr-20676-0.pdf
Let us know your thoughts! info@spcconsulting.org or www.spcconsulting.org
Join us in this episode as we unravel the story behind the Chevron ruling—how it came to be and where it might lead. We'll also take a deep dive into the controversy surrounding the alleged bribery charges in Ward 8, featuring Councilmember Trayon White. Don't miss this insightful discussion on two pivotal issues shaping our community and beyond.
Source Documents
Trayon White Arrest Affadavit
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25050966-trayon_white_arrestaffidavit
Let us know your thoughts! info@spcconsulting.org or www.spcconsulting.org
This episode focuses on the MBDA Injunction and what that means for the Wisconsin, Dallas-Fort Worth and Orlando MBDA race conscious programming. If the Minority Business Development Agency can't focus on race, what happens next?
Let us know your thoughts! info@spcconsulting.org or www.spcconsulting.org
Todays episode is focused on the 13 contracts that DCPS pushed through without council approval and how DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferrebee dropped the ball.
Let us know your thoughts! info@spcconsulting.org or www.spcconsulting.org
Happy New Year! In this episode we talk about how the District of Columbia's Department of Transportation wants DC residents to foot the bill for 20 Luxury Trucks for the department.
OCP Waiver Justification
WR-5112 https://dcdslbd.my.site.com/waivers/s/
Let us know your thoughts! info@spcconsulting.org or www.spcconsulting.org
Today we are covering the PG County PLA Bill. Some say PG is pushing minority contractors out, but are they? We are discussing:
-What it is
-What the bill says
-The argument for and against
-My take on the arguments presented
Let us know your thoughts! info@spcconsulting.org or www.spcconsulting.org
In this episode we dive into the North Carolina School System and how an unexperienced company was awarded a $1.5m contract that no one knew anything about.
How did this happen? Who approved it? Can it be corrected?
Let us know your thoughts! info@spcconsulting.org or www.spcconsulting.org
Join me as I talk about the current situation with HUD and the District of Columbia Housing Authority. We'll talk about the effects and what happens now. This episode is all about:
- the fed takeover drama at the District of Columbia Housing Authority
- how contracts were affected
- what was violated and where we go from here
This episode we are talking about what went wrong with Mississippi TANF and Brett Favre. Strap in for a wild ride into conflicts of interests and surprisingly what the state of Mississippi is doing right. If you don't know me, I’m Leona Charles, owner of SPC Business Consulting LLC, where we do all things government contracts.
So let’s dive right in. This month we’re talking about:
- The facts of the case
- What the state's responsibilities were
- How they are setting up this case
This episode we are talking about when government contracts gone wrong over at WSSC. Strap in for a wild ride into conflicts of interests and the ethics of a contract manager. If you don't know me, I’m Leona Charles, owner of SPC Business Consulting LLC, where we do all things government contracts.
So let’s dive right in. This month we’re talking about:
The facts of the case
Whether the actions were inappropriate
Whether there was in fact conflict of interest
Where it ended
Welcome to a new season! We have a new format! This episode we talk about the new past performance expansion for small business by the SBA and a case of bad money and fraud by a government contractor in Columbia, MD.
SBA Expansion Rule:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/07/22/2022-15622/past-performance-ratings-for-small-business-joint-venture-members-and-small-business-first-tier
False Claims
https://www.acquisition.gov/far/3.1003?searchTerms=false%20claims
DOJ
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-files-false-claims-act-lawsuit-against-maryland-contractor-and-owner
Season 2, Episode 13 – Oct 28, 2021: Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) final rule went into effect in December of 2020.It requires that contractors have an active security plan and actually implement it. The biggest change from NIST is that a 3 rd party will verify and certify your security level. Leona covers this and more in this very interesting and informative episode. *Runtime Approx. 21 minutes.
©2021 SPC Consulting, LLC.*
Oct 8, 2021 : Season 2, Episode 12 — The Executive Order issued on 9/9/21 brings big changes for federal contractors. Section requires contractors to provide adequate COVID-19 safeguards to workers performing on or in connection with a federal government contract or contract-like instrument. Adequate means it meets the definitions of the Safer Federal Workforce Taskforce guidelines. The initial implementation steps started 10/8/21 and will be fully implemented into any new contract or contract like instrument by 10/15/2021. *Approximate Run-Time: 17 minutes
©2021 SPC Consulting, LLC. All Rights Reserved.*
Sept 16, 2021 : Season 2, Episode 11 — Leona Charles discusses the DUNS number and how it differs from the EIN (Federal Tax ID). Also discussed are the changes that are coming in early April of 2022 regarding the "Unique Entity ID". This is a "do not miss" conversation and is very important to government contracting eligibility starting in early 2022.
Approximate Runtime: 22 minutes.
©2021 SPC Consulting, LLC. All Right Reserved.
August 5, 2021 – Season 2, Episode 10: JEDI (Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure) Contract. The JEDI Contract revisited and what it means regarding the potential involvement of small businesses. *Run Time Approximately 20 minutes.
©2021 SPC Business Consulting*
In this episode, Leona and Vivica discuss the challenges of small business and category managements. Category management is the business practice of buying common goods and services as an enterprise to eliminate redundancies and increase efficiency and deliver more savings. *Approximate Run-Time 25 minutes.
©2021 SPC Consulting, LLC. All Rights Reserved.*
July 1, 2021: Season 2, Episode 8 — Continued discussion about Women Owned Businesses (WOB) and Government regulations. Importance of staying in compliance, the benefits of running your business appropriately, and the risks and consequences of not doing so. Approximate Running Time: 32 minutes
June 11, 2021 – Season 2, Episode 7: In this episode we'll be discussing the Women Owned Small Business Certification - specifically the control component of the business - working full-time in the business. Leona Charles and Vivica Brooks offer up suggestions to make sure the certification criteria is met, including how much time and effort is attributed specifically to women of color in their businesses. Approximate Running Time: 23 minutes
©2021 SPC Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
In this episode, Leona and Vivica take a high level look at the Infrastructure Bill currently being discussed in the news and government. They discuss how this positively effects government contractors on several different levels and what portions of the bill are important in which to pay attention. Also, part of the conversation discusses how critical could be the set-asides specifically for minority and woman owned businesses. Approximate running time: 30 minutes.©2021 SPC Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
In this episode, Leona and Vivica continue their conversation on how to develop worth and value and translating that into a satisfactory contract rate for the services and/or products offered. Runtime approximately 30 minutes.
In this, the 4th episode of 2021, Adventures in Contracting's Leona Charles and Vivica Brooks discuss knowing a customer, pricing, setting realistic values to your services, growth strategies, inclusion of your "special sauce" and the terrible practice of lowballing. Total Run Time Approximately 30 minutes.
In this episode, Leona and Vivica discuss what programs as already in place to help companies who are in, or wish to be in the GovCon space. These programs help organizations manage all the information being sent to them and guide them through the process and implementation of government contracts. Specifically discussed is the Howards University SBDC (Small Business Development Center) CARES program, being led by SPC Consulting. Running Time: 30 minutes
In this episode of Adventures in Contracting, Leona and Vivica discuss the biggest myths of government contracting and how small businesses can overcome those myths.
In our first episode of 2021, we are talking about how paying to the details can helped these contractors walk away with $250m. Contract changes happen, but getting the government to pay for them is a skill worth having. Total Run Time - 24 min.
In this episode, we are getting real! How do you build a company's culture? How do you determine success? How do you hold yourself and your staff accountable? How do you handle employee issues? Are their issues your issues? We are talking about all that and more.
Today's episode talks about enhance unemployment, creative workforce management strategies, and how to move forward. Trigger warning! This discussion gets heated!!
DC Department of Employment Services-Shared Work Program
https://does.dc.gov/page/dc-shared-work-process
Maryland DLLR Work Sharing
https://www.dllr.state.md.us/employment/worksharing/
On this episode, we talk about what it means to end a partnership, how you protect yourself and a little story about how it can go bad.
Growing is hard, but especially in business. Government contracting can be unforgiving, so we have a few tips to help you make the transition to your next phase.
As you grow your business, you need different things. We all start somewhere and this episode we talk about the neighborhoods of growth: starter homes (start-ups), family homes (mid-sized) and mansions (fully matured).
This episode we are talking about the good, bad, and ugly with the PPP. This episode has our experiences in applying, what we've learned from all the information out there and what you can expect.
This is a podcast about government contracting made by government contractors. We are talking about our take on the set-aside issues, the roller coaster ride of partners make-ups and break-ups and CBE (DC set-aside) program.