Program Control

I've worked with several small businesses over the years that did exactly what they thought they were supposed to do when a new contract arrived. Someone reviewed the award, checked the funding, looked at the scope and dates, and made sure the important information made its way to the appropriate people. Sections H and I were reviewed too. But here's the problem: nobody ever raised a question about them. Not because there was never anything to question. In many cases, those s

Once you understand what your contract requires you to do, the next question seems pretty straightforward: When do you have to do it? For contracts using the Uniform Contract Format, Section F is Deliveries or Performance. This is where the contract specifies requirements for the time, place, and method of delivery or performance. At first glance, it can look like one of the easier sections of the contract. Find the period of performance, put the dates in your tracker, and mo

If Section B tells you what the Government is buying and how it's priced, Section C starts answering the next obvious question: What exactly did we agree to do? For contracts using the Uniform Contract Format, Section C is titled Description/Specifications/Statement of Work. Depending on how the contract was assembled, the detailed requirements may appear directly in Section C, or Section C may point you to a separate Statement of Work (SOW), Performance Work Statement (PWS),

In the first Contracting 101 article, we walked through how to read a government contract and what you should be looking for in each section. Now we're going to start digging into those sections individually, beginning with one that can tell you a tremendous amount about how an award is structured: Section B. Section B is generally where you'll find the supplies or services being purchased and the associated prices or costs, but that's about where the consistency ends. I've s

You just received a government contract. Congratulations! Now what? If you're new to government contracting, opening that first award can be overwhelming. There may be a cover form, pages of contract line items, a statement of work, special requirements, FAR or agency-specific clauses, and a collection of attachments that may or may not have arrived in the same file. The good news is that traditional federal contracts generally have a recognizable structure. Once you understa

If you're new to Government contracting, you're going to hear people talk about NAICS codes. A lot. What's your NAICS? What's your primary NAICS? What's the NAICS on the solicitation? Are you small under that NAICS? Before we get into any of that, let's address perhaps the most important question: How in the world do you pronounce NAICS? NAICS stands for North American Industry Classification System, and it's generally pronounced “nakes” — it rhymes with cakes. I love cakes,

One of the easiest mistakes to make in Government Contracting is thinking a contract belongs to the Contracts department. It doesn't. Successful contract performance can involve Contracts, the Program Manager, Program/Project Control, Accounting, Billing, HR, Procurement, Security, technical personnel, executive leadership, and several different people on the Government side. Even in a small business where one person may wear several of those hats, the responsibilities still

Program/Project Control (PC) is one of those functions that can look completely different from one government contractor to another. At one company, PC may own budgeting, forecasting, revenue, funding, variance analysis, and financial reporting. At another, some of those responsibilities may sit with Accounting, Contracts, Finance, or the Program Manager. But regardless of where the lines are drawn on the org chart, I believe a strong PC professional needs to understand the e

The federal government has made its preference clear: when appropriate, fixed-price contracting should be the default. For contractors, especially small businesses, that deserves attention. Because when the government moves more cost risk to the contractor, winning the work is only half the battle. You still have to perform it profitably. And that's where Program Control becomes incredibly important. First, What's Changing? Executive Order 14402, Promoting Efficiency, Account

Winning a cost-reimbursement contract can be a major milestone for a growing government contractor. These contracts often involve larger, more complex work and can open the door to long-term relationships with federal agencies. But they're also one of the quickest ways for an unprepared company to run into cash flow issues, compliance problems, and audit findings. Unlike fixed-price contracts, a cost-reimbursement contract requires you to demonstrate that every dollar billed

Winning a government contract is exciting. But for many small businesses, the real challenge starts after award. A company can have talented employees, competitive pricing, and a strong technical solution — yet still struggle because their team was never trained on how government contracts actually work. For small government contractors, poor proposal and contract training often creates expensive problems that do not show up until performance begins. By then, the damage may a

Winning a government contract is no small feat. It takes persistence, strategy, pricing discipline, and a strong understanding of your customer. But here’s what many small businesses discover after that hard-earned win: Execution is where the real challenge begins. For small government contractors, the transition from proposal mode to performance mode often exposes gaps in systems, processes, and internal controls. These gaps can quickly create risks if not addressed early. T

In 2026, program control no longer means settling for "good enough." The rapid pace of change in technology, customer expectations, and market competition demands a new level of precision and excellence. Organizations that continue to rely on outdated control methods risk falling behind. This post explores why program control must evolve and how teams can move beyond adequacy to deliver exceptional results. Why "Good Enough" Falls Short in 2026 The phrase "good enough" once d