Contracts Overview

Contract Administration

MANDEX employs a proven approach to task management that ensures timely delivery of quality products. Although this is a formal process for task order development and execution, MANDEX has, and will continue to respond to emergent situations with turnaround approval of task orders in less than 24 hours. Our PM has the authority to react to these emergent situations and direct access to key decision makers in order for MANDEX to provide this type of timely response. The following are the four basic steps that MANDEX uses for each task.

1) Task Definition

The MANDEX team PM ensures that the task is fully understood in terms of schedule, technical requirements, and deliverables; and that the customer requirements can be met. The MANDEX team PM assigns the task to the most appropriate Project Manager for determination of personnel and other resource requirements and availability.

2) Planning

In the planning phase, the Project Manager develops a detailed schedule identifying milestones, critical path elements, personnel, materials scheduling requirements, and task completion requirements.

3) Performance

During the performance phase, the Project Manager supervises task accomplishment and verifies that the task is on schedule and quality requirements are being met. The Project Manager keeps the Team MANDEX PM informed as to task status and immediately identifies any problems that may affect accomplishment.

4) Task Report Feedback

When the task is completed, the Project Manager prepares a Task Report that certifies the task is completed and includes copies of any deliverables that have been provided to the customer. The report also includes any lessons learned or problems encountered.

Typical Work Flow Scenario

Accounting System

MANDEX utilizes the Deltek CostPoint accounting software as the centerpiece of our accounting and management control system. This software is widely accepted as the industry standard for small government contracting concerns and is well adapted to segregate the costs of the contract incurred for personnel of each team member; and to accumulate the costs from the inception of the contract. Our accounting system was considered to be adequate for the accumulation, reporting, and billing of costs under government contracts by the Defense Contract Auditing Agency (DCAA).

MANDEX utilizes a computerized, task-oriented cost control system (Deltek CostPoint) to budget and track costs. This system gathers costs according to a job number, which is assigned when a task is established. All costs identified with a task are recorded and reported using the assigned job number. Costs are reported at the lowest level into which the job is divided and summarized at each higher level. Our accounting system is approved and audited by the government for accuracy and compliance. Monthly reports used by MANDEX include:

  • Labor Distribution Report: This report provides, by task, the actual labor charges for the reporting period. The report provides this information for each employee that charged to the task and totals the actual man hours charged.
  • Job Cost Report: This report provides, by task, budget versus actual costs for the reporting period as well as cumulative costs to date. The cost elements shown include direct labor, material, travel, consultant/subcontractor services, and overhead. The report shows reporting period and cumulative costs for each element as well as totals.

These reports provide specific information as required by each individual TO/DO, as well as cost and performance data common to all TOs/DOs.

Earned Value Management (EVM)

“Earned Value is a metric reporting system that uses cost-performance metrics to track the cost and schedule progress of system development against a projected baseline. It is a “big picture” approach and integrates concerns related to performance, cost, and schedule”, Systems Engineering Fundamentals, Department of Defense Systems Management College, January 2001. MANDEX Program Managers have experience in using Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS) for control of complex projects in accordance with the American National Standards Institute, ANSI/EIA-748, Standard. MANDEX PMs have experience in developing tailored EVMS to properly match the reporting requirements to the project. MANDEX currently uses the latest, most recent version of Deltek’s EVM module, COBRA, an ANSI Standard 748A compliant system. 

Our PMs uses the Defense Acquisition University, Earned Value Management “Gold Card” as the basis for developing EVMS supported by a properly developed Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Organization Breakdown Structure (OBS). When required by complexity, funding level, or risk to the project, EVMS management is put in place to appropriately manage the performance.  EVMS reports are produced allowing the MANDEX PM to track Schedule Performance Index (SPI), Cost Performance Index (CPI), progress against the project baseline plan and implementation of corrective actions. The implementation of EVMS is consistent with MANDEX’s systems engineering approach supporting our customer’s projects.

Contacts

DCAA Auditor

DCAA – Fairfax Branch
11440 Commerce Park Drive
Suite 200
Reston, VA 20191
ATTN: Kean Reilly
Tel: (571) 448-6816
Fax: (703) 735-8231
kean.reilly@dcaa.mil

ACO & DCMA
DCMA – Virginia
14501 George Carter Way
2nd Floor
Chantilly, VA 20151
ATTN: Deb Glass, ACO
Tel: (571) 521-1872
Fax: (571) 521-1502
deb.glass@dcma.mil
DFAS
DFAS – Columbus Center South
Entitlement Operations
P.O. Box 182264
Columbus, OH 43218-2264
ATTN: Mary Ellen Duffy
Tel: (800) 756-4571, ext. 12
Fax: (614) 693-7872
dfas_columbus@dfas.mil