Photo By Nick D'Amario | Defense Contract Management Agency Small Business Programs Division staff members...... read more read more
Subscribe
FORT LEE, Va. - President Barack Obama refers to the nation’s small businesses as the “backbone of America’s economy,” and the Defense Contract Management Agency has a vital role in advocating for small businesses through oversight of large business subcontracting programs.
“The agency’s mission is to help our large business customers develop aggressive but reasonable subcontracting plans for their contracts and, correspondingly, review contractor compliance with those plans,” said Tatia Evelyn-Bellamy, DCMA Contracts Directorate Small Business Programs Division director.
“By doing this, the agency helps foster business innovation and new technology, supports the warfighter, strengthens and sustains the military and economic industrial base, and promotes private enterprise,” she added.
The Small Business Programs Division evaluates, analyzes, tracks and reports on how well prime contractors ensure small businesses receive a fair proportion of subcontracts. This includes assessing whether small businesses are provided a maximum of opportunities to participate in subcontracts in accordance with contracting goals contained in the contract.
Department of Defense establishes initiatives and programs protecting the interests of veteran-owned, women-owned, service-disabled, disadvantaged and select minority-owned small businesses.
DOD also sets goals for the DCMA Procurement Center in specific business categories, and the agency reports back to DOD to demonstrate compliance. Furthermore, DOD requires the Procurement Center ensures a fair distribution of award dollars are set aside for the various small business categories.
“The agency’s small business program is strong,” said Evelyn-Bellamy. “In fiscal 2013 the Procurement Center achieved an obligation rate of 66 percent against a goal of 47 percent.”
According to Amanda Parker, Procurement Center director, teamwork and cooperation with the Small Business Programs Division has promoted the highest levels of mission accomplishment.
“Prior to executing any procurement, the specialists in the Procurement Center ensure they are reaching the largest targeted small business population through market research and collaboration with the small business office,” said Parker. “The resulting synergy allows the Procurement Center to effectively define and execute customer requirements to meet both their objectives and the internal metrics of the agency.”
Evelyn-Bellamy took the division’s reins in March, following a three-and-a-half year assignment as the agency’s Defense Acquisition Regulation council representative.
As the principal advisor to the agency director on all small business issues, she develops policies, procedures, practices, training and communicating small business objectives with primary DOD customers. Her office is also the primary DCMA touch point with the DOD Office of Small Business Programs. DCMA supports the overall DOD Small Business Program by working closely with OSBP by preparing reports, attending OSBP meetings and making adjustments to reflect OSBP requirements.
The staff is comprised of procurement analysts, supervisory procurement analysts, procurement assistants, management analysts and office automation assistant. They are situated at four strategic hub sites in proximity to the contractors they work with — Chicago; Dallas; Boston and Carson, California.
Shelly Thomas, Mentor-Protégé Group supervisor, is located in Dallas and follows the tenets of DCMA-INST 142 (Mentor-Protégé Program for Small Businesses). Her group assists small businesses in competing for prime contract and subcontract awards by partnering with large companies under individual, project-based agreements awarded by the services, other defense agencies and DCMA.
Margarette Trimble-Williams, Comprehensive Subcontracting Program Group supervisor, is located in Carson and administers subcontracting plans in accordance with Section 834 of the Public Law 101-189. This group assists with enhancing subcontracting opportunities for small business concerns while reducing the administrative burden on contractors executing DOD contracts.
Maria Gregory is the East Group supervisor and Michelle Nolan is the West Group supervisor. Their groups perform reviews on DOD prime contractor small business compliance, joint small business reviews with the Small Business Administration, management of metrics for small business data and review of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers
Evelyn-Bellamy and her team leaders and administrative staff recently met at DCMA headquarters to review lessons learned and set the platform for future successes for the Small Business Programs Division.
Various agency departments, to include Equal Employment Opportunity, Union, Office of Diversity, Facilities, Travel and Labor Employee Relations briefed the Small Business Programs Division staff to increase knowledge and consistency within the division.
Looking to improve efficiencies within the Small Business Division, she secured the support of Lean Six Sigma black belt Jason Pickart, DCMA Contracts contract specialist, to review of major small business processes between April and July. The LSS project will review the process to identify non value-added steps as well as validate the required resources to accomplish the mission.
| Date Taken: | 07.29.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.29.2014 13:55 |
| Story ID: | 137634 |
| Location: | FORT LEE, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 191 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Supporting America's economic backbone, by Nick D'Amario, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT