The 'ultimate' contract price/cost analyst

Courtesy Photo | Andrea Duran (second from right in middle row), Defense Contract Management Agency contract price/cost analyst, stands on her knees with members of her ultimate Frisbee team, the Seattle Underground, during the national championships held in Florida.  

SEATTLE, WA, UNITED STATES

11.28.2012

Story by Matthew Montgomery 

Defense Contract Management Agency

SEATTLE, Wash. - Competition is a way of life for Andrea Duran, Defense Contract Management Agency contract price/cost analyst. She has been playing ultimate Frisbee since school, and now uses her skills on the field to enhance her work performance with DCMA.

“Ultimate, like so many sports, has taught me numerous skills which have been useful on the job. One thing I really like about team sports is seeing how every team member has something to contribute to the success of the team, and how important it is to get commitment to the team's ultimate goal,” said Duran. “At DCMA we work with a variety of people across the Department of Defense who have various skills as well as specific job missions. However, it's important to realize we’re all working toward a higher goal of supporting the warfighter and each one of us is critical to meeting that objective.”

Duran, who played ultimate at the University of Virginia, recently returned from the national ultimate Frisbee championships in Florida. Her team, the Seattle Underground, was able to beat their regional rivals in the final game of the tournament.

“The victory was a highlight of my trip,” said Duran. “We had faced them three prior times during the season and lost all three. At nationals, it was great to win when it counted in a highly contested match during windy conditions. We persisted as a team and ended the season on a real high note.”

Another highlight was the support shown by her coworkers while she was competing on the road. “My office has been very supportive of my road to nationals,” said Duran, who’s continuously played on adult teams since high school. “Ever since tryouts last spring, they've been curious about how the season was going. Several co-workers followed the nationals results online while I was competing and were interested enough to send me notes throughout the tournament. I've really enjoyed sharing the experience with them in addition to my team.”

Ultimate had a unique appeal to Duran due to the emphasis on sportsmanship and the group of friends she found in the sport. Understanding her role in ultimate and how she fits into the team’s composition, helps Duran when executing her role as an analyst.

“Working for DCMA has been a great way for me to see the bigger acquisition picture through each of the smaller pieces we impact every day,” said Duran. “As a member of the Western Hub Cost and Pricing Center, I get the opportunity to work on diverse projects with a variety of employees across the country. While I'm often assigned to these efforts to provide extra expertise, I really enjoy learning from the people I'm supposed to help. Each assignment offers me the chance to explore issues with those individuals, leave with a deeper understanding of their challenges, and hopefully bring that new knowledge to the next task.”

Editor’s Note: Ultimate is a 7-on-7 non-contact team sport played on a field similar to football. Players pass the disc to their teammates with the goal of catching the disc in an end zone. Play is continuous, similar to soccer, so when a pass is incomplete, the defense immediately becomes the offense and starts moving in the other direction. Teams use strategies, similar to basketball, such as man and zone defense, and set plays to initiate a flowing offense. Games are typically played to 15 points with halftime at eight points. Games usually last up to two hours.

• Date Taken: 11.28.2012
• Date Posted: 12.18.2012 13:55
• Story ID: 99501
• Location: SEATTLE, WA, US