Assignment 1:Scenario Essay (20%) You have two topics from which you may choose. You must choose only one topic and respond to the situation making your recommendations to the scenario.  Please note that there is no single answer to this scenario, but you should keep your focus on procurement issues in your response. APA Standards Students are responsible for APA only for in-text citations and a reference list.  Therefore, students will follow the instructions as stated below.   Required Formatting of Scenario Essay: · This essay should be double spaced, 12-point font, and three to four pages in length excluding the title page and reference page; · Write in the third person; · Use headings; · Title page with your name, the course name, title of paper, the date, and instructor’s name; · Include reference page; · Use APA formatting for in-text citations and reference page;  · Students need to paraphrase and avoid direct quotes; · Submit the paper in the Assignment Folder.  The assignment submitted to the Assignment Folder will be considered a student’s final product and therefore ready for grading by the instructor.  It is incumbent upon the student to verify the assignment is the correct submission.  No exceptions will be considered by the instructor. Assignment 1:  Scenario Essay: Option 1 Background: The contract you are assigned to as the contracts administrator calls for the delivery of a product called "The Superwidget". The United States Government (USG) buys thousands of these Superwidgets a year. Several companies manufacture them and competition for Superwidgets is fierce, based on technical innovation, price, and delivery criteria. The Superwidget is manufactured from components, software, and firmware from numerous companies. The final Superwidget usually sells for between $800 and $1200 per unit, based on some special features, warranty, and service. Your contract is a multi-year contract with a base period and several option years, and you are performing in Contract Year One at the moment. Also, there are about 8 to 10 other contracts with other companies for a competing and similar Superwidget. The Situation: You are a contracts administrator and you work for the prime contractor. Let's say your company (the prime contractor) buys a particular subwidget for $100/unit. This subwidget is a critical component of the prime's Superwidget. You have a multi-year subcontract with this subcontractor. You have just been informed in a monthly status meeting that deliveries of the subwidget will be late for the next 3 to 4 months. After your company completes an analysis, you determine that you do not have sufficient stock of subwidgets to cover the required deliveries to the USG. You will need to notify the USG that deliveries of the Superwidget will also be late. You check the prime contract: your company may be subjected to damages based on the value of the prime contract. You may also face a potential termination for default. You check t ...

1. Assignment 1:Scenario Essay (20%)
You have two topics from which you may choose. You must
choose only one topic and respond to the situation making your
recommendations to the scenario.
Please note that there is no single answer to this scenario, but
you should keep your focus on procurement issues in your
response.
APA Standards
Students are responsible for APA only for in-text citations and a
reference list. Therefore, students will follow the instructions
as stated below.
Required Formatting of Scenario Essay:
· This essay should be double spaced, 12-point font, and three
to four pages in length excluding the title page and reference
page;
· Write in the third person;
· Use headings;
· Title page with your name, the course name, title of paper, the
date, and instructor’s name;
· Include reference page;
· Use APA formatting for in-text citations and reference page;
· Students need to paraphrase and avoid direct quotes;
· Submit the paper in the Assignment Folder. The assignment
submitted to the Assignment Folder will be considered a
student’s final product and therefore ready for grading by the
instructor. It is incumbent upon the student to verify the
assignment is the correct submission. No exceptions will be
considered by the instructor.
Assignment 1: Scenario Essay: Option 1
Background:
The contract you are assigned to as the contracts administrator
calls for the delivery of a product called "The Superwidget".
The United States Government (USG) buys thousands of these
Superwidgets a year. Several companies manufacture them and

2. competition for Superwidgets is fierce, based on technical
innovation, price, and delivery criteria. The Superwidget is
manufactured from components, software, and firmware from
numerous companies. The final Superwidget usually sells for
between $800 and $1200 per unit, based on some special
features, warranty, and service. Your contract is a multi-year
contract with a base period and several option years, and you
are performing in Contract Year One at the moment. Also, there
are about 8 to 10 other contracts with other companies for a
competing and similar Superwidget.
The Situation:
You are a contracts administrator and you work for the prime
contractor.
Let's say your company (the prime contractor) buys a particular
subwidget for $100/unit. This subwidget is a critical component
of the prime's Superwidget. You have a multi-year subcontract
with this subcontractor.
You have just been informed in a monthly status meeting that
deliveries of the subwidget will be late for the next 3 to 4
months. After your company completes an analysis, you
determine that you do not have sufficient stock of subwidgets to
cover the required deliveries to the USG. You will need to
notify the USG that deliveries of the Superwidget will also be
late.
You check the prime contract: your company may be subjected
to damages based on the value of the prime contract. You may
also face a potential termination for default. You check the
subcontract: The subcontractor's liability is based on values in
the subcontract, that is, the price of a subwidget at about a
$100/unit level. You also have the right to terminate the
subcontractor for default.
Management recognizes that it has the potential for a lot of
problems in this situation, which it may not be able to correct
for several more months (if you believe in and rely on the
subcontractor).
Your boss, the VP of Contracts, asks you to develop some

3. business scenarios, focusing on the contractual and
subcontractual issues that may arise.
Required Elements to include in this Scenario Essay – Option 1:
· You are required to identify all the issues the company faces
in this scenario.
· You are required to identify all the issues the government
faces in this scenario.
· Provide some ideas about resolving these issues and mitigating
risks the customer (USG) may face in the near future.
· Provide some ideas about resolving these issues and mitigating
risks the company may face in the future.
Assignment 1: Scenario Essay: Option 2
You are the Government contracting officer's representative
(COR) of a program management support contract awarded to
Easy Corp. It is the first year of a five-year contract.
You have noticed the following trends:
· Management reports are typically late and incomplete.
· The contractor program manager is rarely seen by Easy Corp
employees or the COR.
· Billing is often delayed and contains errors.
· The company requiring activity is very pleased with the
professionalism of Easy Corp employees who deliver quality
support and up-front analysis, and who excel at ethical customer
service.
Required Elements to include in this Scenario Essay - Option 2:
Looking at this issue from two different perspectives:
· What potential issues does the customer (USG) face if the
invoices are continually submitted late and with errors?
· What potential issues does the company face if the invoices
are continually submitted late and with errors?
· What issues confront the employee?
· How would you recommend all of these issues be addressed?
· You will need to be formal in your responses and to rely on
the textbook and other sources to the extent you can.
As the COR:
· What do you recommend the contracting officer discuss at the

4. next program review meeting with the Easy Corp chief
executive officer (CEO) and program manager?
· What suggestions for improvement will you make to the
contracting officer in advance of the meeting?
Rubric Name: Written Assignment (20%)
Criteria
Outstanding
Superior
Good
Substandard
Failure
Critical Thinking/Reasoning
7 points
Comments reflect a highly accomplished level of analysis,
synthesis, evaluation and reasoning of the case material and
case study facts resulting in accurate, thorough, and soundly
reasoned conclusions.
(6.3 - 7)
5.95 points
Comments reflect an excellent level of analysis, synthesis,
evaluation and reasoning of the case material and case study
facts resulting in accurately reasoned conclusions.
(5.6 - 6.29)
5.25 points
Comments reflect a satisfactory level of analysis, synthesis,

5. evaluation and reasoning of the case material and case study
facts resulting in partially correct conclusions that lack
development or detail that demonstrates insight into reasoning.
(4.9 - 5.59)
4.55 points
Comments reflect an unsatisfactory level of analysis, synthesis,
evaluation and reasoning of the case material and case study
facts, resulting in conclusions that are underdeveloped or lack
soundly reasoned conclusions.
(4.2 - 4.89)
0 points
Comments reflect an unsatisfactory level of analysis, synthesis,
evaluation and reasoning of the case material and case study
facts, resulting in failure to draw little to no conclusions.
(0 - 4.19)
Application of Resources
7 points
Presents exceptionally well-supported arguments or positions
with evidence from the readings/experience; ideas go beyond
the course material and recognize implications and extensions
of the material and concepts.
(6.3 - 7)
5.95 points
Presents excellent arguments or positions that are mostly
supported by evidence from the readings and course content;
ideas presented demonstrate understanding of the material and
concepts.
(5.6 - 6.29)
5.25 points
Satisfactory arguments or positions are presented but there is a
mix of opinion or unclear view with supported arguments using

6. course readings. Case study facts are occasionally used but
arguments would be much stronger with use of facts.
(4.9 - 5.59)
4.55 points
Arguments are frequently illogical and unsubstantiated; Limited
use of facts in case study and essential information presented
in course readings.
(4.2 - 4.89)
0 points
Arguments lack meaningful explanation or support of
ideas. Does not provide facts presented in case study.
(0 - 4.19)
Attention to Instructions
3 points
Demonstrates exceptional understanding of requirements
responding completely to each aspect of assignment including
minor aspects of the assignment such as using third person
writing, required use of course readings, and assignment format.
(2.7 - 3)
2.55 points
Demonstrates excellent understanding of requirements; missed
one minor aspect of assignment.
(2.4 - 2.69)
2.25 points
Demonstrates satisfactory understanding of requirements;
missed a key element or two minor aspects of assignment.
(2.1 - 2.39)
1.95 points
Fails to show a firm understanding of requirements; missed two
key elements or several minor aspects of assignment.

7. (1.8 - 2.09)
0 points
Fails to demonstrate understanding of assignment requirements.
(0 - 1.79)
Writing Mechanics
2 points
Strictly adheres to standard usage rules of written English,
including but not limited to capitalization, punctuation, run-on
sentences, missing or extra words, stylistic errors, spelling and
grammatical errors. No errors found. No contractions or jargon
used.
(1.8 - 2)
1.7 points
Excellently adheres to standard usage of mechanics:
conventions of written English, including capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling. One to three errors found.
(1.6 - 1.79)
1.5 points
Satisfactorily adheres to standard usage rules of mechanics:
conventions of English, including capitalization, punctuation,
and spelling. Four to 10 errors found.
(1.4 - 1.59)
1.3 points
Minimally adheres to standard usage rules of mechanics:
conventions of written English, including capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling. More than 10 errors found.
(1.2 - 1.39)
0 points
Does not adhere to standard usage rules of mechanics:
conventions of written English largely incomprehensible; or

8. errors are too plentiful to count.
(0 - 1.19)
Adherence to APA Style (6th ed.)
1 point
No APA style or usage errors; Proper citation of source material
is used throughout paper; Reference titles follow APA with only
the first word, the first word after a colon and proper nouns
capitalized.
(0.9 - 1)
0.85 points
Attempts in-text citations and reference list but one or two APA
style errors noted or fails to use APA citations when appropriate
1-2 times.
(0.8 - 0.89)
0.75 points
Attempts in-text citations and reference lists; APA style errors
are noted throughout document; Fails to use APA citations when
appropriate 3 times in document.
(0.7 - 0.79)
0.65 points
Attempts in-text citations and reference lists; Fails to use APA
citation when appropriate 4-5 times; or presents only 1-2 in-text
citations and reference list in a paper that requires APA
citations throughout the document.
(0.6 - 0.69)
0 points
No attempt at APA style; or attempts either in-text citations or
reference list but omits the other.
(0 - 0.59)
Overall Score
Outstanding

9. 18 or more
Superior
16 or more
Good
14 or more
Substandard
12 or more
Failure
0 or more