Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to develop a forward-pricing proposal to address how to evaluate a contractor's estimate of costs to perform a government contract. Use two case studies to learn how to audit the various elements of the proposal: direct labor, direct material, and indirect costs. Also, learn how to incorporate quantitative audit techniques -- statistical sampling, correlation analysis, and improvement curve -- in performing the audit. Develop a historical cost audit to determine whether the contractor is entitled to be reimbursed for costs claimed on contracts. Learn how to use the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and the Cost Accounting Standards to determine the allowability, allocability, and reasonableness of costs. Learn how to calculate indirect allocation rates and how they are applied to contracts. Applicable sections of the FAR are included as part of your materials for this course.
Students should be familiar with contract auditing principles, including understanding FAR and CAS compliance, as well as basic cost allocation techniques such as direct versus indirect costs and overhead rates. Experience with quantitative techniques, including regression analysis and sampling methods, is also recommended.
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The instructor was wonderful and so knowledgeable. The course materials were extremely relevant to what my job is. I feel like I can be better because of this class.
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Since 1921, Graduate School USA has partnered with over 125 federal agencies and trained more than one million federal employees. Led by instructors with deep, real-world knowledge of federal regulations, policies, and practices, our private group programs are practical, mission-driven, and tailored to your agency’s objectives. We offer expertise across key federal domains—including human resources, financial management, acquisition and contracting, leadership, and more—to deliver training where and how your team needs it.
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