Federal Construction Contracting — For Federal Civilian Agencies (CON 2440 & CON 244 competencies)
This course is for the federal civilian acquisition workforce who contract for construction and need real command of it from acquisition planning through closeout.
Construction contracts don't behave like other contracts — and the professionals who manage them need a skill set the standard contracting courses don't cover. This course delivers that skill set, with the same curriculum and rigor as the construction-contracting course taught to the defense workforce, framed for civilian-agency practice.
Taught live and instructor-led, the course works through the full life of a construction contract:
The legislative history of government construction contracting law, the most recent and proposed changes affecting it, and the federal laws, regulations, and best practices that govern soliciting and administering construction contracts
Construction acquisition planning — contrasting a construction requirement with a regular support requirement and devising a Construction Acquisition Plan under FAR Part 7 and agency policy; selecting the appropriate plan type, contract type, and process; assembling the construction acquisition team; comparing funding types and the use of Government-Furnished Property; environmental planning; and the Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M)
Developing the construction solicitation package under the FAR and agency policy — review purposes, contract format, UCF versus CSI solicitation formats, required social programs, whether a pre-solicitation notice is needed, and the purpose of a pre-bid or proposal conference
Evaluating bids and proposals — determining responsiveness and responsibility, analyzing documents requiring evaluation, the sufficiency of bonds, and recommending award
Construction contract administration and compliance — applicable construction clauses, government and contractor quality-assurance responsibilities, the essential elements of quality assurance and the three phases of quality control, the pre-construction conference, applicable labor laws including the Construction Wage Rate Requirements Statute (Davis-Bacon), and formal partnering
Changed conditions — the unique construction clauses, differing site conditions, the elements of constructive changes, schedule analysis to determine construction time and delay, acceleration and expediting, equitable compensation for changes, the rights and responsibilities of the parties in construction terminations, and construction claims
Invoice and payment, and closeout — reviewing the construction schedule and processing invoices, retainage, withholding and liquidated damages, subcontractor notice of non-payment, progress payments and special costs, construction punch lists, beneficial occupancy, warranty and turnover, and the unique procedures for construction contract closeout
The course is built for application, not lecture-and-leave: through discussions, real examples, and hands-on exercises, participants build the judgment to manage a construction contract with confidence from planning through closeout. It also incorporates the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO FAR) — including how to research the updated FAR, work with the FAR Companion and Practitioner Albums, and find the Class Deviations that apply.
This course is taught by Melinda Milheim, JD, who spent her federal career in the acquisition workforce. She served as a Contract Specialist, COR, and AOR for the U.S. Navy (and later a Contract Specialist for the Department of Health and Human Services / Indian Health Service), where she worked on more than $7.7 billion in federal contracts across construction, engineering, major weapon-systems, RDT&E, IT, and medical programs. She draws on that experience, along with her law degree and MBA studies, to teach the why behind the how — so participants leave with sharper judgment, not just a stack of slides. An award-winning DAU/WarU (DAWIA and FAI) instructor, she has taught more than 1,000 federal acquisition workforce students across 20-plus agencies.
Best for: federal civilian contracting officers, contract specialists, contract administrators, professional engineers, quality assurance personnel, legal counsel, CORs, and program and project managers who work federal construction contracts and need real command of construction contracting from planning to closeout.
Format: Available as a five-day course, delivered in person or virtually. Phoenix Canyon, a DAU/WarU Recognized Equivalent Provider, issues every attendee a certificate of completion documenting the number of training hours as well as CEUs and CLPs earned, which eligible attendees may apply toward Continuous Learning or Professional Development requirements, at their organization's discretion. Please check with your organization to confirm eligibility.
You might also consider
Revolutionary FAR Overhaul: Construction & A/E — how the FAR Overhaul reshaped the rules for construction and architect-engineer work specifically; essential for keeping your construction contracting current as the FAR changes.
Performance-Based Acquisition — design/build and outcome-based methods are central to modern construction; learn to structure outcomes, set quality standards, and build surveillance that holds up.
Pricing is set per engagement. Contact Phoenix Canyon to request a quote.
This course is for the federal civilian acquisition workforce who contract for construction and need real command of it from acquisition planning through closeout.
Construction contracts don't behave like other contracts — and the professionals who manage them need a skill set the standard contracting courses don't cover. This course delivers that skill set, with the same curriculum and rigor as the construction-contracting course taught to the defense workforce, framed for civilian-agency practice.
Taught live and instructor-led, the course works through the full life of a construction contract:
The legislative history of government construction contracting law, the most recent and proposed changes affecting it, and the federal laws, regulations, and best practices that govern soliciting and administering construction contracts
Construction acquisition planning — contrasting a construction requirement with a regular support requirement and devising a Construction Acquisition Plan under FAR Part 7 and agency policy; selecting the appropriate plan type, contract type, and process; assembling the construction acquisition team; comparing funding types and the use of Government-Furnished Property; environmental planning; and the Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M)
Developing the construction solicitation package under the FAR and agency policy — review purposes, contract format, UCF versus CSI solicitation formats, required social programs, whether a pre-solicitation notice is needed, and the purpose of a pre-bid or proposal conference
Evaluating bids and proposals — determining responsiveness and responsibility, analyzing documents requiring evaluation, the sufficiency of bonds, and recommending award
Construction contract administration and compliance — applicable construction clauses, government and contractor quality-assurance responsibilities, the essential elements of quality assurance and the three phases of quality control, the pre-construction conference, applicable labor laws including the Construction Wage Rate Requirements Statute (Davis-Bacon), and formal partnering
Changed conditions — the unique construction clauses, differing site conditions, the elements of constructive changes, schedule analysis to determine construction time and delay, acceleration and expediting, equitable compensation for changes, the rights and responsibilities of the parties in construction terminations, and construction claims
Invoice and payment, and closeout — reviewing the construction schedule and processing invoices, retainage, withholding and liquidated damages, subcontractor notice of non-payment, progress payments and special costs, construction punch lists, beneficial occupancy, warranty and turnover, and the unique procedures for construction contract closeout
The course is built for application, not lecture-and-leave: through discussions, real examples, and hands-on exercises, participants build the judgment to manage a construction contract with confidence from planning through closeout. It also incorporates the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO FAR) — including how to research the updated FAR, work with the FAR Companion and Practitioner Albums, and find the Class Deviations that apply.
This course is taught by Melinda Milheim, JD, who spent her federal career in the acquisition workforce. She served as a Contract Specialist, COR, and AOR for the U.S. Navy (and later a Contract Specialist for the Department of Health and Human Services / Indian Health Service), where she worked on more than $7.7 billion in federal contracts across construction, engineering, major weapon-systems, RDT&E, IT, and medical programs. She draws on that experience, along with her law degree and MBA studies, to teach the why behind the how — so participants leave with sharper judgment, not just a stack of slides. An award-winning DAU/WarU (DAWIA and FAI) instructor, she has taught more than 1,000 federal acquisition workforce students across 20-plus agencies.
Best for: federal civilian contracting officers, contract specialists, contract administrators, professional engineers, quality assurance personnel, legal counsel, CORs, and program and project managers who work federal construction contracts and need real command of construction contracting from planning to closeout.
Format: Available as a five-day course, delivered in person or virtually. Phoenix Canyon, a DAU/WarU Recognized Equivalent Provider, issues every attendee a certificate of completion documenting the number of training hours as well as CEUs and CLPs earned, which eligible attendees may apply toward Continuous Learning or Professional Development requirements, at their organization's discretion. Please check with your organization to confirm eligibility.
You might also consider
Revolutionary FAR Overhaul: Construction & A/E — how the FAR Overhaul reshaped the rules for construction and architect-engineer work specifically; essential for keeping your construction contracting current as the FAR changes.
Performance-Based Acquisition — design/build and outcome-based methods are central to modern construction; learn to structure outcomes, set quality standards, and build surveillance that holds up.
Pricing is set per engagement. Contact Phoenix Canyon to request a quote.