Procurement Management Plan

Annotating Procurement Management Plan

In project management, planning is an integral feature critical to increasing the successful completion of a project undertaken by different institutions. This paper annotates the project management planning sample from the ECS Maintenance and Development Project prepared by Raytheon Company for NASA. The template comprises of key features fundamental to evaluate the project and ascertain the realization of measurable and satisfactory performance against the contractual obligations of the company. Therefore, a thorough assessment of the sample project management plan is crucial to inform the key components that determine the success rate and potential of a project. Hence, the capacity to conduct a proper project management plan is paramount to attain high objectives and success rates.

Procurement Process

The sample defines the procurement processes and outlines a hierarchical order in which it is executed. This comprises the senior-most person in the project comprising of the EMD Project Management, Supply Chain Management ITS Site Manager, NASA EMD, NASA ECS, and administrative assistants (Meringer&Busey Jr., 2003). To ascertain compliance with a legal obligation, following government documents, policies, and procedures stipulate the guidelines to which the project is sourced and implemented. The plan accounts for the preparation of procurement documents as necessary to abide by the contracts legally. The breakdown of the procurement process follows the awarding of the contract, identification of the contract requirements, program identification, subcontracts and costs, determination of the Statement of Work (SOW) development, and generation of authorization (Buzzetto, Bauli&Carvalho, 2020). The authorization is followed by solicitation, negotiations, awarding and follow-up, inspection, receiving of services or materials, and processing of the accounts payments. Hence, this is critical to ascertain every aspect of the procurement is satisfactory and meets all the required obligations.

Roles and Responsibilities

In the running of the EMD Project for NASA, key individuals such as James J. Meringer and Robert D. Busey are site and senior managers facilitating the functioning of the supply chain management to ensure NASA’s satisfaction (Meringer&Busey Jr., 2003). The implementation of the procurement processes is reliant on the existence of experienced personnel responsible for the management of DoD and COTS software, hardware, and specification driven procurements. Also, administrators are fundamental to the provision of leases and rentals. Auditors play a crucial role in determining the transparency and maintain accountability of the procurement and supply chain processes involved in the contracts (Hong & Kwon, 2015). Legal compliance is determined by the law team that is informed of the purchase and leasing terms. Thus, diversification of roles and responsibilities is outlined to ensure the procurement management plan is executed successfully to the letter.

Identified Procurement Needs

The procurement needs to be addressed in the designing of the project are informed by the need to maintain proper “processes, governing procedures, roles and responsibilities, personnel experience, and tactical steps used in executing subcontracts, purchase orders and material logistics scope for the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Maintenance and Development (EMD) Program. The document is prepared to address the needs of the buyer (NASA) that is contracting for the procurement and provisions of the EMD project (Meringer&Busey Jr., 2003). This comprises of the procurement control and negotiation needs, procurement strategy, agreements and proprietary, design, and performance surveillance. Also, the configuration of audits, quality assurance, scheduling, costs, accounting reports, action plans, and alternatives, as well as management and motivation policies. Hence, the capacity to address the project in its entirety.

Timing

The timing of the project a fundamental part of the procurement management plan that is attributed to the successful delivery and quality performance of the project. This is in line withproviding the best cost value to NASA as the contracting company with the need to implement the EMD project. The timing of the project is paramount to ascertain the rapid response and minimization of queues and supplier response (Buzzetto et al., 2020). Hence, it enhances the ascertaining to the contractor of the timely delivery of all the procured services and materials.

Change Review and Approval Process

The article provides no room for change reviews in the EMD Program, not unless there are significant changes in Raytheon’s Supply Chain Management processes. Among the teams, the project manager has the power to change verbally or through email different contexts of the procurement processes where deemed necessary and essential to the successful completion of the project (Hong & Kwon, 2015). However, for any changes to the purchase orders and subcontracts, the Supply Chain Management with the controlling capacity is required to document the changes in the respective procurement folder. Other changes from the engineers are required to be updated by COTS Procurement in the spreadsheet and sent back again for approval.

The procurement plan outlined the need for the review of the project and approved within twenty (20) business days. The DCMA outlines the approval process to which paves the way for the awarding of the subcontract to the supplier (Meringer&Busey Jr., 2003). The approval allows the supplier to receive a unique, automatically generated sequential subcontract number that is tailored for the inclusion of all Customer data elements, SOW, Specifications, and CDRLS. The approval outlines the terms and conditions of the subcontract to ascertain smooth running.

Vendor Processes

The determination of the vendor follows a process in which biding is conducted based on “price, quality, delivery, service, and dependability when making purchases for the company” (Meringer&Busey Jr., 2003). The vendor selection method is based on high competitiveness and a greater extent possible to meet the set standards. Hence, the process guarantees the best subcontractor set to earn the procurement tender potentially.

References

Buzzetto, R. R., Bauli, M. R., &Carvalho, M. M. D. (2020). The key aspects of procurement in project management: investigating the effects of selection criteria, supplier integration and dynamics of acquisitions. Production, 30.

Hong, P., & Kwon, H. (2015). Strategic Procurement: A Review and Prospect. nternational Journal of Procurement Management, 5, 452-469.

Meringer, J.J. &Busey, Jr., R.D. (2003). ECS Maintenance and Development Project: Procurement Management Plan for the EMD Project. Raytheon Company, NASA. Retrieved August 1^st, 2020 from https://edhs1.gsfc.nasa.gov/waisdata/emd/pdf/117emd001.pdf