CCH Provides Two New Government Contracting Resources

(RIVERWOODS, ILL., May 17, 2005) – With over $300 billion awarded in government contracts in 2004, professionals seeking a piece of the pie in 2005 now have two new resources from CCH INCORPORATED (CCH), a leading provider of small business and government contracts law information and services, to guide bidders in obtaining contracts and handling the disputes that stem from them. CCH has released Strategies for Winning Contracts and Alternative Dispute Resolution for Government Contracts. (For more information or to order, call 1-800-248-3248 or visit business.cch.com/onlinestore).

Strategies for Winning Contracts

Strategies for Winning Contracts by Philip R. Atkinson provides professionals with the knowledge they need to plan and prepare strong proposals for winning government contracts (371 pages, $70).

Designed for a wide range of professionals from both small and large companies who seek to win contracts, this practical how-to book covers service, hardware, software and construction proposals for federal, state, local and commercial contracts. Beginners as well as seasoned professionals can use this book to develop proposal skills, strategies, procedures and techniques in planning procurements and preparing and managing winning proposals. In addition, Strategies for Winning Contracts can be used to prepare business plans and procedures as well as to gain an understanding of how new and existing businesses fit together.

“The business of winning government contracts, while lucrative, is also extremely competitive,” said Sharon Kube, CCH product manager. “Anyone involved in this process needs to have an edge, and Atkinson provides just that to his readers.”

Based on Atkinson’s experience of winning 85 percent of his proposals during an eight-year period, Strategies for Winning Contracts contains more than 180 strategies, numerous procedures and techniques, seven mock proposal volumes and a mock request for proposal. Dozens of tables, charts and graphics illustrate the processes involved. A glossary and appendix are included as well.

This comprehensive resource includes:

  • Introduction of key strategies and types of procurement organizations;
  • Procurement systems;
  • Long-range planning and strategies execution;
  • Short-range planning and strategies execution;
  • Proposal planning and preparation;
  • Post proposal activities; and
  • Mock Teal-Morgan Airport RFP.  

Alternative Dispute Resolution for Government Contracts

Alternative Dispute Resolution for Government Contracts by Don Arnavas discusses methods of resolving disputes arising from federal government contracts without resorting to litigation (286 pages, $60). This book provides a one-stop reference to professionals engaged in the contracting process with problems or questions related to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

“The ABA reports that over 7,000 attorneys now practice dispute resolution, and today bid claims and cases are at their highest level in five years, increasing by almost 16 percent in the past year. A bid dispute can effect every phase of the award process from proposal to awards to fulfillment of the contract requirements,” noted Kube. “Alternative Dispute Resolution for Government Contracts guides professionals through every aspect of the bid protest and appeal process with the rules, contacts, forms and strategies needed to find success in the appeals process.”

A unique resource that provides a comprehensive treatment of ADR in government contracts, Alternative Dispute Resolution for Government Contracts presents a complete discussion of the various ADR procedures together with their advantages and disadvantages, allowing professionals to reach an informed decision regarding whether to use ADR; what type of ADR is best suited for resolution of a specific dispute; and the procedural steps involved in the ADR technique chosen.

This comprehensive practice guide covers mediation, arbitration, other hybrid ADR processes, duties of ADR’s principal players and pivotal ADR statutes and regulations including the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act of 1996. The book also addresses a complete range of ADR topics including confidentiality, conflicts of interest, finality of arbitration awards, enforcement of awards and settlement agreements.

Topics covered in Alternative Dispute Resolution for Government Contracts include:

  • An overview;
  • Mediation;
  • Arbitration;
  • Hybrid processes;
  • International commercial arbitration;
  • Mediators and arbitrators;
  • ADR team members;
  • ADR’s regulatory and statutory bases;
  • ADR at government departments and agencies;
  • ADR at the boards, the courts and the General Accounting Office;
  • ADR contract clauses; and
  • ADR agreements.

Information in this book is also supported by numerous appendices, a table of cases, citations, and web site references where possible.

In addition, since many contractors sell to non-government and international customers as well, the book goes beyond government contracts and discusses both private sector ADR and international commercial arbitration – specifically how they differ and where they are similar to government contracts.  

About the Authors

Philip R. Atkinson spent his early career as an aeronautical engineer at the McDonnell Douglas Corporation where he performed analysis, design, installation, checkout, servicing and launch of missiles, space vehicles and ground systems/facilities. He later served as proposal manager/director for numerous procurements and acted as the winning proposal director of the Payload Ground Operations Contract, an over $2 billion operations and maintenance contract at the NASA Kennedy Space Center. He also formed Atkinson and Associates, Inc., which provided successful consulting services to companies bidding on government services and contracts.

Don Arnavas practices law in Washington, D.C., where he concentrates his activities on transactions involving government, private and international contracts. He is a practicing mediator and former Board of Contract Appeals judge. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Penn State/Dickinson Law School and a visiting law lecturer at the University of Sydney and the Australian National University. He has served on the Council of the Public Contract Law Section of the American Bar Association, as Senior Editor of the Public Contract Law Journal, and as a member of the editorial board of the Procurement Law Advisor to which he regularly contributes articles on a wide variety of ADR subjects.  

Availability and Pricing

For more information on these new books or to order, call 1-800-248-3248 or visit business.cch.com/onlinestore.

Single copy price for the 371-page Strategies for Winning Contracts is $70 and the 286-page Alternative Dispute Resolution for Government Contracts is $60 plus applicable tax, shipping and handling. Quantity discounts and school adoption pricing are available.

About CCH INCORPORATED

CCH INCORPORATED is a leading provider of small business and government contracts law information and services for attorneys and government contracting professionals (business.cch.com). Headquartered in Riverwoods, Ill., CCH was founded in 1913 and has served four generations of business professionals and their clients. CCH is a Wolters Kluwer company (www.wolterskluwer.com) and, with Aspen Publishers, is part of the Wolters Kluwer Legal unit.

Wolters Kluwer is a leading multinational publisher and information services company. Wolters Kluwer has annual revenues (2004) of €3.3 billion, employs approximately 18,400 people worldwide and maintains operations across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Its depositary receipts of shares are quoted on the Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices.

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EDITORS’ NOTE:Editorial review copies of Strategies for Winning Contracts and Alternative Dispute Resolution for Government Contracts are available upon request for members of the press. Contact Leslie Bonacum, 847-267-7153 or mediahelp@cch.com or Neil Allen, 847-267-2179 or allenn@cch.com.