Contracting Officer Podcast 2.0 (samples)

Hosted by Kevin Jans, Paul Schauer, Contracting Officer, government Contracting, proposal management, proposal writing, targeting, contract administration, contract management, subcontracting

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Episodes

195

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

THE podcast for those who want to learn about the government market from the contracting officer's perspective. Kevin Jans and Paul Schauer, both former federal contracting officers, explain the rules, processes and the "why" behind government contracts. They know because they've done it.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 21, 2026Episode 5766 min

576 - Faster Contract Awards (w/ Hector Navarro)

All Episodes are inside Skyway Central© Click here to access your Contracting Officer Podcast 2.0 License and start listening today

August 17, 20266 min

002 What is the 80/20 Rule in government contracts?

Listen and Learn… One often-overlooked difference between the federal market and the commercial market is that federal market sales are won more by process than by relationships. Contracting Officers (COs) cannot buy based on relationships alone. Relationships matter (see FAR Parts 3 and 9), but relationships are usually not the most important factor. The relationship is 20% of the decision. The other 80% is the competitive process.

August 17, 20266 min

005 What is a Debriefing? (Part 1)

Zone:Zone 4 Listen and Learn… One of the many unique elements of federal contracting is the Debriefing. In this cast, we explain what a debriefing is (and what it isn’t). We also describe the...

August 17, 20266 min

006 Debriefing (Part 2)

One of the many unique elements of federal contracting is the Debriefing. In this cast, we continue our discussion on the nuances and lessons learned on the enigmatic debriefing. During Part 2, we cover some...

August 17, 20266 min

007 What is a Contracting Officer?

In this cast, we explain the basics of what Contracting Officers do. We define the role of the CO, along with some detail on how they are appointed. We also describe the different types of...

August 17, 20266 min

008 RFI, DRFP, and RFP: What’s the difference?

In this cast, we provide an overview of the Request for Information (RFI), the Draft Request for Proposals (DRFP) and the Request for Proposals (RFP). Contracting Officers use all of these in different ways and...

August 17, 20266 min

009 What is a Cost or Fixed Price Contract?

What is the difference between a Firm Fixed Price contract and a Cost Reimbursable contract? If you’ve ever asked this question, this podcast is for you. We provide an overview of the 2 basic contract...

August 14, 2026Episode 5756 min

575 - The Overhaul of FAR Part 16

All Episodes are inside Skyway Central© Click here to access your Contracting Officer Podcast 2.0 License and start listening today

August 13, 20261 min

GovCon Mission Effectiveness Index (GMEI)

We measure almost everything in #GovCon But are we measuring the thing that matters most? In other words, are we asking how effectively is the GovCon Ecosystem enabling agencies to accomplish their missions through contracts? After all, that’s the point of government contracting: to enable the agency mission through contracts. This is THE question we in #GovCon should be asking regularly. To help answer that question: we created the GovCon Mission Effectiveness Index, or GMEI. Every quarter, we ask people across government and industry - especially our podcast listeners like you - how effectively they think the GovCon Ecosystem is enabling agencies to meet their missions through contracts. We combine those anonymous responses into a single benchmark that tells us where we are today, where we think we’re going, and how those perceptions are changing over time. Go to GovConMEI.com and add your perspective. It only takes 2 minutes (I timed it!). Once you take it, share it with one other person in GovCon. At the end of the month, I’ll come back here and share the results. Every quarter tells a story. Help us measure this one.

August 7, 2026Episode 5746 min