Today’s government is contracting and acquisition organizations need good governance, which requires specific skills and knowledge. This paper describes three concepts, which are contracting management, logistics, and reverse logistics. These programs contribute to better strategic project management decisions and, if successfully applied, lead to improved return on investment for the company and the development of cultural and ethical approaches (Gordon, 2016). The following are the core competencies that form the foundations of these management concepts.
Continuous training and practice are essential components of any profession. However, within the profession of the manager of such contracting and acquisition organizations, there are three main groups of skills that allow maintaining a high level of competence in the conclusion of contracts. Technical skills are specific to the profession and include analytical work and preparation of proposals (APUS, 2015). The conceptual team refers to the ability to see the big picture and visualize it for interested clients. Finally, human relations skills are required in any profession where there is a need for direct contact and negotiation. Skills such as effective communication, emotional intelligence, and leadership are vital to this profession.
In addition, there is a different point of view on the classification of contracting competencies. The life cycle of any contract includes three stages: pre-award, contract award, and post-award. These three stages add two more groups of related knowledge in business and other specialized areas such as management, politics, economics, technology, systems, and international law (APUS, 2015). When preparing a contract, knowledge about the types of contracts, laws, principles, and drafting methods is essential. The next stage involves negotiations, visualization of the project, and regulation of protests. At the last stage, the specialist must know how to manage and maintain the contract and destroy it after expiration or violation.
Leadership skills are not limited to contract management. Logistics and reverse logistics capabilities are also crucial in today’s environment. First, this knowledge is critical in risk assessment. The specialist must understand all the terminology in this area to clearly understand the assessment of transport risks in the contract and take into account various legal aspects (Gordon, 2016). Secondly, knowledge of the specifics of insurance, freight, duties, and other fees with the rather famous formulation “free on board,” which implies responsibility for all of the above aspects, is necessary for a specialist in drafting and managing contracts (Gordon, 2016). The attention to detail and the multi-criteria nature of such tasks create pretty high requirements for specialists.
Finally, understanding the relatively new field of reverse logistics opens up great opportunities for savings, development, and social and environmental responsibility. Resource management is one of the essential skills of any executive, and the use of reverse logistics techniques lays the foundation for a long-term optimization perspective. More resources can be saved with a more extended program or project duration (Gordon, 2016). Since reverse logistics is based on the recycling and disposal of materials, this area touches on aspects such as alternative renewable sources and reducing the need for energy and other natural resources (Gordon, 2016).
The specialist must always consider optimization opportunities and processing technology to improve the positive dynamics of the impact on the return supply chain and profit of any company. The competence of a specialist, in this case, lies in the plane of flexible and critical thinking, the willingness to make concessions for a long-term goal and profit, as well as a direct understanding of the basics and terminology of logistics as a separate specific area of knowledge.
References
APUS. (2015). Desktop reference guide to the Contract Management Body of Knowledge (CMBOK). APUS.
Gordon, R. L. (2016). Contracting, logistics, reverse logistics: The project, program and portfolio approach. Westfalia Press.