World Congress 2016 - National Contract Management Association

World Congress 2016
Employer Justification Packet
The National Contract Management Association (NCMA) strives to provide its members and contract
management professionals with ongoing education and training in order to reach their highest level of
success. In the current environment, we recognize that many training and travel budgets have been
reduced or eliminated altogether. This demands that each of us become proficient with limited time and
resources. Attending a national training event is the most cost-effective investment to receive education
and training, while earning continuing professional education hours in a small amount of time.
NCMA’s World Congress is the profession's training event of the year for government and industry
contract management professionals. This four-day event on July 24–27 is packed with training and
interactive sessions where attendees gather to engage, educate, and experience excellence. Plus, World
Congress provides unique networking opportunities to make valuable connections with 1,800+ likeminded individuals and with companies who have the solutions your organization needs to thrive.
To assist you in communicating the value of attending World Congress 2016, each year we update the
Employer Justification Packet that includes the following:
About World Congress 2016 – Understanding Who Attends and the Value Provided;
Getting Started – Clearly Communicating the Desire to Attend World Congress;
A Solid Value Proposition – The Fiscal Value of World Congress Attendance;
Calculating Event ROI – How to Justify Your Attendance, and;
Attendee Justification Letter – Crafting a Convincing Attendance Request
About World Congress 2016
Understanding Who Attends and the Value Provided
Past attendees have included:
• Contract Specialists & Negotiators
• Contract Administrators & Officers
• Subcontract Managers
• Senior Procurement Executives
• Procurement & Purchasing Managers
• Vice Presidents & Directors of
Contracts
• Supply Chain & Sourcing Professionals
• Program & Project Managers
• Compliance & Ethics Officers
• COTRs & CORs
• Corporate Counsel
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Estimating Specialists & Analysts
Pricing Specialists & Analysts
Proposal Managers
Acquisition Professionals
Business Development Professionals
Owners and CEOs or Large and Small
Business
Heads of Contracting Activity
General Managers
Professors & Students
Procurement & Contract Law Professionals
The following graphs represent the years of contract management experience past attendees have had and
what type of organization they represented. World Congress is beneficial no matter what career stage you
are in!
What do Past Attendees Say about World Congress?
Each year we receive phenomenal feedback from our attendees. In fact, in last year's attendee evaluation
more than 98% of attendees positively rated their experience and 94% said that they would
recommend World Congress to a peer or coworker!
GETTING STARTED
Clearly Communicating Your Desire to Attend World Congress
We understand that many training and travel budgets have been reduced or eliminated altogether. This
means that regardless of the merits of a particular training event, you’ll need to effectively justify the
expense. There is no better way to justify an expense than a clearly communicated proposal.
To assist you in articulating your proposal, we’ve come up with a list of points you should consider:
•
NCMA leads the contracting profession and sets the wide professional standard, with the
most robust Contract Management Body of Knowledge (CMBOK), of which all
programming is based.
•
World Congress and all NCMA national training events comply with Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) requirements regarding
government employee conference training as defined in 5 C.F.R. 410.404.
•
NCMA training events such as World Congress completely support the intent and spirit of the
Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) letters directed to all chief acquisition officers
and senior procurement executives encouraging government interaction with industry, as well
as effective training and development of the government acquisition workforce and new
requirements for the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C). This guidance
stresses “early, frequent, and constructive engagement with industry, [which] leads to better
acquisition outcomes” and strongly supports participation in professional organizations
and/or their events.
•
NCMA training events meet the intent and spirit of Department of Defense guidance outlined
within the Better Buying Power initiative pertaining to increasing the professionalism of the
acquisition workforce.
•
NCMA coordinates closely with senior federal government and industry sector leadership to
ensure continued alignment of educational curricula and agency live event training and
development policy.
•
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memorandum dated May 7, 2014, outlines
FAC-C training requirements and expresses the value of professional associations in giving
contracting professionals “adequate time and resources to train and develop, providing them
appropriate experience so they can understand how to apply their training, and building a
culture of collaboration and innovation within the agency.” View the full memorandum and
the benefits of attending training by a professional organization here.
•
Attendees earn 20 continuing professional education (CPE) hours. If you are working to
obtain or maintain your NCMA certification, remind your supervisor that this is a great
opportunity to earn these hours in a concentrated amount of time. Referring back to the OFPP
memorandum, it states that “regular participation in continuous learning activities and
programs enhances the skills of acquisition professionals, affords them opportunities for
professional growth, and improves the quality of services rendered.”
•
The networking you'll receive at World Congress is unparalleled. You will be in direct
contact with over 1,800+ like-minded professionals and have an open forum to share ideas
and build lasting relationships.
Helpful tips:
•
Prepare to communicate your attendance plans. Have a list of the different sessions you plan
to attend and describe what you will gain from these sessions.
•
Offer to share your new insight! Once you return from World Congress, deliver a short
presentation and Q&A session for your colleagues. By sharing the information you’ve
obtained, the organization receives a higher return on its investment.
•
Communicate that you'll share the presentations and speaker handouts with your colleagues.
As an attendee, you’ll have unlimited access to materials provided by the speakers.
•
Finally, check out our registration page, where all the various rates are listed to see if you
qualify for any of the reduced rates.
Remember, those who register at the nonmember rate receive a complimentary one-year NCMA
membership with their attendance to World Congress. Not only do these individuals receive all of the
benefits of attendance, but they also receive a whole year’s worth of NCMA membership benefits.
A SOLID VALUE PROPOSITION
The Fiscal Value of World Congress Attendance
A stand-alone, 90-minute NCMA Webinar costs $189.00, but at World Congress, you can participate
in up to 14 education sessions (not counting the post-event seminars) for a total of 1,020 minutes of
learning—a value of $2,142 for the member rate of $975 ($1,150 for nonmembers). That’s more than
$1,167 of savings in education alone! As an attendee, you will get all of that knowledge and face-to-face
networking in just four days, meaning fewer days out of the office, lower travel costs, and immediate
applicable results.
$189: Average cost of one 90-minute Webinar
$975: Early member registration fee for World Congress, which includes:
14 education sessions (1,020 minutes)—a $2,142 value,
3 breakfasts—a $100 value,
2 lunches—a $120 value,
3 refreshment breaks—a $30 value,
1 evening reception with hors d'oeuvres and beverages—a $50 value, and
10 hours of exclusive access to the exhibit hall.
$2,442 (actual value of World Congress attendance)
-$975 (actual member cost)
——————————————————————————————————
$1,467 (actual member savings)
CALCULATING EVENT ROI
How to Justify Your Attendance
While you must justify your need to attend World Congress, your supervisor must justify the purchase to
his or her superiors. The easier it is for your supervisor to justify the expense, the more likely it is that
your proposal will be approved. To make an effective justification to your supervisor, you have to look at
the expense from his or her point of view and calculate the return on investment (ROI).
How to Calculate the ROI
In order to calculate the return on investment, you must first have an idea of your original investment. In
other words, you need to know the cost of the investment in order to submit a proposal and to calculate
the ROI.
Event Expenses Worksheet
EXPENSE
World Congress Registration
EXPLANATION
Visit the Registration Page for the
available rates.
COST
$
Pre/Post Event Registrations
(if applicable)
Optional.
$
Flight (if applicable)
Visit a travel site such as Expedia or
Travelocity to find an estimate.
$
Lodging (if applicable)
Visit the Lodging Page for the available
rates.
$
Transportation
To and from the airport, if flying (Taxi
or Rental Car).
$
Mileage Reimbursement
Driving to the event or to the airport for
your flight? Use Google Maps to
calculate distances, and then multiply
miles by 54 cents/mile (IRS standard for
2016).
$
Parking Reimbursement
(if applicable)
At the airport for flight departure, at
hotel, or at the convention center where
the event is located.
$
Food Per Diem
The current per diem rate for Orlando,
FL is $59.
$
Total:
$
Evaluating & Calculating the Benefits
One of the most challenging parts of finding the ROI for your attendance is that many of the benefits are
difficult to quantify. This is especially true when it comes to determining the value of networking.
Therefore, the best way to convey the overall value is to focus on each type of benefit and the overall
organizational return. Benefits that you may want to consider include networking, current/future
challenge exploration, current/future tools exploration, current/future technology exploration, vendor
search, and team building (if multiple staff members attend). To get you started, we’ve begun filling in a
sample table on the next page.
Event Benefits Worksheet
ORGANIZATIONAL CHALLENGE
Your organization is currently
struggling with innovation and
generating new ideas.
POTENTIAL ORGANIZATIONAL RETURN
• Get it from the experts. Gain insights, solutions, and
strategies for innovation. Learn upcoming and future trends
that the profession will experience.
• Hear from both government and industry leadership on
potential strategies that could provide innovative and valueadded solutions.
• Listen to nationally recognized leaders within the contracting
profession and discuss the current challenges and what can be
done to improve upon the future of contract management.
Your organization is wants to increase
its competitive advantage through
implementation of key efficiency
initiatives and enhanced buying power
trends.
• Learn more about the latest growth trends in both government
and industry.
• Gain a better understanding of key initiatives and practices to
reduce organizational inefficiencies.
• Capture potential solutions you can take back to your
organization for discussion, consideration, and
implementation.
Your contracting department
lacks the key management tools
and training essentials for the
organization’s future success.
• Learn key principles from senior contracting and
acquisition leaders in meeting the key challenges of the
21st Century, including human capital trends and building
quality teams.
• Hear experts discuss principles of acquisition; including
innovative source selection practices, pricing trends, and
cutting-edge green procurement strategies.
• Receive information on state-of-the-art tools and practical
solutions to help increase team productivity,
communication, and ultimately the bottom line of your
organization.
• Travel together and attend World Congress as a team to
help build coworker relationships. Discuss the ideas that
you took away from the event once you return back to the
office for added team value.
Your organization needs to be more
prepared to manage upcoming
legislation changes
• This year we will see significant legislative changes in the
area of acquisition. World Congress will bring you up to
date on these dramatic changes and how to prepare now in
order to adapt.
Once you have quantified the benefits of the event, you will then be able to point out the ROI to your
employer. You can use the information you mapped out here to help write your attendee proposal, which
is the next step of the process.
ATTENDEE JUSTIFICATION LETTER
Crafting a Convincing Attendance Request
While the choice to attend World Congress may seem like an easy one for you, at times it can be
challenging for some organizations to see the full benefits. This is why it is so important to take the time
to build a solid business case for your attendance.
Next, you’ll find a “justification letter” template. Present this letter to your supervisor to explain all of the
benefits you’ll obtain from World Congress attendance, how attending will make you achieve
professional growth, and ultimately, how it will help advance your organization.
This general template on the next page will get you started. Customize it with your own voice and the
specific needs of your organization.
World Congress Justification Letter Template
<Date>
Dear <supervisor’s name>:
I would like to attend NCMA’s World Congress 2016, July 24–27 in Orlando, FL—the year’s premier
education event for government contract, procurement, and acquisition professionals. The training event
will enable me to attend a number of education sessions that are directly applicable to my work and will
allow me to network with a variety of like-minded professionals, contract experts, and colleagues from
around the nation. Many of the presentations are tailored to the <your area of focus> profession and give
information on how to <list benefits to your responsibilities>.
After reviewing the event website (www.ncmaworldcongress.org), I have identified a number of
education tracks that will allow me to gain knowledge and understanding about how we can improve our
processes. The sessions that fall under each track will be facilitated by government, industry, and
academic experts, as well as other contracting professionals who have faced similar challenges. I
highlighted education tracks below because they directly relate to <an issue the organization currently
faces>.
<Insert the track titles that most apply to your responsibilities.>
<The dollar amounts in brackets below will need to be adjusted to reflect the current pricing. All
registration fees are listed here. The travel costs vary as well and should be changed to reflect your
costs.>
The full registration fee is <$xxxx>, but can be reduced $200 by registering before March 18, 2016. I
have included a detailed cost breakdown below.
Here is the breakdown of training event costs:
Roundtrip Airfare: <$xxxx>
Transportation: <$xxxx>
Hotel: <$xxxx>
Meals: <$xxxx>
Registration Fee: <$xxxx>
The opportunity for me to develop my network and gain knowledge in specific areas of <your area of
focus> makes my attendance to NCMA’s World Congress 2016 an excellent investment for <name of
your organization>.
Sincerely,
<your name here>
What Happens Next?
You should consult with your tax professional for advice and to determine whether the IRS regulations
below apply to your specific circumstances.
After your request has been submitted to your employer, it will be reviewed to determine which expenses
will be covered on your behalf. Your employer may cover your participation in whole, in part, or may not
have the budget to cover the expenses being requested. If you fall into the latter two categories, it’s
important to also consider that the Internal Revenue Service allows you to deduct the costs of attending a
training event if you do not receive reimbursement from an employer as it relates to a profession. You can
deduct the total eligible costs for the year on a personal income tax return as a miscellaneous deduction.
The IRS limits the deductible amount to the portion that exceeds 2 percent of adjusted gross income.
Admission
You can deduct the cost of admission to the training event if your employer requires your attendance or it
otherwise relates to your current profession. If not required to attend, the training event must be an
ordinary and necessary expense. You meet this requirement if attendance to similar training events is
common practice in your trade or profession. The deduction covers meetings that provide networking or
potential future business opportunities.
Long-Distance Travel
If the training event is outside your principal work area, you can deduct the travel expenses. These may
include the cost of purchasing airline and train tickets, and ground transport to and from transportation
hubs such as an airport or train station.
Personal Automotive Expenses
Taxpayers who use a personal vehicle to drive to the training event may deduct related costs. The IRS
provides taxpayers with the standard mileage rate methodology for calculating the deduction. This gives a
fixed amount you can deduct for each mile driven with a personal vehicle for business purposes. For
example, in 2016 the IRS standard mileage rate was 54 cents per mile driven. In addition to the mileage
rate, you can deduct the cost of tolls.
Lodging
If you must stay overnight while attending, you can deduct hotel costs. The IRS considers an overnight
stay necessary if the travel is so extensive it requires extended rest to participate in the training event. For
example, if the event were 30 miles from the home, absent other extraordinary circumstances, an
overnight stay would be unnecessary. Additionally, deductible hotel charges may not be extravagant or
luxurious.
Meals
Amounts paid for food and reasonable restaurant gratuities while traveling away from home are another
deduction. The IRS gives taxpayers two methods to calculate meal costs. It publishes daily per diem rates
applicable to various geographic areas that you can use without regard to the amount actually spent.
Alternatively, you can keep records of all meals and list the total costs paid.
The following link is to IRS Publication 463, which details the IRS regulations for deducting travel
expenses. http://www.irs.gov/publications/p463/ch01.html