About Us

About Productivity Partners: Elevating Contracting Expertise


Productivity Partners exist to assist government contracting and industry professionals to understand the nuances of source selection principles and axioms and other contract management issues. We believe understanding these principles and the framework for their application brings greater insight and with that insight comes greater productivity and success in the execution of your professional responsibilities.

Our classroom instruction and other services often combines knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Agency Supplements, and relevant case law to reveal the meaning of the regulations, the bounds of flexibility, and the rules that cannot be violated. Productivity and creativity flows from this knowledge.

Productivity Partners is prepared to communicate this knowledge to contracting and industry professionals or use it on behalf of Government or Industry partners to obtain the desired result.

The primary lecturer, researcher and writer is Christopher E. Harris. Mr. Harris has over 20 years of commercial and Government contracting experience. Mr. Harris has worked in operational and R&D contracting (i.e., SBIR/STTR) in the Department of Defense, operational contracting in the Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce. He has also headed a category MGT Program and written several published articles. He holds several certifications including the Project Management Professional, Certified Professional Contract Manager, Certified Federal Contract Manager, and Certified Commercial Contract Manager.

Filling Knowledge Gaps and Releasing Productivity

Evaluation of Key Personnel

This course provides an overview of the key personnel factor and a close look at how to properly evaluate it in a source selection. The course also covers the pitfalls to avoid during the evaluation and streamlining strategies that may be successfully utilized.

How to Conduct Discussions

This course takes an in-depth look at how to conduct discussions in different procurement environments including FAR 15, 8.4, 13, and 16.5. It examines how to enter discussions in these environments and how to legally engage vendors in each stage of the negotiation.

Contract Management Overview

Contract administration begins once the contract is awarded. This class outlines the foundational concepts for successful vendor performance. Topical areas include Contract administration theory, understanding inputs and outputs, and using contractual concepts to manage the contract effectively.