THE NEGOTIATION TEAM
The contracting officer, usually the lead negotiator, is responsible for putting the government negotiation team together: sizing it, choosing the team members, and training them. Who are your potential team players, and how do you pull this team together?
CHARACTERISTICS OF A NEGOTIATION TEAM
A negotiation team is truly a unique creation. Generally, you'll have a different team for each negotiation, depending on the customer you are supporting and the technical knowledge required for whatever you are buying. This allows you to tailor the team composition and size to fit the situation. Consider the overall scope of the negotiation, expertise required, complexity, dollar value, visibility, and the like when creating the team.
Be aware that the team will not be a naturally cohesive unit. Members will be drawn from different functions; they know they'll be together as a team for a short time and will then go back to their "normal" jobs. Your challenge will be to lead this disjointed collection of individuals through a successful negotiation, and that will take patience, training, and tact. Try to fit the right people in the right places for the negotiation. This will enable you to focus on leading the team and concentrating your talents on the overall outcome of the negotiation.
Manager Alert
Successfully leading a negotiating team is a challenge. Usually the team members don't work for you; they are dedicated to your effort only part time, and they are distracted by their "real" jobs.
TEAM MEMBERS
You are responsible for selecting the team, so bring in folks who represent the particular expertise you'll need for that negotiation. Some of the traditional team members you could include are as follows:
? Team leader
? Contract specialists
? Price analysts/cost analysts
? Technical representatives/technical experts
? Program managers
? Auditors, attorneys, small business specialists, property specialists, etc., as needed.
BRIEFING THE TEAM
Schedule a team meeting with all participants as soon as possible. Use this forum to establish your authority as the team leader, introduce members to each other, and assign and clarify each team member's role. Attach action dates to any duties you assign, making sure to reserve some duties for yourself so your team can see that you are participating and not just delegating. Make sure to assign someone the task of taking minutes of the meeting.
End the kickoff meeting by highlighting the importance of the negotiation to the customer and taxpayers, and stress preparation as the key to success. Encourage all team members to make the negotiation effort their #1 priority. Provide the team members—and their upper management—a copy of the meeting minutes as soon as possible. (Make sure the minutes have appropriate markings if they contain source selection or proprietary information.)
