Customized Training

“What makes us different is our approach. Everything we do is based on providing information back to management.”

The McKelvey Group offers a complete training portfolio that provides critical skills for individuals and businesses. Customized and standard courses are available to help you and your business achieve full potential.

We offer both private and public courses in-person and virtually, with a real-time instructor. Private courses are designed and tailored for your team, covering the key topics and areas of interest that are important to your company. Public courses are offered to an open audience and cover our standard course agendas. Regardless of which format, all our corporate training courses engage participants in learning real-life best practices, resulting in actual working tools you can apply to your business.

As a NASBA CPE Sponsor, most courses qualify for CPE credit.

See Courses

The McKelvey Group is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State Boards of Accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual course for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org

Standard Course Offerings

Developing Cost/Price Proposals – Basic (DCPP Basic)

Course Description

This entry-level course is designed to provide an overview of the Pricing process in response to Government Requests for Proposal (RFP). This is an introductory course that focuses on the process, definitions, basic skills, and requirements for completing a Cost/Price proposal in response to an RFP.

Participants will be taught industry best practices for planning, identifying/quantifying elements of cost, building a cost/price model, organizing a narrative, and preparing for submission/audit.  The course is interactive, encouraging attendee participation. Samples and templates will be used in the course and provided to all attendees.

This course provides those new to Government pricing a wider understanding of the entire proposal process.

Responding to a Government RFP requires a significant amount of time and resources. Even if your company has the best solution for the Government, simple mistakes in pricing a proposal can cost your company the win. Or your company could win the contract but find after award that it is losing money because of mistakes made in the pricing response. Improving your expertise at responding to Government procurements takes many years. However, this course can give you the foundation to reduce the learning curve dramatically.

This is an entry-level course designed for pricers with 0-3 years of experience.  Accounting, contracts, business development, and other non-pricer personnel looking to develop a basic understanding of the pricing function will also benefit from this course.

 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will:

  • Gain an understanding of the standard pricing process
  • Learn the basic procedures for completing a Government cost/price proposal
  • Learn some of the common pitfalls encountered during pricing

 

Additional Information

  • Prerequisites: Attendees should have a basic level of experience in Microsoft Excel.
  • Preparation: No advance preparation is required.
  • Program Level: Basic
  • Delivery Method: Instructor-Led Training (Group Live or Group Internet-Based)

 

CPE Credits

Earn 8 CPE Credits: Accounting (1.5), Accounting – Government (1.5), Business Management & Organization (1), Finance (1), Management Services (1), Specialized Knowledge (2)

The McKelvey Group is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State Boards of Accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual course for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website www.nasbaregistry.org.

 

Course Agenda

  • Introduction
  • Pricing Function – Defined
  • GovCon Procurement Process
  • Types of Contracts/Tasks
  • Elements of Cost/Price
  • Building a Model
  • Writing a Narrative
  • Quality Control/Reviews
  • Production & Delivery
  • Post Delivery
  • Questions & Open Discussion

 

Refunds & Cancellations

Any cancellations within 30 days of the scheduled class are non-refundable but you have the option of rescheduling. If you reschedule to attend another course, we will apply your prior payment toward your new registration fee. No refunds will be made for the cancellation of a rescheduled course. Personnel substitutions may be made at any time. Payment must be received prior to the course date. No-shows are liable for the full course fee. In the event TMG must cancel a scheduled course, we offer a full refund or full credit toward a future training date. Registered course participants will be contacted via email using the email address originally submitted by the registrant. For complaints or concerns, please contact Jacylyn Syfu at 800-246-3154 x822.

Developing Cost/Price Proposals – Intermediate (DCPP Intermediate)

Course Description

This course is designed as a workshop to provide attendees industry best practices for developing a cost/price proposal.  This is an introductory course which focuses on the process, definitions, basic skills, and requirements for completing a Cost/Price proposal in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP).

In this hands-on workshop, attendees will develop a response to a Government RFP.  Attendees will review a sample Time and Materials (T&M) RFP, develop direct labor rates, apply indirect rates, discuss the narrative, and prepare the audit file.  The final product of the course is a complemented T&M pricing model.

Most pricing seminars focus solely on the basic structural mechanics of building a price proposal, omitting discussions on important factors that are frequently encountered during the pricing process. This course goes beyond the basic pricing steps to provide even experienced pricers a wider understanding of the entire proposal process as well as post award contract performance. Participants will not only gain the knowledge needed to build models, but also an understanding of some of the critical issues to consider beyond simply responding to the RFP.

Responding to a Government RFP requires a significant amount of time and resources. Even if your company has the best solution for the Government, simple mistakes in pricing a proposal can cost your company the win. Or your company could win the contract but find after award that it is losing money because of mistakes made in the pricing response. Improving your expertise at responding to Government procurements takes many years. However, this course can give you the foundation to reduce the learning curve dramatically.

This is an intermediate-level course designed for pricers with 2-6 years of experience.  Accounting, contracts, business development, and other non-pricer personnel looking to develop a better understanding of the pricing function will also benefit from this course.

 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will:

  • Gain a better understanding of the industry best practices for the pricing process
  • Be able to complete a Government T&M price proposal
  • Have the knowledge to address Fixed Price and Cost Plus proposals
  • Appreciate the value of the Cost/Price narrative
  • Understand how pricing decisions impact win probability and contract performance
  • Learn some of the common pitfalls encountered during pricing

 

Additional Information

  • Prerequisites: Attendees should have an intermediate level of experience with Microsoft Excel.  This means the ability to navigate menus, create common formulas, and use formatting tools.
  • Preparation: No advance preparation is required.
  • Program Level: Intermediate
  • Delivery Method: Instructor-Led Training (Group Live or Group Internet-Based)

 

CPE Credits

Earn 8 CPE Credits: Accounting – Government (1.5), Auditing – Government (1), Finance (1.5), Management Services (1), Specialized Knowledge (3)

The McKelvey Group is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State Boards of Accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual course for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website www.nasbaregistry.org.

 

Course Agenda

  • Introduction
  • Overview of the Cost and Pricing Function
  • RFP Review
  • Planning
  • Basis of Estimates
  • Cost Model (Excel Modeling Exercises)
  • Cost Narrative
  • Quality Control
  • Production & Delivery
  • Post Delivery
  • Introduction to Advanced Topics
  • Questions & Open Discussion

 

Refunds & Cancellations

Any cancellations within 30 days of the scheduled class are non-refundable but you have the option of rescheduling. If you reschedule to attend another course, we will apply your prior payment toward your new registration fee. No refunds will be made for the cancellation of a rescheduled course. Personnel substitutions may be made at any time. Payment must be received prior to the course date. No-shows are liable for the full course fee. In the event TMG must cancel a scheduled course, we offer a full refund or full credit toward a future training date. Registered course participants will be contacted via email using the email address originally submitted by the registrant. For complaints or concerns, please contact Jacylyn Syfu at 800-246-3154 x822.

Developing Cost/Price Proposals – Advanced (DCPP Advanced)

Course Description

This course provides attendees with industry best practices and strategies for improving the win probability (p-win) for your proposals.  This is an advanced course which focuses on the pricing levers available to highlight strengths, mitigate weaknesses, and increase the likelihood that your proposed price will help seal rather than detrimentally impact your proposed technical solution as the best option for the Government.

The levers and strategies discussed will begin with actions which can be taken prior to the release of a draft RFP and carry through to the actions taken after submission and award.  The discussions will present the appropriate use of these levers/strategies as well as the pros/cons of each.

In this course, attendees will discuss shaping the RFP, using questions to advance strategy, teaming considerations, cost/price approaches, indirect rate strategies, fee/profit strategies, narrative impacts, ghosting, evaluation assistance, and integration with the technical/past performance responses.

Responding to a Government RFP requires a significant amount of time and resources. Even if your company has the best solution for the Government, your competition may well be using advanced approaches/strategies which can cost your company the win. Improving your expertise at responding to Government procurements takes many years. However, this course can give you the foundation to reduce the learning curve dramatically.

This is an advanced-level course designed for pricers with 6+ years of experience.  Accounting, contracts, business development, executive, and other non-pricer personnel looking to develop a better understanding of the pricing levers and strategies used by industry will also benefit from this course.

 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will:

  • Understand how involving pricing earlier in the capture process increases p-win
  • Identify the levers and strategies which are most appropriate by type of procurement
  • Learn to how highlight strengths and mitigate weaknesses during evaluation
  • Improve the effectiveness of your cost/price narrative to ghost the competition

 

Additional Information

  • Prerequisites: Pricers should have at least intermediate pricing skills. Capture team personnel should have advanced business development, accounting, or program management experience. Corporate leadership should have government contracting experience.
  • Preparation: Bring examples of pricing strategies you want to validate.
  • Program Level: Advanced
  • Delivery Method: Instructor-Led Training (Group Live or Group Internet-Based)

 

CPE Credits

Earn 8 CPE Credits: Accounting – Government (2), Finance (2), Specialized Knowledge (4)

The McKelvey Group is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State Boards of Accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual course for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website www.nasbaregistry.org.

 

Course Agenda

  • Introduction
  • Overview of the Cost and Pricing Function
  • RFP Review
  • Planning
  • Competitive Analysis
  • Data Cells
  • Pricing Levers
  • Labor Strategies
  • Indirect Rate Strategies
  • Subcontractor Strategies
  • Non-Labor Strategies
  • Cost Narrative
  • Best Use of Planning/Reviews
  • Production & Delivery
  • Post Delivery
  • Questions & Open Discussion

 

Refunds & Cancellations

Any cancellations within 30 days of the scheduled class are non-refundable but you have the option of rescheduling. If you reschedule to attend another course, we will apply your prior payment toward your new registration fee. No refunds will be made for the cancellation of a rescheduled course. Personnel substitutions may be made at any time. Payment must be received prior to the course date. No-shows are liable for the full course fee. In the event TMG must cancel a scheduled course, we offer a full refund or full credit toward a future training date. Registered course participants will be contacted via email using the email address originally submitted by the registrant. For complaints or concerns, please contact Jacylyn Syfu at 800-246-3154 x822.

DCAA Audits

Course Description

Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) or other cognizant agency audits are a fact of life for Federal Government contractors. Being prepared in advance of an audit greatly increases the likelihood of a successful audit outcome. This course will guide participants through multiple DCAA audits – including pre-award, accounting system, purchasing system, and estimating system.

Creating the systems for your company which will pass DCAA scrutiny requires a full appreciation of the entire audit process. This course will provide not only the basic steps required, but also anecdotal examples to help you to be prepared for what to expect.

More and more government Request for Proposals (RFPs) are being released with the requirement that contractors have an adequate accounting system BEFORE a proposal is submitted. In addition, Tier I contractors are getting increasing pressure from DCAA and Cognizant Audit Agencies to ensure their subcontractors are CAS and FAR compliant. You may soon find that your company is excluded from a key team because of the status of your accounting system.

No company wants to miss an opportunity to respond to an RFP because they have not passed an audit. And without proper preparation and processes in place, an audit can be disruptive and difficult. This course will provide a detailed overview of the entire process, from pre-audit preparation through post-audit initiatives.

 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will:

  • Learn how to prepare a company in advance for an audit
  • Understand how to respond to DCAA requests for information
  • Know how to support an audit in process
  • Develop proficiency to address post-audit actions

 

Additional Information

  • Prerequisites: Basic business system knowledge is beneficial but not required.
  • Preparation: No advance preparation is required.
  • Program Level: Intermediate
  • Delivery Method: Instructor-Led Training (Group Live or Group Internet-Based).

 

CPE Credits

Earn 8 CPE Credits: Accounting – Government (1), Auditing – Government (4), Business Management and Organization (1), Specialized Knowledge (2)

The McKelvey Group is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State Boards of Accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual course for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website www.nasbaregistry.org.

 

Course Agenda

  • Introduction
  • Audit Background
  • Audit Stages
  • The Pre-Award Audit
  • Accounting System Audit
  • Estimating System Audit
  • Purchasing System Audit
  • Advanced Topics
  • Questions & Open Discussion

 

Refunds & Cancellations

Any cancellations within 30 days of the scheduled class are non-refundable but you have the option of rescheduling. If you reschedule to attend another course, we will apply your prior payment toward your new registration fee. No refunds will be made for the cancellation of a rescheduled course. Personnel substitutions may be made at any time. Payment must be received prior to the course date. No-shows are liable for the full course fee. In the event TMG must cancel a scheduled course, we offer a full refund or full credit toward a future training date. Registered course participants will be contacted via email using the email address originally submitted by the registrant. For complaints or concerns, please contact Jacylyn Syfu at 800-246-3154 x822.

DCAA FAR QuickBooks Compliance

Course Description

Having an accounting system which is compliant with the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), and DCAA/Cognizant Auditor requirements is an absolute must for every company doing business with the Federal Government. But what if you are a small government contractor using QuickBooks (or similar software) who lacks the Finance/Accounting experience to set up your Accounting System for compliance?

What used to be a competitive advantage – having an accounting system deemed adequate for government contracting – is now a basic business requirement. More and more government Request for Proposals (RFPs) are being released with the requirement that contractors have an adequate accounting system BEFORE a proposal is submitted. In addition, Tier I contractors are getting increasing pressure from DCAA and Cognizant Audit Agencies to ensure their subcontractors are CAS and FAR compliant. You may soon find that your company is excluded from a key team because of the status of your accounting system.

This course walks through the actual setup of the Chart of Accounts, calculations of indirect rates, development of an Accounting Policies and Procedures Manual, and the preparation for an Accounting System Audit.

 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will:

  • Gain the basic structure for a DCAA compliant accounting system using QuickBooks (or similar software)
  • Understand how to set up a compliant and effective Chart of Accounts
  • Learn how to calculate indirect rates
  • Understand the relationship between timekeeping, payroll, and job costing.
  • Receive a tactical action plan to complete all documentation for a compliant system
  • Be prepared for the audit

 

Additional Information

  • Prerequisites: Basic accounting knowledge. Basic QuickBooks experience.
  • Preparation: No advance preparation is required.
  • Program Level: Intermediate
  • Delivery Method: Instructor-Led Training (Group Live or Group Internet-Based)

 

CPE Credits

Earn 4 CPE Credits: Accounting – Government (2), Auditing – Government (2)

The McKelvey Group is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State Boards of Accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual course for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website www.nasbaregistry.org.

 

Course Agenda

  • Introduction
  • Basic Definitions
  • QuickBooks Setup
  • Monthly Actions
  • Action Plan to Compliance
  • Questions & Open Discussion

 

Refunds & Cancellations

Any cancellations within 30 days of the scheduled class are non-refundable but you have the option of rescheduling. If you reschedule to attend another course, we will apply your prior payment toward your new registration fee. No refunds will be made for the cancellation of a rescheduled course. Personnel substitutions may be made at any time. Payment must be received prior to the course date. No-shows are liable for the full course fee. In the event TMG must cancel a scheduled course, we offer a full refund or full credit toward a future training date. Registered course participants will be contacted via email using the email address originally submitted by the registrant. For complaints or concerns, please contact Jacylyn Syfu at 800-246-3154 x822.

Incurred Cost Submissions (ICS)

Course Description

An Incurred Cost Submission is REQUIRED for ALL Federal Government Contractors with at least one of the following:

  • Cost Plus (CP) Contract/Task,
  • Time and Material (T&M) Contract/Task, or
  • Flexibly Priced (FP) Contract/Task (This a Fixed-Price Contract/Task with reimbursable CLINs)

 

It does not matter if your company is a prime contractor or a subcontractor.  It does not matter how small the Contracts/Tasks are. This is an annual requirement.  It should be part of your annual Accounting Close process.

Most contractors find out about Incurred Cost Submissions when their Cognizant Auditor (CA) contacts them asking for status.  The CA may ask for information about submissions from five or more years ago.  Thus begins a scramble for the contractor to go back in history and handle multiple submissions in a short time frame.  Scrambling to complete submissions in a short time frame is a recipe for failure.

This is an intermediate-level course designed for accounting and contract personnel who will prepare and submit the Incurred Cost Submission, as well as small business owners and managers who are trying to decide if, and when they should submit.  Attendees should have a moderate level of experience with Excel.

 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will:

  • Gain a deeper knowledge of an Incurred Cost Submission
  • Understand its purpose
  • Know when a Federal Contractor must submit one
  • Learn the requirements for a complete submission
  • Receive a walk-through of each component of the submission including a list of the required information, an explanation of what the auditors are looking for, and an appreciation for how to ensure a fully-compliant submission.

 

Additional Information

  • Prerequisites: Attendees should have a moderate level of experience with Excel.
  • Preparation: No advance preparation is required.
  • Program Level: Intermediate
  • Delivery Method: Instructor-Led Training (Group Live or Group Internet-Based)

 

CPE Credits

Earn 1 CPE Credit: Accounting – Government (1)

The McKelvey Group is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State Boards of Accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual course for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website www.nasbaregistry.org.

 

Course Agenda

  • Introduction
  • Incurred Cost Submission Background
  • ICE Model Setup
  • ICE Model Walk-through
  • Supporting Documentation
  • Questions & Open Discussion

 

Refunds & Cancellations

Any cancellations within 30 days of the scheduled class are non-refundable but you have the option of rescheduling. If you reschedule to attend another course, we will apply your prior payment toward your new registration fee. No refunds will be made for the cancellation of a rescheduled course. Personnel substitutions may be made at any time. Payment must be received prior to the course date. No-shows are liable for the full course fee. In the event TMG must cancel a scheduled course, we offer a full refund or full credit toward a future training date. Registered course participants will be contacted via email using the email address originally submitted by the registrant. For complaints or concerns, please contact Jacylyn Syfu at 800-246-3154 x822.

Negotiating Skills for Government Contractors

Course Description

Strong negotiation skills are extremely valuable in the government contracting environment. Whether you support business development, engineering, accounting, pricing, administration, or legal, it is important to know how to plan, execute, and evaluate a negotiation to improve the results for your organization. Negotiating is not just a process but also a valuable skill. A successful negotiation ensures that both sides have a mutual benefit and a good working relationship after the agreement is executed.  This course covers the planning, process, and approaches valuable for increasing the likelihood of a successful negotiation for your organization.  During this course we will discuss various government and commercial agreements, including:

  • Teaming Agreements
  • Subcontract Agreements
  • Purchase Agreements
  • Contract Awards
  • Scope Changes
  • Indirect Rate Agreements

 

Participants will learn the when and why to negotiate as well as the basic tools and approaches. Participants will also learn what can be negotiated and the key steps to planning – so everyone understands the objectives to the negotiations. We will discuss how to set up role playing and how to prepare for different scenarios during your negotiation process. Also covered will be some of the traps and ‘gotchas’ as well as timing and how that plays a role during the negotiations process.

By the end of this one-day program participants will have a better understanding of the “why,” the “how,” and the “when” of negotiations.

Individuals who are involved in negotiations for their organizations, whether leading the negotiations or as part of a team, will benefit from this course.

 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will:

  • Learn how to negotiate teaming agreements, subcontract agreements, new or contingency hires and contracts
  • Learn strategies to negotiations
  • Understand how to mitigate risks including performance, profit, and reputation
  • Establish a plan for a negotiation
  • Develop tactics to win
  • Know how to evaluate performance
  • Recognize traps and opportunities
  • Learn how to overcome objections

 

Additional Information

  • Prerequisites: No prerequisite knowledge is required to be successful in this course.
  • Preparation: No advance preparation is required.
  • Program Level: Intermediate
  • Delivery Method: Instructor-Led Training (Group Live or Group Internet-Based)

 

CPE Credits

This course is not eligible for CPE credits at this time.

 

Course Agenda

  • Introductions
  • Negotiation Defined
  • During Negotiations
  • Specific Situations in Government Contracting
  • Questions & Open Discussion

 

Refunds & Cancellations

Any cancellations within 30 days of the scheduled class are non-refundable but you have the option of rescheduling. If you reschedule to attend another course, we will apply your prior payment toward your new registration fee. No refunds will be made for the cancellation of a rescheduled course. Personnel substitutions may be made at any time. Payment must be received prior to the course date. No-shows are liable for the full course fee. In the event TMG must cancel a scheduled course, we offer a full refund or full credit toward a future training date. Registered course participants will be contacted via email using the email address originally submitted by the registrant. For complaints or concerns, please contact Jacylyn Syfu at 800-246-3154 x822.

Customized Corporate Training

In addition to our standard course offerings, we provide customized corporate training. Contact us!

Contact Us

The Instructors

Matt McKelvey

has over 25 years of experience in Finance/Accounting, Government Contracting, Business Valuations, Process Optimization, and Training.

Marc Hamann

has over 20 years of experience in Government Contracting, Proposal Pricing and Cost Volume Development, Budget Analysis, and Management.

Ron Rhuede

has over 40 years of experience in U.S. Government Contractor Costing, Pricing, Finance and Business Management.

Rich Levine

has an extensive background in Mergers & Acquisitions, Federal Government Contracts, and Infrastructure Development for growing companies.

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