Ramon,

You last comment is right on target and very profound. It's too bad everyone doesn't see how evaluating experience and past performance gets them exactly where they need to be at source selection time.

Stan

By Ramon on Thursday, February 10, 2000 - 03:25 pm:

I'm afraid there is one little problem. It is so much easier to check credentials than experience. It is easier to "score," easier to defend after the fact, and for those who don't much care beyond getting funds on contract with an effective fig leaf in reserve this will continue despite even such "advisory" legislation. It is so much easier to play poker, just look at the showing cards, than really evaluate the value of experience.

People who are really serious about getting results are already making sensible decisions on the credential/experience balance.

By Eric Ottinger on Thursday, February 10, 2000 - 12:27 pm:

This Federal Computer Week article looks like an interesting addition to the discussion that we had on the Water Cooler about the usefulness of arbitrary training and education requirements in our RFPs; particularly in career fields where demonstrated ability normally carries more weight than academic credentials.

I don’t really think that this issue rises to the level where legislation is appropriate, but I agree with the Congressman.

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2000/0207/web-davis-02-09-00.asp

I should note that you might want to bookmark the FCW site, because the occasional articles by Dr. Kelman and Mr. Peckinpaugh are usually excellent and informative.

If you haven’t been reading these essays, they can be easily accessed in the archives.

Eric