Assignment 4: Federal Contracting Activities and Contract Types

Assignment 4: Federal Contracting Activities and Contract Types
Due Week 10 and worth 300 points
Note: Refer to scenarios and readings from previous weeks in order to complete this assignment.
The Department of Defense plans to issue a $400,000 government contract to a company that specializes in drone navigation technologies. As a result, a government auditor has been contacted to examine the operational data VectorCal and one (1) competitor (previously identified as “your company”) in order to decide which company should win the government contract.

Note: You may create and / or make all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment.
Write a six to eight (6-8) page paper in which you:

Create a one (1) page overview of the history and background of each company vying for the government contract.
Specify at least one (1) of the recent major contracts that was awarded to both companies. Explain the fundamental reasons why both companies were awarded the contract(s) that you specified.
Determine the type(s) of contract for which both companies might be eligible (e.g., fixed-price, cost reimbursement, etc.). Justify the response.
Discuss at least three (3) direct costs and three (3) indirect costs that each company incurred during the production of its navigation system. Explain the manner in which this data would factor into your decision as to which company would be more eligible to receive the contract.
Suggest which company should be awarded this government contract based on the data that was presented for each company. Next, provide three to five (3-5) reasons to support your stance.
Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources. 
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

This course requires use of new Student Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.
Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow SWS or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. 
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Specify the government policies regarding profit and pricing adjustments for contracts.
Evaluate the role played by contract auditors.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in cost and price analysis.
Write clearly and concisely about cost and price analysis using proper writing mechanics. 
Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.