# Performance Work Statements Course Canonical URL: ## Overview Avoid project failures, substandard services, delays in delivery, and contract disputes by writing performance-based statements of work with effective quality assurance surveillance plans. A must for program and project personnel, as well as Contractors and Auditors who need training in identifying inadequacies in statements of work. Learn a step-by-step method for writing effective task descriptions, performance standards, quality assurance surveillance plans, and more. ## What you'll learn - Discuss performance-based acquisition for services. - Explain how to manage risks. - Summarize the Seven Steps to the Service Acquisition Process. - Conduct a requirements analysis. - Develop a performance requirements summary. ## Curriculum #### Module 1: Introduction to Statements of Work (SOWs) - Explain the services acquisition process and why clear, complete SOWs matter. - Differentiate specification types and requirement documents, including SOW, PWS, and SOO. - Apply FAR principles such as promoting competition and reflecting only the government’s minimum needs. - Use the order of precedence for requirements documents to select the right approach. - Recognize how requirement wording affects competition, interpretation, and performance risk. #### Module 2: Service Contracts - Define service contracts and review common examples across federal missions. - Trace the evolution of service contracting and diagnose frequent problem areas like poor planning and oversight. - Distinguish personal from non-personal services and identify legal boundaries for personal services. - Mitigate vulnerabilities with on-site contractor personnel through management controls in the PWS. - Explain why services are difficult to describe and how to express outcomes for intangible deliverables. #### Module 3: Performance-Based Acquisition (PBA) - Summarize the Seven Steps to Service Acquisition and related DoD “Complete Guide” steps. - Identify PBA’s core elements: PWS written to outcomes, measurable standards, QASP, and incentives. - Use market research resources and tools to inform requirements and strategy. - State PBA objectives such as maximizing performance, competition, commercial practices, and savings. - Develop performance indicators and standards that enable objective assessment. #### Module 4: Requirements Analysis - Perform a job analysis that produces inputs, work, outputs, workload, and resource needs. - Develop performance indicators, performance standards, and acceptable quality levels (AQLs). - Build an Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) using historical data, workload, and resource analyses. - Select and structure incentive arrangements and deductions aligned to measurable performance. - Compile the Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) matrix to bridge analysis into the PWS. #### Module 5: Writing the Performance Work Statement (PWS) - Organize the PWS with scope, tasks, deliverables, schedules, performance standards, quality control, and special requirements. - Write clearly using plain language, active voice, and unambiguous terms that focus on “what,” not “how.” - Encourage innovation by avoiding prescriptive labor categories and excessive “how-to” requirements. - Understand when to use a Statement of Objectives (SOO) and how it shifts solutioning to offerors. - Align the PWS with the PRS so monitoring and acceptance are traceable to defined outcomes. #### Module 6: Quality Assurance - Describe the purpose and key elements of a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP). - Select monitoring methods that map to indicators, standards, and AQLs in the PRS/PWS. - Identify remedies for substandard performance, including deductions when reperformance is not feasible. - Clarify surveillance roles and responsibilities to ensure consistent, documented oversight. ## Schedule - Jul 20, 2026 – Jul 22, 2026 — Live Online - Sep 22, 2026 – Sep 24, 2026 — Live Online - Oct 19, 2026 – Oct 21, 2026 — Live Online ## Instructors ### Anna Garcia-Durr — Instructor Ms. Garcia-Durr is a highly respected acquisition expert and retired U.S. Army officer with over 35 years of combined military and federal civilian service in logistics, contingency operations, and acquisition leadership. A former Contingency Contracting Officer, Anna brings operational insight from combat zones, austere environments, and disaster response operations directly into the training environment. She held senior leadership roles across the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives—managing multi-billion dollar portfolios and overseeing mission-critical procurement in domestic and international settings. She is also a seasoned instructor and mentor, having trained hundreds of acquisition professionals, CORs, and program teams to exceed performance and compliance goals. She equips today’s acquisition professionals with the insight, precision, and mission-driven mindset needed to confidently lead and execute procurements in any acquisition environment. Anna holds a Juris Master in Corporate Compliance and Contracts and graduate certificates in Contract Management and Program/Project Management. Her certifications include Certified Federal Contract Manager (CFCM), DAWIA Level III (Contracting), and FAC-C / FAC-COR Level III. ### Jeff Hysen — Instructor Jeff Hysen has been with GSUSA since 2020, teaches numerous classes, and has received several awards for his work. Before joining Graduate School USA, Jeff was an Assistant Regional Counsel with the General Services Administration for 31 years. At GSUSA, Jeff served as the lead counsel on Ethics issues for the National Capital Region and worked on numerous projects across various fields. In addition to his work with GSUSA, Jeff is a podcast host and stand-up comedian. ### Melanie Dooley — Instructor Melanie Dooley is a seasoned expert in federal acquisition and contracting with more than three decades of experience spanning government, industry, and education. She has built a distinguished career as both a practitioner and educator, serving as a Vice President of Acquisition Policy for SAIC, a managing editor for the _Federal Contracts Report_ at Bloomberg BNA, and an instructor and curriculum developer for Graduate School USA. Her background includes deep knowledge of legislative and regulatory processes, the federal budget and appropriations cycle, and the intricacies of acquisition policy. She has also cultivated an exceptional ability to translate complex policy and contracting issues into practical guidance, having trained members of the defense and civilian acquisition workforce at all levels. In addition to her leadership roles, Melanie brings corporate strategy experience, extensive editorial expertise from her years in the trade press, and a strong record of shaping acquisition policy within a major defense contractor. She is a Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) and a Fellow of the National Contract Management Association, where she has held leadership roles including VP of Programs and Fellows Chair. With an MBA from Georgetown University and a reputation for clarity, rigor, and real-world insight, Melanie has become a trusted resource to federal professionals, corporate leaders, and students alike. ### Alan McCain — Curriculum Program Manager Alan McCain is a retired combat veteran who served as both an Air Force enlisted member and a Navy officer. He brings over 30 years of experience spanning federal and commercial budgeting, auditing, programming, operations, global logistics support, supply chain and inventory management, as well as major IT acquisition. He possesses extensive, hands-on budget and audit experience across Federal, State, and Local government operations, including work within the Executive Office of the President and the Departments of State, Defense, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Education, as well as the Office of the Mayor of Washington, D.C., among others. Alan’s consulting background includes strategic planning and business development with the District of Columbia government, multiple federal agencies, Lockheed Martin, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He is a Certified Government/Defense Financial Manager (CGFM/DFM), holds a Teaching Certification from Harvard University’s Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and earned an Executive MBA in International Business from The George Washington University. ## Pricing **Tuition:** $1200