Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) have increasingly become a valued tool for federal agencies to research, prototype, and test new technologies and processes. Understanding how these authorities are used is important for companies seeking to provide technology solutions to the Federal Government.
With the Department of Defense leading the charge in OTA spend at nearly $10B annually, this training session will focus on the ins and outs of OTA law, policy, guidance, and strategy from two nationally-recognized experts, Iain Skeete and Ben McMartin. With more than 2-decades of Federal contracting and OTA policy development experience, Iain and Ben will provide a behind the scenes look at how OTAs are used to capture technology solutions for DOD and how companies must position themselves to operate in this acquisition space.
Presented by:
Ben McMartin is Managing Partner of the Public Spend Forum, a Washington DC-based firm dedicated to enabling open public markets worldwide. Ben is a nationally-recognized expert, speaker, and author in Federal procurement and non-traditional acquisition methodologies, who spent more than a decade developing some of the most unique procurement solutions for the Department of Defense. He was instrumental in the development and implementation of defense policy and guidance for the use of Other Transaction Authorities and provided training and on-site consulting for more than 5,000 Acquisition personnel as the founder of the Acquisition Innovation Road Show (#AIRS/#FUTAIRS), an organic, Government-to-Government consultancy. Ben is a regular speaker on topics related to alternative acquisition methods, public procurement culture, organizational change management, and acquisition reform. Ben previously served as Chief of the Acquisition Management Office for the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command – Ground Vehicle Systems Center, and prior to that, as a Procuring Contracting and Agreements Officer for the US Army Contracting Command – Warren. Ben has been a member of the Michigan State Bar since 2008; is DAWIA Level III certified in Contracting; a Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM); and Fellow of the National Contract Management Association.
Iain Skeete, Principal, Acquisition at National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL). In his role as Acquisition Principal, Iain leads NSTXL’s innovative contracting and program management services. A recipient of multiple commendations for superior performance as a Supervisory Contracting & Agreements Officer supporting the U.S. Army, Mr. Skeete is a nationally recognized expert and thought leader in defense contracting. From traditional services to aviation-focused R&D, the breadth of Iain’s decade-long Department of Defense career also included authoring his previous command’s Other Transaction policy and execution guide. With a steadfast focus on ensuring our military maintains technological overmatch, Iain and his team continue to design dynamic acquisition strategies that deliver meaningful results. A student of the procurement process, Iain has continued to push the evolution of alternative contracting methods, contribute to critical acquisition policy, and implement best practices across all defense branches.
