That really depends on which part of the .gov. one deals with. I worked on SBIR, DoD and DoE carve out contracts for the majority of my career as a Design ME/Project manager. Never had to deal with that type draconian craziness.
We set the prices and timelines to complete...we did have quarterly and annual progress meetings with the clients but that was the extent of interaction. Only time it got into the cost/timeline was when it turned from R&D/prototype into a commercial program. As a sole source contract (yes they do exist) we wrote the pricing and possible changes with increased capacity over time. Did create a panic when one company I worked for changed directions and we had to give up all the specialized hardware we developed (on their dime) to the .gov so they could set someone else up to finish out the program.
So a national lab called and was having problems with a piece of equipment.
At this point, the equipment manufacture apparently had fired them as a customer and wouldn’t really service the account.
we spent some time supporting them over the phone, their in-house staff could not fix it. The equipment manufacturer was not supporting them, and they requested “sending out one of my technicians.
So to fly a tech out there, hotel, Perdiem, rental car,… All that shit… I quoted him 7500.
Not a total fuck you, but let’s just say it covered my cost.
Now they require it to be itemize. Fucked up not telling them no immediately. But I’m faced with having to back into a number.
I did have some fuck ups in this encounter, the first being… I stated in the original quote that “one hour of safety and orientation was included in any additional safety training would be billed at an hourly rate”. And that may have opened the door I should’ve left shut, but I have a feeling that door was open anyway.
So now I have the government telling me what they’ll pay for my per diem, what they’ll pay for my airfare, what they’ll pay for my hotel, in addition to the man our that is going to require just for the safety and orientation bullshit
I don’t care if you have the equipment fixed or not. $7500 doesn’t affect my companies profitability at all and nobody else will deal with them.
Maybe $7500 is a lot of money…. I don’t know… I’m out of touch, but you need me, you came to me, pay it or don’t, but don’t try to dictate how much I can quote.
This is a MINOR issue with government work, but it’s always something.