DCAA Interview Questionnaire for Estimators

General

1. What is your experience in estimating?

2. Could you describe what cost or pricing data is?

Organization Assignment of Responsibilities

3. What are your duties as an estimator?

4a. From whom do you receive your assignments and supervision?

4b. What is the nature and extent of the supervision you receive?

4c. Is the supervision you receive adequate? Yes No

If no, have the estimator elaborate.

5. Do you supervise any employees? Yes No

If yes, who are the people you supervise and what is the extent and nature of the supervision you provide?

Policies and Procedures

6a. How are you informed of proposal preparation policies and procedures?

6b. How are you informed of changes in these policies and procedures?

7a. Does the company have an estimating system manual? Yes No

7b. Do you have a copy of the estimating system manual? Yes No

7c. Do you refer to it on a routine basis? Yes No

8a. Are proposals you work on ever updated? Yes No

8b. Who updates the proposals you work on?

8c. If the estimator does not update the proposal, why not?

8d. How often is an update required?

8e. Under what circumstances is an update necessary?

9. Are there any guidelines for determining when to use a division-wide factor or program peculiar factors? Yes No

If yes, what are they?

Integration with Other Management Systems - Cost Accounting System

10a. To what extent do you rely upon historical data to prepare cost estimates?

10b. Is the data produced by the accounting system reliable for preparing cost estimates? Yes No

If no, why not?

Planning and Budgeting System

11. Describe the extent of your participation in the budget process.

12. Do you ever compare budgets to actual performance? Yes No

If yes, what steps do you take when variances exist?  

Training

13. What type of training have you received to prepare a proposal?

14. Have you had any continuing education classes on proposal preparation? Yes No

If yes, when?

Describe the classes.

Cost Estimate Development

15a. Do you determine what estimating rationale to use? Yes No

If yes, how do you determine it for:

Engineering labor?

Manufacturing?

Material?

If no, who determines the estimating rationale to use?

What instructions do you receive from this person? (Written, verbal, etc. If written, obtain a sample.)

Do you receive any written guidance regarding estimating rationale? Yes No

If yes, obtain a sample.

16. Do you obtain input from remote sites when estimating field site costs in the proposal? Yes No

If no, how do you estimate field site costs?

If yes, do you maintain the data in the proposal package? Yes No

Proposal Format and Support

17. Do you request documents from estimate support functions? Yes No

If yes, what form of documentation do you receive ( e.g. summary level or detail supporting documentation)?

18a. Do you maintain a proposal file containing all the necessary data needed to prepare a proposal which you have received from the estimating support functions? Yes No

18b. When you do not have the supporting data in your proposal file, do you keep a list referencing the sources that can provide the data? Yes No

18c. May we see a proposal file?

Internal Controls and Managerial Reviews

19a. Are you familiar with the Truth in Negotiations Act? Yes No

If yes, how do you ensure compliance with this act?

19b. What controls are in place to ensure that estimates are current, accurate and complete?

20a. Who reviews your work?

20b. If corrections are required, who makes them?