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How to Ask a Better GovCon Question

Learn a five-part framework for giving Ask Pub K the context it needs to produce more focused, useful, and verifiable research.

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Better GovCon research begins with a better question. This training shows how to build a strong prompt using five elements: Issue, Facts, Decision-Maker, Sources, and Output. You'll see a vague responsibility question transformed into a focused research request designed to produce an answer that is easier to assess and verify.

What You’ll Learn

How to state a precise legal or contracting issue
Which decisive facts to include—and which sensitive details to leave out
How the forum or decision-maker helps focus the analysis
How to request specific authorities and a clearly defined work product

Example Prompt

The contracting officer has asked for additional information about our financial resources, operational controls, and ability to meet the delivery schedule before making an award decision. How does FAR 9.104-1 apply to these concerns? Please identify the current regulatory requirements, relevant definitions and related provisions, and decisions addressing similar circumstances. Distinguish mandatory requirements from areas of contracting-officer discretion, identify anything else you would need to know, and prepare a short Executive Brief for our response team with a source-review checklist.

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