Session Tracks and Learning Formats

Session Tracks

Improvisation Skills
The improv skill set is applied to acting, music, and business professions and it requires deep understanding of advanced practice for a responsive approach to new situations. To be clear, improv is not making things up. It is about better outcomes by acting quickly and advancing ideas without creating roadblocks.

Building Blocks
Core contracting skills are the foundational blocks underlying a competent and impactful career. Leveraging this solid base in pre-award, award and post award, professionals can go on to innovate and solve big challenges as key drivers of mission success. Start here if you are a newer professional or seeking to reinforce your contract management skill set.

Relationships and Influence
Successful contracting professionals know the value of becoming expert at forming relationships and influencing decisions. These highly interactive sessions will develop your expertise in relationships and influence related to our profession.

Business Savvy
The ability to understand and deal with business situations in ways the lead to successful outcomes is necessary for all phases of our contracting life cycle. Business savvy requires decisions based on analysis of risks and opportunities, resources and limitations, and practical trade-offs.

Risk Management
The risks to delivering on mission outcomes will continue to press on contract management and acquisition professionals. Foreign adversary activities, human capital trends and remote work, supply chain struggles, and more threats need to be considered throughout the contract lifecycle.

Exchanges
Informal, attendee-driven, small-group discussions on common challenges in the industry with opportunities to share best practices, tips, and insights. (In-Person and Virtual)

Learning Formats
Whether you seek short bites of learning, deeper dives into topic areas, thought leader discussions, or all of these, NCMA’s learning formats meet you where you are and help take you where you want to be. With options for inspiration, peer learning, in-depth exploration, and hands-on training across a wide range of subjects, you’re in control of your own professional development. Keep your skill set competitive and fresh with content taught by some of the most innovative, inspiring, and creative leaders in contract management, procurement, and acquisition.

General Session Keynotes
World Congress General Sessions will connect the contract management community around Contracting Solutions for a "Yes...and" World, this year’s theme. We will have outstanding keynote speakers and discussions that provide the opportunity to practice your “Yes, and” skills as you hone your essential contracting competencies. (In-Person and Virtual)

Breakout Sessions
Traditional one-hour breakout sessions covering Improvisation Skills, Building Blocks, Relationships and Influence, Business Savvy and Risk Management. Sessions will be offered live hybrid or pre-recorded virtually with post-session discussions (In-Person and Virtual)

Workshops
These 2-hour, highly interactive workshops are a blend of interaction, lecture-based instruction, case studies, and peer learning focused on timely and relevant subject areas. (In-Person Only)

P2SM: Innovation Alley
Innovation Alley will be an interactive showcase of artificial intelligence, machine learning and data visualizations that demonstrates successful user experiences and stories. There will be 30 minutes of demonstration followed by 15 minutes of Q&A. (In-Person and Virtual)