James Berard

James Berard serves as a Contract Specialist at the Central Office of the Department of Justice, supporting the Federal Prison System’s mission to enhance workforce competency and operational readiness through strategic procurement. He manages the full lifecycle of acquisitions for office administrative services, ensuring compliance with federal contracting regulations while aligning purchases with institutional needs for training support, facility operations, and staff development. His role is critical in translating agency requirements into enforceable contract vehicles that promote efficiency, accountability, and compliance across correctional support functions. Berard maintains collaborative relationships with a broad network of small business vendors specializing in administrative and clerical services, including document management, training logistics, scheduling support, and records processing. He works closely with certified small businesses to ensure timely delivery of mission-critical services, fostering long-term vendor partnerships grounded in performance accountability and regulatory adherence. His contracting approach emphasizes transparency, competitive bidding, and consistent evaluation of contractor performance metrics to uphold service quality standards. A staunch advocate for small business inclusion, Berard applies a 100% Total Small Business Set-Aside strategy across all his procurements, in full alignment with FAR 19.5. He prioritizes contracting with small businesses of all sizes, including those certified under HUBZone, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) programs, ensuring equitable access to federal opportunities. His consistent use of set-asides reflects a deep institutional commitment to socioeconomic diversity and community-based economic development. His procurement focus is exclusively centered on NAICS 561110, Office Administrative Services, encompassing clerical support, administrative training coordination, human resources assistance, and facility management logistics. He specializes in acquiring services that sustain the day-to-day operational infrastructure of correctional staff development programs, demonstrating technical expertise in service-based contracting and performance-based acquisition methodologies.