Month: August 2024

Posted on

Transforming Government IT Procurement: Better Contracting Initiative Priority 2

As part of our ongoing efforts to modernize government IT procurement and management, the Better Contracting Initiative (BCI) has been a cornerstone of our strategy at the Governmentwide IT Program Management Office. Today, I am excited to discuss the strides we are making under the BCI, particularly Priority 2, which focuses on negotiating common enterprise-wide software licenses.

We’ve embarked on a journey to streamline how our federal government procures and manages its software assets. Our new Governmentwide Acquisition Strategy initiative not only aims to enhance operational efficiencies but also to achieve substantial cost savings and increase buying efficiencies.

Strategic collaboration and enhanced efficiency

Our approach under Priority 2 of the BCI involves collaboration and strategic negotiation directly with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), which are essential in managing the government’s vast array of IT resources. By centralizing our engagement processes and encouraging industry to view government agencies as “one customer,” we are ensuring that all government agencies, large and small, benefit from the best possible terms and prices, avoiding the inefficiencies of fragmented and duplicative contract terms.

IT Vendor Management Office’s role in the Governmentwide Acquisition Strategy initiative

The IT Vendor Management Office (ITVMO) has been instrumental in this effort, spearheading direct engagements by developing partnerships with OEMs, conceptualizing solutions for governmentwide challenges, negotiating resolutions, and establishing guidelines that will serve as the benchmark for software procurement across federal agencies. The Governmentwide Acquisition Strategy initiative is truly a governmentwide endeavor.

Steps to success

The ITVMO first identifies target OEMs by soliciting quantitative and qualitative data from all 24 Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act agencies. Using analysis of governmentwide spend and the gravity of common OEM-specific challenges, the ITVMO recommends an OEM to address, which is then validated and approved by government leadership.

The ITVMO then collects contract data from all 24 CFO Act agencies and performs significant analysis on terms and pricing to identify inconsistencies and abnormalities (both good and bad). With the help of a Governmentwide Integrated Project Team, the ITVMO builds a list of best-in-class terms and target pricing to pursue via a variety of recommended solutions.

After a comprehensive review and discussion of these recommended solutions through a Civilian Service Acquisition Workshop, which further supports implementation of BCI through Prong #3 focusing on getting requirements right the first time which will avoid waste and save financial resources, the CFO Act agencies and the ITVMO works to finalize a set of governmentwide requests for the OEM.

Finally, the government engages the OEM in a collaborative fashion by walking decision-makers through the government’s challenges and recommended solutions for the purpose of cooperative adjustment and, ultimately, acceptance of our governmentwide concepts through modifications to all governmentwide acquisition vehicles so that all federal entities get the benefits of our “one customer” approach.

Consistency in contracts = Better contracting

The initiative is part of a broader effort to not only manage costs but also to ensure that the software we procure is secure, reliable, and meets the diverse needs of the federal workforce. To that end, we’ve made significant progress in identifying key areas where terms and conditions can be standardized to benefit all agencies. Our focus has been on improving license flexibility and mobility, enhancing cybersecurity measures, and implementing cost-effective pricing strategies. The feedback from various stakeholders has been overwhelmingly positive, indicating strong support for a more unified approach to software licensing in the federal sector.

Looking ahead

As we continue to advance this initiative, the insights gained from our ongoing discussions and negotiations will inform our strategies, ensuring that the federal government remains a prudent and effective purchaser of IT resources. To that end, the ITVMO is putting together a guide for agency acquisitions, specific to critical OEMs, to ensure broad recognition and adoption of the best-in-class practices we learned about throughout the Governmentwide Acquisition Strategy process. The goal is not only to save money but also to improve our IT infrastructure, making it more responsive to the needs of our agencies and the public.

The Better Contracting Initiative is a testament to our commitment to innovation and excellence in government IT procurement. With Priority 2, we are setting new standards for how the government collaborates and negotiates in the IT realm, ensuring better outcomes for all our stakeholders. Stay tuned as we continue to make strides in transforming government IT procurement for the better.

Visit our website to learn more about how ITC is addressing the BCI through the ITVMO.

Please follow us on LinkedIn to join our ongoing conversations about government IT.

To get updates for this blog, please sign up on the right-hand side of the page where it says Sign up for Blog Updates.

Posted on

Enabling technology innovation for national security: How GSA partners with the Defense Innovation Unit

GSA’s Office of Information Technology Category (ITC) is committed to fostering innovation and driving IT modernization across the government. We work with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to accelerate the integration of cutting-edge commercial technologies into federal operations, particularly for purposes of increased national security.

Purpose of the partnership

DIU and GSA work together to quickly move successful technology prototypes into scalable solutions for the Department of Defense (DoD) and other federal agencies.

DIU focuses on solving national security challenges by engaging commercial technology providers, especially nontraditional defense contractors. By using the Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) process, DIU can quickly prototype and acquire dual-use technologies.

While the DIU-GSA agreement was created to encourage new-to-government industry participation, these opportunities are also open to existing GSA industry partners too. Existing GSA contract holders’ products and services may serve as a foundation, but DIU’s CSO process is geared towards prototyping technologies for potential DoD use.

Opportunities for GSA industry partners

Under the DIU-GSA partnership, GSA will move successful DIU prototype solutions to GSA contract vehicles. DoD and the broader U.S. government will be able to adopt innovative commercial technology solutions faster.

The DIU-GSA partnership streamlines access to leading-edge commercial technology. It also maximizes opportunities and minimizes barriers for small and/or underserved businesses and nontraditional vendors seeking to do business with the government.

GSA ITC has designed an onboarding process for DIU’s commercial prototype partners to pursue four potential pathways:

  • Partnership agreements: Develop partnerships as subcontractors or through joint ventures with companies on GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program.
  • Reseller agreements: Obtain reseller agreements with companies on GSA’s MAS program.
  • Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts (GWAC): Consider GSA’s GWAC program during open periods.
  • GSA MAS contracts: Secure a spot on GSA MAS.

As part of its onboarding process, GSA’s ITC supports and educates DIU commercial prototype partners on how to advertise and market solutions to federal, state, and local government entities.

Also, GSA’s MAS ITC developed a pilot program to streamline the process for DIU’s commercial partners in parallel with the FASt Lane: Making It Easier initiative.

Moreover, GSA’s pilot program, Effectively Awarding & Streamlining eOffers (E.A.S.E.), launched in July 2022, provides presubmission assistance to DIU commercial partners pursuing a GSA MAS contract. This initiative aims to increase collaboration, reduce processing workload, and expedite the contract award process.

Bringing innovation to government

This collaboration between DIU and GSA is yielding tangible results. A recent milestone in this partnership is the award of a multimillion dollar contract to a MAS-IT contract holder to advance an AI-driven social media analysis tool for the U.S. Army. This is but one example that shows that this partnership results in innovation.

The awarded AI tool transforms the implicit human domain knowledge of intelligence analysts into autonomously generated knowledge graphs. These graphs show the meaning of dynamic, unstructured social media data according to user-defined ground truth. This AI-driven system enables the tool to reason, understand, learn, remember, collaborate, question, predict, decide, and act in domain-specific ways at a superhuman scale.

In another example, GSA awarded a MAS contract, within the E.A.S.E. program, to a company that designs, manufactures, and operates a fleet of unmanned/uncrewed surface vehicles or ocean-fairing drones. Before the GSA MAS contract award, the company supported DoD requirements with its innovative solutions, allowing agencies and the science community to monitor and study severe storms and hurricanes in a new way.

Since the company’s MAS award, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has used the contract vehicle to support the agency’s hurricane efforts, as well as to support the U.S. Coast Guard.

Getting involved

The DIU-GSA partnership is committed to publicizing successful technology prototypes and granting access to these innovations through the DIU’s Commercial Solutions Catalog. This catalog makes it easier for government organizations to find and procure vetted, commercially available technology solutions.

Interested companies can sign up for newsletters and new solicitation notifications on the DIU website. You can also follow ITC on LinkedIn and subscribe for blog updates.

Posted on

Celebrating a major small business milestone

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is deeply committed to supporting small businesses, recognizing them as the backbone of our economy and a critical component of innovation and growth. GSA contract vehicles provide small businesses with unprecedented opportunities to compete for federal contracts, helping them to expand their capabilities, grow their operations, and contribute significantly to the nation’s economic vitality. By facilitating streamlined procurement processes and offering dedicated support, GSA ensures that small businesses can effectively meet the needs of agencies while achieving their own business goals. This commitment not only drives agency success but also fosters a diverse, resilient, and dynamic IT industry that benefits all.

The 8(a) STARS III GWAC exemplifies this effort. As the contract approaches its 1,000th task order, it’s a great time to highlight the remarkable achievements of this contract vehicle and the significant benefits it provides to federal agencies and small businesses alike. This milestone underscores the impactful contributions of our industry partners and the vital role 8(a) STARS III plays in advancing agency missions through innovative IT solutions.

Enabling agency success

8(a) STARS III is designed to provide federal agencies with innovative IT services solutions from highly qualified 8(a) small businesses. The contract supports a broad scope of IT services, including cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, IT help-desk support, and more. This flexibility allows agencies to address a wide range of IT needs efficiently and effectively.

One of the key benefits of 8(a) STARS III is its streamlined procurement process. By leveraging this pre-competed contract vehicle, agencies can save time and reduce procurement costs, enabling them to focus more on mission-critical activities. Additionally, the sole-source capabilities of 8(a) STARS III enable faster acquisitions and provide direct access to small disadvantaged businesses, enhancing efficiency and promoting socio-economic goals.

What our customers are saying

The success of 8(a) STARS III is a testament to the capabilities and innovation of our industry partners. Here are some real quotes from our recent customer survey that highlight the positive impact of this contract:

  • Standardization and compliance: “The 8(a) STARS III standardized labor categories, established labor rates, and pre-negotiated terms and conditions streamlined the acquisition process and helped to ensure compliance and reduce risk. Also, the step-by-step ordering instructions and the links to tools and resources on the website were an added benefit that were comprehensive and easily accessible.”
  • Ease of use: “STARS III was very easy to utilize. The list of industry partners allowed me to find capable vendors, and the ordering guide allowed me to streamline my acquisition and receive RFQ responses quickly.”
  • Enhanced efficiency: “The 8(a) STARS III sole source authority helped me streamline my acquisition and save time.”
  • Support for Small Business: “We needed an expedited award to a small business. 8(a) STARS III accomplished this with great rates!”

Achieving socio-economic goals

In addition to providing top-notch IT solutions, 8(a) STARS III plays a crucial role in helping agencies achieve their socio-economic goals. By awarding task orders to 8(a) small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs), agencies can support small business growth and help meet the President’s goal of increasing the share of federal contracting dollars going to SDBs to 15% by FY2025. This contract vehicle not only drives agency success but also fosters a diverse and resilient IT industry.

The 8(a) STARS III GWAC is designated as a Best-in-Class contract by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), further affirming its value and effectiveness in meeting government-wide IT needs. This designation reflects the contract’s high standards, competitive pricing, and ability to deliver quality solutions.

Looking ahead

As we approach this significant milestone, we remain committed to supporting our agency partners and industry stakeholders. The continued success of 8(a) STARS III is a shared achievement, made possible by the dedication and expertise of our industry partners. We look forward to building on this momentum and driving further innovations in IT procurement.

Visit our website to learn more about GSA’s 8(a) STARS III or use our IT Solutions Navigator to find the vehicle that’s right for you.

Please follow us on LinkedIn to join our ongoing conversations about government IT.

To get updates for this blog, please sign up on the right-hand side of the page where it says Sign up for Blog Updates.