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FEDERAL SECTOR REPORT

June 1999
(c) P2C2 Group, Inc.


The Changing World of Federal Procurement


AN INSIDE LOOK. 
I am spending 20 weeks this year as a full-time (consulting) project manager for the Executive Office of the President, drafting about 35 Statements of Work for Y2K projects that encompass about 60 systems and the White House information technology infrastructure. I will be looking for a new long-term consulting assignment (hint, hint) that will begin in August, but in the meantime I am having an opportunity to view the federal contracting and procurement process through the eyes of the government. I will use this newsletter to share a few insights that I have learned.

Statements of Objectives

The most recent government contracting officer with whom I am working is on detail from the Air Force, and she prefers to issue brief Statements of Objectives, rather than the traditional, lengthy Statements of Objectives. The Y2K manager at the EOP, who is detailed from the Army, hasn't totally bought off on this approach, but I have attempted to incorporate some of her ideas into our technical specifications.

A Statement of Objectives (SOO) simply defines what the customer wants to accomplish. What are the required outcomes? With a SOO, it is the responsibility of the contractor to determine how the work will be carried out--so long as it achieves the government's defined objectives. In contrast, traditional Statements of Work are usually prescriptive, specifying exactly how the contractor must execute the work requirements.

Colleges and other nonprofits that compete for government grants will recognize the SOO approach. When I write proposals for grants, the government simply states the program goals, a few regulations, and the evaluation criteria for rating the proposal. It is the responsibility of the grant writer to devise a methodology and management plan that accomplishes the government's objectives (reflected in a high score on evaluation criteria).

Contractors working for commercial customers will also recognize this approach. Large corporations aren't going to take the time to write a 300-page Request for Proposals. In several pages, they are likely to state the problem, what they want to accomplish, and the standards that the contractor must follow. The quality of the solution, the attractiveness of the price, and the contractor's reputation (i.e., past performance) may determine whether the bid wins.

Standards and Deliverables

Even though we are producing Statements of Work, our project is attempting to take a less wordy and less prescriptive approach. One of our tactics has been to cite standards, define deliverables carefully (called CDRLs at Defense), and require rigorous testing of the contracted "computer solutions." Thus, the tasks are focused on the "bottom line." What is the work supposed to accomplish? Does the workmanship meet the agency's or industry's standards (such as IEEE standards)? Does the solution work in the real world? The Y2K process is also requiring Independent Validation and Verification. The government wants results--not just a truckload of equipment or a boatload of contractor labor hours.

Tough Customer

During the 1980s, a friend who was an agency Information Systems director lamented that "only the government would pay full price and accept crap." Those days are over. The government is becoming a tough and demanding customer. Accountability for contract performance is much more stringent than in the past, and future proposal competitions require a good record of "past performance" including references of former customers.

Vehicles

The government wants to reduce the cost of preparing and managing procurements. IDIQ contracts that permit flexible tasking, GSA schedules, and government-wide (GWAC) contracts available through other agencies are attractive options. They help cut down on government labor costs for supporting the acquisition process.

CONSULTING SERVICES

We provide enterprise-level management consulting services for federal agencies and the contractors who support them. Our areas of specialization are Capital Planning and Investment Control, Enterprise Architecture, strategic planning, performance evaluation, and acquisition support including work statements. Our consulting specialty includes experience in many related areas such as CIO program support, earned value management, risk management, the C&A process for security, and customer satisfaction surveys.


Best wishes,

Jim Kendrick
Technology Management Consultant
4101 Denfeld Avenue
Kensington, MD 20895
301-942-7985

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE


The P2C2 Group, Inc.
4101 Denfeld Avenue | Kensington, MD 20895
Point of Contact: Jim Kendrick, President
e-mail: kendrick@p2c2group.com
phone: 301-942-7985

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