Reorganization and Goals at the GSA

The General Services Administration has spent the last couple years reorganizing both contracts and personnel with a large goal in mind. Create a simple and intuitive way for government agencies to spend the hundreds of billions of dollars they spend each year while making the smartest decisions. Leading the way the consolidated contract known as the Professional Services Schedule (PSS).
The goal of “PSS” is to simplify complex contract requirements. That’s really all it is. There’s no reason for all the professional services to be separated out when so many of them are interconnected and any different ones are needed to complete a single requirement.

On the personnel side, senior procurement executives are receiving more training and are focusing on how agencies are spending and knowing how best to help them. There’s more analytical work going on than ever before. The GSA seems to be catching on to big data and how that can help agencies purchases the best products and services while making sure they stay within budget.

That focus on simplification and efficiency seems to circle around bigger and better digital tools, for everyone involved; buyers, contractors, and contracting officers alike. On the contracting officer side, the GSA is looking to provide tools for information sharing between COs.

Looks like the GSA is moving, rather slowly, but moving into the digital age, although it’s a process with hurdles of its own. Data protection and fear of hacking has lead the CIO Council to issue a BPA for data breach services. They understand the need for instant in help in the case of data hacking.

So there it is. Slowly but sure the GSA is trying to modernize and protect itself while they do it. Only time will tell if works.

What’s changing for WOSBs

Woman Owned Small Business are going to be granted the same privileges as 8(a) businesses when it comes to set aside a rules. The SBA is planning on amending the WOSB and EDWOSB set aside, allowing contracting officers award sole source contracts and setting the procurement goal at 5% of all small business.

The SBA was looking for input on the proposed program changes are the responses have been positive. Here’s some great highlights.

·         “Fast tracking” the Sole Source Authority for WOSBs will promote Women Owned Small Businesses to contracting officers who have found the business they want to work with. There won’t be a need for the long and drawn out RFQ/RFP process under the value thresholds of $6.5 million for manufacturing contracts and $4 million for all others.

·         Setting the procurement goal at 5% on par with 8(a) programs will create the “level playing field” that WOSB have long desired. This will have the great effect of promoting WOSB to the government in not only “underrepresented” industries but across the board.

·         Efforts to meet the new deadline for January 2, 2016 to determine “underrepresented” industries within the WOSB is a great approach to determining where WOSBs are needed

But what will change for Women Owned Small Business? Most importantly, self-certification will be a thing of the past.

If you’re interested in taking a look at the proposed rules, check out the Federal Register document here: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-05-01/pdf/2015-10331.pdf. The document also give you the chance to cross reference some FAR and CFR regulation on Women Owned Small Business programs that will be changes once this proposed rule goes into effect.