Back to Basics: Are You Using The Most Effective Procurement Path? By Peter Adler Seneca Creek Consulting Once we have successfully worked with government program and project managers to provide them with the IT-based solutions, do we provide them with the knowledge and the means to suggest to the contracting officials the preferable manner to use in acquiring the solution? As we approach the end of the government’s fiscal year, there oftentimes is end-of-year money that is used to acquire needed contractor support services and/or products. Rarely do program people have in-depth knowledge of acquisition methods and procurement procedures. Why should they when the have a contracting shop that already possesses the essential knowledge for the execution of the contract? Agency management and contracting officers generally have a keen awareness of the socio-economic goals that they are tasked with accomplishing. As the fiscal year closes, most often an agency must accelerate the money it spends and the contracts awarded to each of the set-aside categories. HUBZone, service-disabled veteran, 8(a) and small business as well as a handful of additional set-aside categories need to be considered for awards in order to meet the goals set forth in law and presidential executive orders. The importance of informing your client of these set-aside categories can, at times, add greatly to the speed, simplicity and effectiveness of the acquisition. For example, if your client requires a support service from you and there exists a mandate that this genre of service must go through the agency’s governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC). Generally, agency-sponsored GWAC’S are multiple-award, requiring competition among the GWAC prime contract holders. However, if you are part of, or aligned with, an 8(a) firm or a service-disabled veteran-owned small business, a speedy sole source acquisition may benefit all parties. Agency management and contracting operations are always striving to meet their goals, so you invariably have “buy-in” by some of the most important constituencies in the agency – always a good thing, but of particular importance when you are attempting to greatly shorten the contracting cycle. Since this “buy-in’ exists, there should be little problem in exempting the “buy” from the mandated contracting vehicle, such as an agency-sponsored GWAC. Simultaneously serve the interests of your client, agency management and the contracting office by using one of the instruments described above. You can aid your client in obtaining quick, clean contracting methods while serving the goals of all parties to the transaction. All it takes is a little education by you for the client. (For more information visit www.SenecaCreekConsulting.com.)