Industry Group Will Fight Contracting “Myths” The Professional Services Council is raising its profile to combat what it calls myths and misunderstandings about government contractors. PSC merged this year with the Contract Services Association of America. It intends to be the “one unified voice for the entire services industry,” said Colleen Preston who came from CSA to become PSC’s executive vice president for policy and operations. The merged organization has about 300 members, ranging from large corporations to small businesses. At an April 9 briefing, PSC president Stan Soloway acknowledged the organization’s strategic communications initiative is in part a response to publicity painting government contractors as crooks, profiteers or incompetents. He also pointed to many pieces of proposed legislation that would change procurement rules. He declared that much of the legislative activity is based on news stories and anecdotes, rather than an understanding of the procurement system. Pointing to news reports about several mega-contracts that are far behind schedule and far over budget – including the Army’s Future Combat System, the Coast Guard’s Deepwater shipbuilding effort and the Census Bureau’s failed effort to collect data on handheld computers – PSC leaders said the problems often stem from poor communication between government and contractors, and ill-defined requirements that guide the contractor’s work. “If you have a constantly shifting landscape of requirements, it is impossible to deliver anything close to on time,” Soloway said. “The requirements issue is key,” added Alan Chvotkin, executive vice president and counsel. PSC has created a website, www.smartcontracting.org, to present industry’s side of the story. The site includes contractor success stories, position papers on pending legislation, and information about what the group calls myths about government contracting.