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Federal Market Intelligence for Small Business |
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Column: OASIS - A Strategic Asset on the Procurement LandscapeBy Roger Waldron, president, Coalition for Government ProcurementA little less than five years ago, the General Services Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service launched the One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) professional services contract vehicles. As the program rapidly approaches its five-year anniversary, a significant milestone whereby GSA can extend the OASIS contracts by exercising the vehicle’s options, this week’s blog takes stock of what has been a highly successful, best value contract management program. Complex professional services OASIS Unrestricted (U) and OASIS Small Business (SB) are unique Multiple Award Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite-Quantity (MAIDIQ) vehicles for the acquisition of complex professional services. As the first of their kind, these contract vehicles feature the following core disciplines:
Selection of OASIS awardees OASIS U and OASIS SB awardees are selected based on a technical evaluation of their capabilities, experience and past performance, using a weighted, point scoring methodology. Cost/price is evaluated only for fair and reasonableness. This approach identifies top performing professional services firms across the federal market. Under the OASIS U and OASIS SB, task orders are competed in accordance with FAR 16.505 and can be performed on a cost, fixed price, time and material, or labor hour basis. OASIS obligations Since OASIS’ inception in 2014, the market has endorsed OASIS as a core, best value professional services contract management program. Agencies have obligated more than $9.7 billion using OASIS, which has an estimated total value of almost $21 billion. Last year, spending on OASIS grew by more than 61%, and the market is not slowing down. Indeed, OASIS has already grown by 20% this year and there is still more than a month left in the fiscal year. Significantly, more than 48% of obligations ($4.7 billion) have gone to small businesses. This number is impressive, especially when considered along with the 36% of small business obligations on the GSA’s Professional Services Schedule, and 27% of small business obligations on the Alliant GWAC, in fiscal year 2017. Those examples demonstrate the depth of quality small businesses on OASIS and across the Federal Acquisition Service professional services portfolio. Professional services spending rises From fiscal 2013 to fiscal 2017, annual spending for professional services on the Professional Services Schedule increased by more than $700 million, according to data gathered by the Government-wide Professional Services Category. Accounting for the increased spend on both the Professional Services Schedule and for the obligation on OASIS, GSA was able to successfully address billions of dollars in additional customer professional services needs in fiscal 2017, in comparison to fiscal 2013.
Robust growth The market has spoken. OASIS’ robust growth reflects a program that is successfully meeting customer agencies’ complex professional services needs. Identified as a best-in-class contract by the Office of Management and Budget, OASIS is reducing duplicative administrative contracting costs and streamlining acquisition. The combination of the streamlined, competitive ordering procedures, the high-quality contractors, access to high performing small businesses, and disciplined program management and data reporting features have delivered value for customer agencies. In April of this year, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis testified before the House Armed Services Committee on the National Defense Strategy. As part of his written testimony, Secretary Mattis discussed efforts to reform the department’s business practices for performance and affordability. He stated, in part, that, “[w]e will continue to establish a culture of performance where results and accountability matter on every expenditure, thereby gaining full benefit from every single taxpayer dollar spent on defense.” The OASIS program, in delivering cost-effective, best value mission support to the department, is a strategic asset in supporting this vital effort. Looking ahead Looking to the future, the Coalition commends the Federal Acquisition Service for its ongoing efforts to add, via on-ramps, new small, medium, and large business concerns to OASIS SB and OASIS U. The infusion of new contractors means that, over the next five years, the OASIS program will be well-positioned to continue to deliver best value mission support to meet customer agency needs.
Footnote: More than 60% of the OASIS obligations were on a cost basis, reflecting the continuing demand for such approaches, especially at DOD. OASIS complements the PSS by offering this option.
This column originally was published on Roger Waldron’s blog at The Coalition for Government Procurement and was republished here with permission from the author.
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