Program Managers See "Red Tape" in GSA Schedules Program managers responsible for security say GSA schedules are confusing and hard to use, according to a survey by the Coalition for Government Procurement. “The general consensus among the survey participants is that GSA services are very difficult to use,” the coalition said. The coalition is a trade association representing GSA schedule contractors. Interviews with program managers in the areas of physical and IT security elicited these typical comments: “There is a lot of red tape associated with procurement.” “GSA is a ‘big mess’ with a lot of contract vehicles.” “There is layer after layer of contracting bureaucracy.” “Have you ever tried as a PM to use GSA Advantage!, which is anything but easy to use?” Several survey participants said they were unfamiliar with GSA purchasing procedures, and relied on one “GSA guru” in their agency who knew the process. But they said they try to avoid GSA vehicles, because they want to complete procurements quickly. In presenting the findings, the coalition recommended, “GSA needs to provide ‘boot camp’ training for all agencies on how to utilize the GSA Schedule to their advantage and include subject matter experts and agency program managers in the training.”