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The goals of this Community are to facilitate knowledge sharing across the acquisition community and to serve as the central clearinghouse for service acquisition policy and guidance information, training opportunities and best practices to support both the Defense Acquisition Workforce and the DoD workforce performing services acquisition functions.
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The business practice of buying common goods and services as an enterprise to eliminate redundancies, increase efficiency, and deliver more value and savings from the Government's acquisition programs. Source: OMB M-19-13
The DoD's implementation of Category Management (CM) consists of a structured, data-driven business practice whereby the organization broadly and strategically analyzes and manages common categories of spend with an enterprise-wide focus in order to eliminate redundancies, increase efficiencies and enhance mission effectiveness. [CM ACQuipedia article]
It involves:
CON 0150, Category Management Overview: Introductory-level on-line training that is specifically designed to give a solid grounding to the world of category management by exploring processes and practices, governance and regulatory structure and general terminology.
CACQ 007 Category Management Credential: Released in May 2022, this credential provides the learner with the knowledge to begin contributing as a member of a category management team or as a member of a staff overseeing category management in the Department of Defense.
ACQ 0840, Introduction to Air Force Category Management. In ACQ 0840 you will learn about the history of CM in the Federal government and US Air Force (USAF), the USAF's 4 principles of CM, Roles and Responsibilities, and the 6 Step CM Process.
Spend Under Management (SUM) & Best-in-Class (BIC) on GSA's Acquisition Gateway. Look for:
| Best in Class or Tiered Vehicles | Best in Class Vehicles (Cont) |
|---|---|
| CIO-CS, CIO-SP3 and CIO-SP3 Small Business from NIH. The CIO-SP3 and CIO-SP3 Small Business GWACs have been additionally extended through April 29, 2024. The additional six-month extension ensures there is no gap in contractual coverage between CIO-SP3 and CIO-SP4 and pushes the five-year performance period of CIO-SP3 Task Orders well into FY29, giving agencies access to all the benefits and value-adds of FAR 16 flexibilities. |
GSA maintenance contract used by U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville Fuels Program. See also GSA's Building Maintenance Operations GWAC (Below) |
| Direct Delivery Fuels: Commercial Specification Fuels. DLA Energy Direct Delivery Fuels provides worldwide acquisition and integrated materiel management of commercial fuels delivered directly to military and federal civilian customers. This includes the procurement of commercial specification aviation fuel at commercial airports, commercial ship propulsion fuels at commercial seaports and commercial ground fuels (diesel, gasoline and “green” products) at posts, camps and stations worldwide. |
GSA One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) and OASIS Small Business (SB) are multiple award, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts that provide flexible and innovative solutions for complex professional services. OASIS transitioned to OASIS+ with the last, Unrestricted pool to be awarded in December 2024., OASIS+ combines the scope of legacy OASIS; Building, Maintenance & Operations (BMO); and Human Capital & Training Solutions (HCaTS) under one program along with new areas of services. Oasis+ will:
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| DoD Information Analysis Centers (IACs) - Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Multiple Award Contracts for Research and Development and Advisory and Assistance Services related to R&D efforts. The IAC Program's scope areas include Cybersecurity and Information Systems, Defense Systems and Homeland Defense. See Preferred Use of DoD Information Analysis Center Contracts, DPAP and ASD (R&E) memo. | HR Solutions is the Army’s preferred strategic source providing centralized acquisition management and support of enterprise-level human resource Knowledge Based Services for Department of Defense (DoD) requiring activities. Task orders for Personnel Lifecycle Support (PLS)and Recruiting-Management & Administrative Support (R-MAS) are possible with a period of performance ending in 2028. |
| Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) ENCORE III Full and Open AND Small Business Set-Aside. These contracting vehicles provide a full range of information technology (IT) services and solutions required by the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, and the intelligence community. ENCORE III Full and Open Large Business Suite was awarded in Jan 2018. See DISA Contracting for more information. |
ITES-3. The Army recently awarded the $12B ITES-3S to acquire commercial IT services. The scope includes cybersecurity, integration, consolidation, telecommunications, supply chain management, operation and maintenance, business process engineering, and education and training. The ITES awards include an unrestricted portion (including small business awardees) and a small business set-aside portion. Army CHESS IT e-Mart receives BIC badge and is the Army's designated primary source for IT hardware, software and services. |
| GSA Services MAC--SEE OASIS | Maintenance Repair Facility Supplies Generation 2 (MRFS2). A GSA BIC. The MRFS2 purchasing channel is a strategic sourcing and category management solution created to streamline the process of purchasing maintenance, repair, janitorial, and sanitation products governmentwide. The federal government currently spends almost $2.8 Billion a year on MRFS2 supplies. In partnership with numerous federal agencies, both military and civilian, GSA has established multiple Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) to address this spend volume. |
| Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative for Office Supplies Fourth Generation (FSSI OS4) is GSA’s latest FSSI solution for office supplies and is considered Best-in-Class for office supplies by OMB. | NETCENTS-2 NetOps and Infrastructure Solutions. Provides services and solutions for network operations, production, research and development, and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (C4ISR) mission capabilities. |
| U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Facility Reduction Program (FRP). The FRP, recently designated as a BIC, focuses on stand-alone demolition; contractors specialize in demolition. It is a reimbursable program providing full project execution to its customers to include project management, demolition, environmental, estimating, contracting, engineering, quality assurance, abatement, safety, legal, etc. FRP partnered with the General Services Administration to offer facility removal services to the entire federal government. | Package Delivery Services. Next Generation Delivery Services (NGDS) is a Mandatory use BIC. More information on package delivery services may be found on the Transportation and Logistics Services Hallway on GSA's Acquisition Gateway. NOTE: Log in to access all content. |
| GSA 8(a) Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resources and Services III (STARS III), a small business set-aside GWAC, provides flexible access to customized IT solutions from a large, diverse pool of 8(a) industry partners. | Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services (RS3) Program Office Mission: To provide Federal and State Government Agencies and Organizations world class program management and procurement services for their Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) and knowledge based professional engineering services mission requirements. |
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GSA Alliant 2 OMB named Alliant 2 GWAC a Best-in-Class vehicle for comprehensive and flexible IT solutions worldwide! The Effective Date is July 1, 2018. The Period of Performance and Ordering Period is a 5 multiyear base term through June 30, 2023 plus a 5 multiyear option period through June 30, 2028. Aliant 3 solicitation released. |
SeaPort Next Generation (NxG) Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) started the Seaport contract vehicle in 2001 to maximize savings in procuring Professional Support Services (PSS). SeaPort Next Generation (NxG) is the latest iteration of SeaPort-e. Seaport NxG is a MAC IDIQ for systems engineering, software development, research and development, system design documentation and technical data, financial analysis, quality assurance, configuration management, information technology and logistics support services. UPDATE! A second on-ramp for the Navy’s $5 billion-per-year SeaPort NxG contract could add several hundred competitors to its stratified vendor roster. See NMCARS 5237.102. |
| GSA's Building Maintenance and Operations (BMO) strategic sourcing solution is a comprehensive and flexible solution covering all high-demand BMO services. There are both unrestricted and small business set aside programs available in the BMO vehicle to allow for large and small business participation. The BMO Small Business (SB) has additional socio-economic categories to help agencies meet their goals. BMO received a best-in-class designation. | Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP, pronounced 'soup'), is a multi-award Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) vehicle focused on commercial IT products and product based services. With over 140 pre-competed Prime Contract Holders, SEWP offers a wide range of commercial advanced technology including tablets, desktops and servers; IT peripherals; network equipment; storage systems; security tools; software products; cloud based services; telecommunications; Health IT; sensors; video conferencing systems and other IT, Communication and Audio-Visual products. |
| GSA Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS). EIS is a comprehensive solution-based vehicle to address all aspects of federal agency IT, telecommunications, and infrastructure needs. |
The VETS 2 GWAC is the only GWAC set aside exclusively for Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB). It's designed to meet diverse agency IT services requirements, including new and emerging technologies. |
| GSA - Human Capital. GSA offers a wide variety of human resources and administrative services. Includes Human Capital and Training Solutions (HCaTS) full and open, HCaTS-SB, and HCaTS-8(a) Small Business Set-Asides. |
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Solutions for Intelligence Analysis (SIA) 3, Program Management Office The scope of SIA 3 is centered on supporting the Defense Intelligence Enterprise (DIE) through NAICS Code 541990. The contract supports analytic and analytic enabling services that range from scientific and engineering research to programmatic and intelligence collection. |
PODCASTS! Feel free to suggest content, or create content and contribute here on the ACE for Services Community
The Contracting Experience. The Contracting Directorate at the Air Force Materiel Command has launched a new podcast to educate and inform government professionals across the globe on relevant, timely topics related to the field. The Contracting Experience on iTunes; you must have iTunes installed on your device. The Contracting Experience on Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS)
DAU's TEDx series began June 12, 2019. This event, centered around theme of Decisive Edge from The National Defense Strategy, lays out a critical imperative: we must out-think, out-maneuver, out-partner, and out-innovate our adversaries.
Interested in Agile? Check out Puppet's Pod Casts!
Art of Procurement podcasts with nearly 250 episodes. Advanced Category Management: Organizational Building Blocks, Category Manager Imperatives, The Differentiators of Category Management Leaders & Followers, and the Top 12 Best Data Science and Analytics Podcasts You Should Listen To!
JAG Reporter. Interested in developing your leadership and innovation skills or learning more about the JAG Corps? Check out the JAG Reporter podcast series.
All Things Small Business Podcasts The podcast where small business and defense acquisition meet.
Smaller is Better Podcast discussing Brady Brim-DeForest's groundbreaking book Smaller is Better: Using Small Autonomous Teams to Drive the Future of Enterprise.
SeeSOR is a Quality Management cloud-based solution that helps clients with Quality Assurance (QA) for Service Contracts
SeeSOR is a collaborative contract monitoring toolIndependent Management Review and Peer Reviews ACQuipedia Article
Best Practices / Lessons Learned
DoD Components will establish procedures for periodic independent management reviews of contracts with a total value of $100 million or more for services in their post-award period and any additional contracts that the DoD Component deems necessary. The reviews may be organized in a variety of different ways, such as annually or by milestone, on an individual contract basis, by organization, or by specific portfolio/category. DoDI 5000.74, para. 4.6.
Annually conduct program Annual Execution Reviews (AERs) and an overall Effectiveness
Review for the organization. (DAFI63-138 para. 2.8.4.)*
*NOTE: If CPAR data included, no support contractors are permitted to view or work on that portion of the briefing.
10 USC Chapter 341 Guidance and Instructions shall address at a minimum:
(1) the contracts subject to independent management reviews, including any applicable thresholds and exceptions;
(2) the frequency with which independent management reviews shall be conducted;
(3) the composition of teams designated to perform independent management reviews;
(4) any phase-in requirements needed to ensure that qualified staff are available to perform independent management reviews;
(5) procedures for tracking the implementation of recommendations made by independent management review teams; and
(6) procedures for developing and disseminating lessons learned from independent management reviews.
From DPC's Best Practices derived from competitive peer reviews:
Incentives. Best Practice – Use incentives when there are clear, measurable performance metrics or critical dates that are important to the program.
Lessons Learned
O Incentives work: On the plus side they focus contractors on what the program considers most important. On the down side, they may cause contractors to pay less attention to the areas that aren’t incentivized.
O Incentives need to be achievable. Contractors will only focus on achieving an incentive as long as they believe it is achievable.
O Schedule incentives are a two edged sword and their interaction with contract type is important. If achievable and in a fixed price contract, they work well. If used in a cost type contract, they may cause the contractor to chase the schedule and ignore costs.
O Consider the use of incentives. Discussion should include whether or not performance beyond the specification requirements is of value to the warfighter and whether simply changing the specification based on offers or the use of incentives is the better option.
O Consider the effects schedule, technical and cost incentives have on each other. Contract type makes a huge difference in developing incentives.
O Consider whether the proposal describes how the offeror will achieve the aspects of the contract that are being incentivized.
PGI 201.602-2: A COR shall be appointed for services contractors. However, Contracting Officers may exempt service contracts from this requirement when the following three conditions are met:
(1) The contract will be awarded using simplified acquisition procedures;
(2) The requirement is not complex; and
(3) The contracting officer documents the file, in writing, with the specific reasons why the appointment of a COR is unnecessary.
| Don't Say | Say |
|---|---|
| a and/or b | a, b, or both |
| accompany | go with |
| accomplish | carry out OR do |
| accorded | given |
| accordingly | so |
| accrue | add OR gain |
| accurate | correct OR exact OR right |
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is authorized to contract with local law enforcement agencies to provide additional patrols during peak recreation seasons. USACE Lakes and Rivers Nashville District (LRN) uses Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP) to award a firm-fixed price, commercial service contract for each project location (24 total contracts). Most contracts include a base period of performance and 2 or 3 option years to maintain continued patrols. What types of acquisition methods are other Districts / Agencies using to contract with local law enforcement agencies? OR is anyone contracting private security companies?
AFBIT Lite is a tool that pulls contracts from FPDS, but on version lets you look for nearby organizations doing similar work based on zip code. The tool is an online version of Tableau and is a bit clunky to use, but it's easier in my opinion than the advanced search on FPDS.Gov. The closest contract (W9124P20C0012) for PSC S206 is out of Huntsville, an Army contract with Controlled F.O.R.C.E. Inc. You can find AFBIT Lite with a search on DAU.edu.
Hi Everyone,
I would like to provide a standard template for Security Risk Assessments that small businesses can use to comply with their TRICARE credentialing agreements with the Defense Health Agency. The only SRA tool I know of for federal healthcare programs is provided by HHS:
https://www.healthit.gov/topic/privacy-security-and-hipaa/security-risk-assessment-tool
Does the DoD have anything of their own?
All the best,
David Bychkov, PhD
Visiting Professor
Have you ran into OTA's before? If OTA's (Other Transactional Agreement) are not subject to the FAR? What guidance do we adhere to for OTA's in regards to GFP?
Any help or point in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
DAU has different live events for questions just like this! Check out DAU Event - OT Huddle or DAU Event - OTA Today: Introduction to the Updated DOD OT Guide. All DAU events are at Events (dau.edu).
I have limited experience with OTs from R&D efforts. DAU has an OT Community here: Pages - Other Transactions Community Homepage (dau.edu). I looked and didn't see anything for property. You can talk to your agreements officer, but if its a services acquisition, I wouldn't recommend using an OT.
GAO Bid Protest Report contains statistics and analysis for FY22. A summary of the most prevalent grounds for sustaining protests is included. Of the protests resolved on the merits during FY22, GAO sustained 13% of those protests. Our review shows that the most prevalent reasons for sustaining protests during the 2022 fiscal year were: (1) unreasonable technical evaluation; (2) flawed selection decision; and (3) flawed solicitation. It is important to note that a significant number of protests filed with our Office do not reach a decision on the merits because agencies voluntarily take corrective action in response to the protest rather than defend the protest on the merits. Agencies need not, and do not, report any of the myriad reasons they decide to take voluntary corrective action.
CCON 025 recently deployed. You may want to try earning this credential even if not in the contracting career field. Check out my blog and follow the link to the concept card for CCON 025.
Look for Service Contract Reporting (SCR) on SAM.gov. This is where contractors submit their contractor manpower used on a services contract with the reporting threshold at $3 million. The DFARS clauses are:
52.204-14 Service Contract Reporting Requirements.
52.204-15 Service Contract Reporting Requirements for Indefinite-Delivery Contracts.
DoD has adopted the service contract reporting process used by other Federal agencies and no longer requires contractor reporting in the Enterprise Contractor Manpower Reporting Application (ECMRA). Contractors were previously required to report on manpower to eCMRA; however, beginning with the FY20 reporting period (FY21 Q1) reporting is done at SAM.gov. Look for SCR.
CORs should consider adding this to their QASP; check for compliance with SCR.
Surveillance reports provide a basis for communicating interim contractor performance or identified problems. A recent finding of the DoDIG was that CORs were not submitting surveillance reports in accordance with their Designation Letter. (See Audit of the Oversight of ENCORE III Information Technology Service Task Orders (DODIG-2023-067)) DoDI 5000.72 requires CORs to submit surveillance reports to communicate contractor performance to contracting officers. For timely surveillance reports, a monthly report is desirable and should be in the COR Designation Letter. CORs need to report performance problems immediately because many remedies are time sensitive and delays may cause harm to the U.S. Government and limit remedies.
Section 1004 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (NDAA; P.L. 117-81) established the 14-member Commission to examine the effectiveness of the PPBE process, consider alternatives, and make legislative and policy recommendations. On July 18, 2024, the Congressional Research Service published Defense Primer: Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) Process, an update on the commission's work including a recommendation to replace the PBBE process with a stream-lined Defense Resourcing System (DRS).
For more information, see the Senate's site, Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) Reform.
Memorandum provides guidance on Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) file review requirements. Look for this content to be added to future updates to the DFARS Procedures, Guidance, and Information (PGI), and Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 5000.72, DoD Standard for Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) Certification.
Memo addresses “Audit of the DoD’s Implementation and Oversight of the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Program” Report No. DoDIG-2023-078, which identified deficiencies in contractor implementation and
subsequently COR oversight of CUI training requirements as applied to contractors.
Centralized Unique Program identifier (CUPID) Implementation Memo dtd. April 3, 2024.
Program owners must register their acquisition programs, regardless of the acquisition pathway selected, in the Defense Acquisition Visibility Environment (DAVE) located at
To see if your program is in DAVE, visit the Acquisition Enablers Public Website.
CUPID will allow program-related data to be easily discovered, linked retrieved and referenced. This is a refinement of the legacy Program Number or PNO.
The DFARS PGI will be updated to establish the requirements for the FPDS reporting. Effective immediately, contracting personnel shall enter the CUPID 3-position code in field 8B, DoD Acquisition Program.
In addition, the Procurement Data Standard (PDS) and Purchase Request data Standard (PRDS) have been modified to allow the CUPID to be identified as a reference number in contracts and purchase requests.
The prior term Acquisition Program Unique Identifier is now obsolete and should NOT be used.
Vision: DOD is a data-centric organization that uses data at speed and scale for operational advantage and increased efficiency.
Focus Areas: The strategy emphasizes the need to work closely with users in the operational community, particularly the warfighter. Initial areas of focus include:
Check out the FACT SHEET for DOD Data Strategy: Unleashing Data to Advance the National Defense Strategy with 8 guiding principles:
and 4 Essential Capabilities and 7 Goals!
DoD Data StrategySection 809 directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program to explore the use of consumption-based solutions to address DoD needs. In particular, the pilot program is to result in contracts and other agreements for "anything-as-a-service," which is defined as a model under which a technology-supported capability is provided using any combination of software, hardware or equipment, data, and labor services. Importantly, under this pilot program, the "anything-as-a-service" capability provided to DoD must be metered and billed based on actual usage of fixed-price units. Additionally, no later than June 30, 2024, the Secretary of Defense must provide a briefing to the congressional defense committees on the implementation of the pilot program. As Congress's Joint Explanatory Statement emphasizes, this pilot program is another effort to promote continuous competition and better business practices at the DoD.
Contract Protest Diagnostic Tool is a Data-Driven Application to Proactively Identify Contracting Errors and Mitigate Protest Exposure developed by MITRE in partnership with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
Includes a protest knowledge center
The business practice of buying common goods and services as an enterprise to eliminate redundancies, increase efficiency, and deliver more value and savings from the Government's acquisition programs. Source: OMB M-19-13
The DoD's implementation of Category Management (CM) consists of a structured, data-driven business practice whereby the organization broadly and strategically analyzes and manages common categories of spend with an enterprise-wide focus in order to eliminate redundancies, increase efficiencies and enhance mission effectiveness. [CM ACQuipedia article]
It involves:
CON 0150, Category Management Overview: Introductory-level on-line training that is specifically designed to give a solid grounding to the world of category management by exploring processes and practices, governance and regulatory structure and general terminology.
CACQ 007 Category Management Credential: Released in May 2022, this credential provides the learner with the knowledge to begin contributing as a member of a category management team or as a member of a staff overseeing category management in the Department of Defense.
ACQ 0840, Introduction to Air Force Category Management. In ACQ 0840 you will learn about the history of CM in the Federal government and US Air Force (USAF), the USAF's 4 principles of CM, Roles and Responsibilities, and the 6 Step CM Process.
Spend Under Management (SUM) & Best-in-Class (BIC) on GSA's Acquisition Gateway. Look for:
| Best in Class or Tiered Vehicles | Best in Class Vehicles (Cont) |
|---|---|
| CIO-CS, CIO-SP3 and CIO-SP3 Small Business from NIH. The CIO-SP3 and CIO-SP3 Small Business GWACs have been additionally extended through April 29, 2024. The additional six-month extension ensures there is no gap in contractual coverage between CIO-SP3 and CIO-SP4 and pushes the five-year performance period of CIO-SP3 Task Orders well into FY29, giving agencies access to all the benefits and value-adds of FAR 16 flexibilities. |
GSA maintenance contract used by U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville Fuels Program. See also GSA's Building Maintenance Operations GWAC (Below) |
| Direct Delivery Fuels: Commercial Specification Fuels. DLA Energy Direct Delivery Fuels provides worldwide acquisition and integrated materiel management of commercial fuels delivered directly to military and federal civilian customers. This includes the procurement of commercial specification aviation fuel at commercial airports, commercial ship propulsion fuels at commercial seaports and commercial ground fuels (diesel, gasoline and “green” products) at posts, camps and stations worldwide. |
GSA One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) and OASIS Small Business (SB) are multiple award, Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts that provide flexible and innovative solutions for complex professional services. OASIS transitioned to OASIS+ with the last, Unrestricted pool to be awarded in December 2024., OASIS+ combines the scope of legacy OASIS; Building, Maintenance & Operations (BMO); and Human Capital & Training Solutions (HCaTS) under one program along with new areas of services. Oasis+ will:
|
| DoD Information Analysis Centers (IACs) - Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Multiple Award Contracts for Research and Development and Advisory and Assistance Services related to R&D efforts. The IAC Program's scope areas include Cybersecurity and Information Systems, Defense Systems and Homeland Defense. See Preferred Use of DoD Information Analysis Center Contracts, DPAP and ASD (R&E) memo. | HR Solutions is the Army’s preferred strategic source providing centralized acquisition management and support of enterprise-level human resource Knowledge Based Services for Department of Defense (DoD) requiring activities. Task orders for Personnel Lifecycle Support (PLS)and Recruiting-Management & Administrative Support (R-MAS) are possible with a period of performance ending in 2028. |
| Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) ENCORE III Full and Open AND Small Business Set-Aside. These contracting vehicles provide a full range of information technology (IT) services and solutions required by the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, and the intelligence community. ENCORE III Full and Open Large Business Suite was awarded in Jan 2018. See DISA Contracting for more information. |
ITES-3. The Army recently awarded the $12B ITES-3S to acquire commercial IT services. The scope includes cybersecurity, integration, consolidation, telecommunications, supply chain management, operation and maintenance, business process engineering, and education and training. The ITES awards include an unrestricted portion (including small business awardees) and a small business set-aside portion. Army CHESS IT e-Mart receives BIC badge and is the Army's designated primary source for IT hardware, software and services. |
| GSA Services MAC--SEE OASIS | Maintenance Repair Facility Supplies Generation 2 (MRFS2). A GSA BIC. The MRFS2 purchasing channel is a strategic sourcing and category management solution created to streamline the process of purchasing maintenance, repair, janitorial, and sanitation products governmentwide. The federal government currently spends almost $2.8 Billion a year on MRFS2 supplies. In partnership with numerous federal agencies, both military and civilian, GSA has established multiple Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) to address this spend volume. |
| Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative for Office Supplies Fourth Generation (FSSI OS4) is GSA’s latest FSSI solution for office supplies and is considered Best-in-Class for office supplies by OMB. | NETCENTS-2 NetOps and Infrastructure Solutions. Provides services and solutions for network operations, production, research and development, and Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (C4ISR) mission capabilities. |
| U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Facility Reduction Program (FRP). The FRP, recently designated as a BIC, focuses on stand-alone demolition; contractors specialize in demolition. It is a reimbursable program providing full project execution to its customers to include project management, demolition, environmental, estimating, contracting, engineering, quality assurance, abatement, safety, legal, etc. FRP partnered with the General Services Administration to offer facility removal services to the entire federal government. | Package Delivery Services. Next Generation Delivery Services (NGDS) is a Mandatory use BIC. More information on package delivery services may be found on the Transportation and Logistics Services Hallway on GSA's Acquisition Gateway. NOTE: Log in to access all content. |
| GSA 8(a) Streamlined Technology Acquisition Resources and Services III (STARS III), a small business set-aside GWAC, provides flexible access to customized IT solutions from a large, diverse pool of 8(a) industry partners. | Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services (RS3) Program Office Mission: To provide Federal and State Government Agencies and Organizations world class program management and procurement services for their Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) and knowledge based professional engineering services mission requirements. |
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GSA Alliant 2 OMB named Alliant 2 GWAC a Best-in-Class vehicle for comprehensive and flexible IT solutions worldwide! The Effective Date is July 1, 2018. The Period of Performance and Ordering Period is a 5 multiyear base term through June 30, 2023 plus a 5 multiyear option period through June 30, 2028. Aliant 3 solicitation released. |
SeaPort Next Generation (NxG) Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) started the Seaport contract vehicle in 2001 to maximize savings in procuring Professional Support Services (PSS). SeaPort Next Generation (NxG) is the latest iteration of SeaPort-e. Seaport NxG is a MAC IDIQ for systems engineering, software development, research and development, system design documentation and technical data, financial analysis, quality assurance, configuration management, information technology and logistics support services. UPDATE! A second on-ramp for the Navy’s $5 billion-per-year SeaPort NxG contract could add several hundred competitors to its stratified vendor roster. See NMCARS 5237.102. |
| GSA's Building Maintenance and Operations (BMO) strategic sourcing solution is a comprehensive and flexible solution covering all high-demand BMO services. There are both unrestricted and small business set aside programs available in the BMO vehicle to allow for large and small business participation. The BMO Small Business (SB) has additional socio-economic categories to help agencies meet their goals. BMO received a best-in-class designation. | Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP, pronounced 'soup'), is a multi-award Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) vehicle focused on commercial IT products and product based services. With over 140 pre-competed Prime Contract Holders, SEWP offers a wide range of commercial advanced technology including tablets, desktops and servers; IT peripherals; network equipment; storage systems; security tools; software products; cloud based services; telecommunications; Health IT; sensors; video conferencing systems and other IT, Communication and Audio-Visual products. |
| GSA Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS). EIS is a comprehensive solution-based vehicle to address all aspects of federal agency IT, telecommunications, and infrastructure needs. |
The VETS 2 GWAC is the only GWAC set aside exclusively for Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB). It's designed to meet diverse agency IT services requirements, including new and emerging technologies. |
| GSA - Human Capital. GSA offers a wide variety of human resources and administrative services. Includes Human Capital and Training Solutions (HCaTS) full and open, HCaTS-SB, and HCaTS-8(a) Small Business Set-Asides. |
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Solutions for Intelligence Analysis (SIA) 3, Program Management Office The scope of SIA 3 is centered on supporting the Defense Intelligence Enterprise (DIE) through NAICS Code 541990. The contract supports analytic and analytic enabling services that range from scientific and engineering research to programmatic and intelligence collection. |
PODCASTS! Feel free to suggest content, or create content and contribute here on the ACE for Services Community
The Contracting Experience. The Contracting Directorate at the Air Force Materiel Command has launched a new podcast to educate and inform government professionals across the globe on relevant, timely topics related to the field. The Contracting Experience on iTunes; you must have iTunes installed on your device. The Contracting Experience on Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS)
DAU's TEDx series began June 12, 2019. This event, centered around theme of Decisive Edge from The National Defense Strategy, lays out a critical imperative: we must out-think, out-maneuver, out-partner, and out-innovate our adversaries.
Interested in Agile? Check out Puppet's Pod Casts!
Art of Procurement podcasts with nearly 250 episodes. Advanced Category Management: Organizational Building Blocks, Category Manager Imperatives, The Differentiators of Category Management Leaders & Followers, and the Top 12 Best Data Science and Analytics Podcasts You Should Listen To!
JAG Reporter. Interested in developing your leadership and innovation skills or learning more about the JAG Corps? Check out the JAG Reporter podcast series.
All Things Small Business Podcasts The podcast where small business and defense acquisition meet.
Smaller is Better Podcast discussing Brady Brim-DeForest's groundbreaking book Smaller is Better: Using Small Autonomous Teams to Drive the Future of Enterprise.
Independent Management Review and Peer Reviews ACQuipedia Article
Best Practices / Lessons Learned
DoD Components will establish procedures for periodic independent management reviews of contracts with a total value of $100 million or more for services in their post-award period and any additional contracts that the DoD Component deems necessary. The reviews may be organized in a variety of different ways, such as annually or by milestone, on an individual contract basis, by organization, or by specific portfolio/category. DoDI 5000.74, para. 4.6.
Annually conduct program Annual Execution Reviews (AERs) and an overall Effectiveness
Review for the organization. (DAFI63-138 para. 2.8.4.)*
*NOTE: If CPAR data included, no support contractors are permitted to view or work on that portion of the briefing.
10 USC Chapter 341 Guidance and Instructions shall address at a minimum:
(1) the contracts subject to independent management reviews, including any applicable thresholds and exceptions;
(2) the frequency with which independent management reviews shall be conducted;
(3) the composition of teams designated to perform independent management reviews;
(4) any phase-in requirements needed to ensure that qualified staff are available to perform independent management reviews;
(5) procedures for tracking the implementation of recommendations made by independent management review teams; and
(6) procedures for developing and disseminating lessons learned from independent management reviews.
Substantive changes to Title 10 were made on January 1, 2022. For services acquisition, the crosswalk from the old sections to new with their links is provided in the Table below:
| Chapter 341 | Retitled in 2022 | Chapter 341 | Acquisition of Services Generally |
| 2329 | Procurement of services: data analysis and requirements validation | 4506 | Procurement of services: data analysis and requirements validation |
| 2330 | Procurement of services: data analysis and requirements validation | 4501 | Procurement of contract services: management structure |
| 2330 | Procurement of services: data analysis and requirements validation | 4502 | Procurement of contract services: senior officials responsible for management of acquisition of contract services |
| 2330a | Procurement of services: tracking of purchases | 4505 | Procurement of services: tracking of purchases |
| 2331 | Procurement of services: contracts for professional and technical services | 4507 | Procurement of services: contracts for professional and technical services |
| N/A | N/A | 4508 | Contractor performance of acquisition functions closely associated with inherently governmental functions |
| N/A | N/A | 4509 | Contracts for advisory and assistance services: cost comparison studies |
| Chapter 343 | Acquisition of Services (Repealed) | N/A | Repealed |
| Report # | Title | Key Words |
|---|---|---|
| DODIG-2020-079 | Report on the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) Cloud Procurement | Cloud Services, Single Award |
| DODIG-2023-067 | Audit of the Oversight of ENCORE III Information Technology Service Task Orders | Training, Oversight, COR, technical experience, voucher approval |
| DODIG-2024-055 | Audit of the DoD’s Oversight of Cost-Plus-Award-Fee Contract | CPAF |
| Report # | Title | Key Words |
|---|---|---|
| GAO-24-900483 | GAO, Performance and Accountability Report, FY23. Priority Open Recommendations: Department of Defense | Priority Recommendations |
| GAO-24-106528 | Defense Contracts: Better Monitoring Could Improve DOD's Management of Award Lead Times | PALT Tracker |
| GAO-24-106129 | DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE: DOD Needs Better Insight into Risks from Mergers and Acquisitions | Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Consolidation, Defense Industrial Base (DIB) |
| GAO-24-107272 | GAO Overview: FraudNet Activity Report for FY2023. FraudNet Website | Fraud, Waste, Abuse, Mismanagement |
| GAO-24-105358 | DOD FRAUD RISK MANAGEMENT: Enhanced Data Analytics Can Help Manage Fraud Risks | Fraud, Data Analytics |
| GAO-24-105980 | ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Agencies Have Begun Implementation but Need to Complete Key Requirements | Artificial Intelligence |
| GAO-24-107270 | Revolving Funds: Key Features | Revolving funds, working capital funds |
| GAO-24-105645 | Artificial Intelligence: Actions Needed to Improve DOD's Workforce Management | Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, workforce |
| GAO-24-105506 | GAO Agile Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Adoption and Implementation [Reissued with revisions on Dec. 15, 2023] | Agile software development, auditors |
| GAO-21-267R | SERVICE ACQUISITIONS: DOD's Report to Congress Identifies Steps Taken to Improve Management, But Does Not Address Some Key Planning Issues | Budget, PPBE, Service Acquisition |
| GAO-20-104 | DoD Utilities Privatization: Improved Data Collection and Lessons Learned Archive Could Help Reduce Time to Award | utility, services, contracts, time to award |
| GAO-24-900538 | Bid Protest Annual Report to Congress for Fiscal Year 2023 | Protests |
| GAO-20-220SP | Bid Protest Annual Report to Congress for FY19 | Protests |
| GAO-19-248SP | Bid Protest Annual Report to Congress for FY18 | Protests |
| GAO-19-556 | Defense Workforce: Steps Needed to Identify Acquisition Training Needs for Non-Acquisition Personnel | Services Acquisition Training |
| GAO-18-237SP | Bid Protest Annual Report to Congress for FY17 | Protests |
| GAO-17-398 | Service Contracts: Agencies Should Take Steps to More Effectively Use Independent Government Cost Estimates | IGCE, Cost Estimating, Service contracts |
| GAO-16-119 | DOD Service Acquisition: Improved Use of Available Data Needed to Better Manage and Forecast Service Contract Requirements | Services Acquisition Requirements, PPBE |
| GAO-12-681 | SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT: Effective Practices and Federal Challenges in Applying Agile Methods | Agile Software Development |
| GAO-01-295 | Contract Management: No DOD Proposal to Improve Contract Service Costs Reporting | Professional Services, PSC |
[Return to Policy and Guidance Page]
A Services Acquisition Workshop, or SAW, is a facilitated workshop built around a specific acquisition and its multi-functional team (MFT).
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| SAW Talking Paper | An in-depth description of the SAW covering frequently asked questions. |
| SAW Tool | A DAU tool that captures when a SAW is mandatory, documents developed throughout the 7-step process, resources and available services acquisition training. |
| Step 0 Assessment | Assess where you are in your acquisition. Used by DAU for initial coordination with DoD requesting activity. |
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| Agile 101, An Agile Primer. OUSD(A&S) | Provides an overview of Agile values, principles, concepts, vocabulary, terms and roles to provide an understanding of the breadth of Agile and how it differs from traditional project management practices. |
| Agile Release Teams Sample PWS | Agile Release Team(s) and Stories FFP PWS Template |
| Business Case Analysis--IT Template | DoD CIO template for a Business Case Analysis (BCA) |
| Contracting Considerations for Agile Solutions | Key Agile Concepts and Sample Work Statement Language |
| Data Item Descriptions (DID) | Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) and Data Item Descriptions (DID) |
| DoDD 1100.4 | Guidance for Manpower Management |
| DoDI 1100.22 | Policy and Procedures for Determining Workforce Mix |
| DoDI 5000.74 Defense Acquisition of Services | DoD Services Acquisition policy. |
| DoDI 7041.04 | Estimating and Comparing the Full Costs of Civilian and Active Duty Military Manpower and Contract Support |
| DoD Enterprise Services Management Framework (DESMF) Ed. III | DoD Components should ensure their ITSM activities are consistent with DESMF guidance in accordance with DoD Instruction 8440.01, Information Technology Service Management. Through the DESMF, the Department can identify and eliminate redundancy, inefficiency, and service quality deficiencies. |
| DESMF and SLAs | Defense Enterprise Service Management Framework (DESMF) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs)--a 2-3 page primer. |
| GAO-12-681 SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT | GAO identified 32 practices and approaches as effective for applying Agile software development methods |
| Handbook of Contract Function Checklists for Services Acquisition | A workforce analysis of the decision to in-source or out-source should include any past decisions and why the requirement cannot be fulfilled with military or civilian personnel. |
| IDIQ Primer | Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity Contracts. Prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). |
| IMP-IMS Guide 2023 | Integrated Master Plan and Integrated Master Schedule Preparation and Use Guide, May 2023 |
| Metrics or Measures | A collection of Acquisition-related metrics for a Requirements Activity or Contracting Office. |
| PWS Writing Guidelines | Excellent info on writing a PWS (see also, the PWS Writing Guidelines presentation) |
| PWS Writing Guidelines Presentation | DAU PowerPoint slide presentation based on the PWS Writing Guidelines |
| RIO SAW Presentation | Risk, Issue and Opportunity (RIO) slides used in a SAW |
| Service Level Agreement (SLA) Primer | Considerations when it comes to using a SLA |
| SD-2 Buying Commercial Items and Non-developmental Items | guidance on acquisitions involving all types of commercial and non-developmental items: systems, subsystems, assemblies, parts, and items of supply. Commercial services are also addressed. Developed by the Defense Standardization Program Office. |
| SD-5 Market Research | Practical guidance on using market research. Designed for personnel involved with establishing requirements for products or services, such as engineers, technical specialists, project officers, etc. Developed by the Defense Standardization Program Office. |
| Source Selection Plan (SSP) Template | From GSA's Acquisition Gateway, a USAF SSP Template |
Back to Basics (BtB) BTB significantly streamlined the certification framework and re-focused training resources for the Defense Acquisition Workforce.
Want to Preview DAU On Line Training courses? Select Preview Training
Services Acquisition Knowledge Area
DoD Handbook for the Training and Development of the Services Acquisition Workforce, July 14, 2017. Provides DoD** recommended training for the Services Acquisition Functional Area.
**For civilian agencies please visit the Federal Acquisition Institute for more information on training.
DAU Credentials. DAU deployed the first four credentials in FY2020, including two Acquisition of Services credentials. There are 60+ credentials available!
DAU Partnerships. Defense Acquisition University works with over fifty external colleges and universities in granting credit to workforce members who have completed DAU courses. Partnerships provide opportunities to maximize academic accomplishments by receiving credit for DAU courses toward an undergraduate, graduate, or certificate program.
DAU Equivalency Program. The Defense Acquisition University (DAU) provides the opportunity for other organizations (colleges and universities, DoD schools, other federal agencies, commercial vendors, and professional societies) to offer courses, programs or certifications which DAU will accept as equivalent to one or more DAU courses if, upon evaluation of the organization's materials and standards, they adequately address the DAU course learning outcomes for a select DAU course(s).
| Credentials for DoD Acquisition and Non-Acquisition Workforce Performing Services Acquisitions |
Total CLPs |
|---|---|
| CACQ 001 Services Acquisition Team Member: Non-Acquisition Workforce |
39 |
| CACQ 002 Services Acquisition Team Member: Acquisition Workforce |
50 |
| CACQ 013 Functional Services Manager (FSM) |
45 |
| CACQ 007 Category Management Overview |
12 |
| Credentials recommended for Contracting Functional Area with a Services Contracting Assignment |
Total CLPs |
|---|---|
| CCON 003 Proposal Analysis Credential |
70 |
| CCON 008 Commercial Acquisition Credential |
33 |
| CCON 019 Negotiations Credential |
33 |
| CCON 025 Contracting for Services |
41 |
| CLM 023 DAU AbilityOne Training |
1 |
| CACQ 002 Services Acquisition Team Member: Acquisition Professional Team Members Credential |
50 |
| CACQ 007 Category Management Credential |
12 |
ACQ1650 Defense Acquisition of Services - (7 hrs online)
ACQ2551 Services Acquisition Management Tools - (9 hours online)
ACQ265 Mission Focused Services Acquisition - 5 days virtual instructor led training (VILT) and in-person ILT
ACQ305 Services Acquisition Management Office - 3.5 days instructor led training (ILT) or Virtual ILT
ACQ 0061 IGCE for Services Acquisition (2 hours online)
ACQ 0030 Overview of Acquisition Ethics (1 hours online)
BFM 0020 Program Execution (3 hours online)
CON 0040 Market Research (3 hours online)
CLC 011 Contracting for the Rest of Us (2 hours online)
CON 0130 Services Acquisition (3 hours online)
CON 0140 Art & Science of Contracting (2 hours online)
CON 0590 Management of Subcontracting Compliance (4 hours online)
CON 0640 Wage Determinations (1 hour online)
CLC 106 Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) with a Mission Focus (6 hours online)
CLC 108 Strategic Sourcing Overview (2 hours online)
CON 7600 Introduction to Incentive Contracting (2 hours online)
CLC206 Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) in a Contingency Environment (1 hour online)
CLC 222 Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) Online Training (32 hours online)
CLE 028 Market Research for Engineering and Technical Personnel (2 hours online)
CLE 083 Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) (2 hours online)
PMT 0170 Risk Management (7 hours online)
7-Step Service Acquisition Process
Service Acquisition Portfolio Groups (Wings)
| CAT # | Workshop | Days |
|---|---|---|
| WSM 012 | Services Acquisition Workshop (SAW) WSM 012. The SAW is typically a 3-4 four-day workshop for an intact MFT conducted at team's location using the team's documentation. It is a facilitated, hands-on workshop designed to help the MFT work through the seven-step service acquisition process. For more information, see DAU's SAW Talking Paper. |
3.5* |
| WSM 009 | Work Statement Workshop (SOW, SOO, PWS) WSM 009. Provides an overview of the function of the Work Statement in the acquisition process and a procedure for planning, developing, and writing Work Statements. |
4 |
| WSM 014 | Acquisition Strategy Development Workshop (ASDW) |
3-4.5 |
| WSM 002 | Risk Management Workshop |
1 |
| WSC 032 | Source Selection Simulation |
4 |
| WSA 004 | Cloud Services Workshop |
3 |
Medical Services
SeeSOR is a Quality Management cloud-based solution that helps clients with Quality Assurance (QA) for Service Contracts
Guide provides a reference for the Stakeholder Engagement Process (6-steps), Power Grid, IERs (Interests, Expectations, Requirements), Involvement matrix, stakeholder strategy and the communication plan.
Compliments the WSM 007, Stakeholder Management Workshop
One pager on DIDs and Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL)
Service Acquisition Workshop (SAW) Tool. Includes products produced by high-performing MFTs by service acquisition step, guidebooks and policy, training courses, tools and other resources.
DEFENSE STANDARDIZATION PROGRAM. The purpose of this document is to provide DoD and other Federal personnel involved in the acquisition process with practical guidance on using market research to ensure the acquisition of products and services that will best serve the government's needs. Use the link below to download a copy of the SD-5
SD-5, Market Research (dated 2018)
A list of metrics organized by Demand Management, Supplier Management, and Process Management useful for any acquisition, but particularly services acquisitions.
RIO training slides used for SAWs.
Presentation of highlights from the PWS Writing Guidelines. Can't remember when to use e.g. versus i.e.? Check the writing guidelines!