Industry Government Council

**November 6, 2002**

**Meeting Notes**

# Federal Supply Service, Commercial Acquisition Overview

Neal Fox, GSA's new Assistant Commissioner for Commercial Acquisition
provided his vision and areas of interests for the commercial
acquisition business line. He stated that he views GSA and industry as a
true partnership and that the multiple award schedule program has a
bright future. He further stated that GSA's electronic RFQ system,
e-Buy, will be the surest way for agency contracting staff to stay in
compliance with Section 803 of the FY 02 Defense Authorization Act, but
feels is it still unknown how our customers will react to e-Buy, as
sometimes people are slow to embrace change. Additionally, he will focus
his efforts on reducing the amount of time it takes to modify schedule
contracts and acknowledges that the process is more difficult for
services than it is for products.

In response to suggestions to create a homeland security schedule he
replied that the business line plans to create a virtual schedule based
on marketing how the current schedules can support homeland security
activities. He also foresees that most of the Homeland Security money
will be for integration activities between agencies that will comprise
the new Agency.

# GSA Update

Lisa Maguire of the Federal Supply Service's Office of Acquisition
Policy provided an update on Section 803 of the 2002 Defense
Authorization Act and e-Buy. She states that even if Agencies select
some but not all schedule contractors to receive and RFQ via e-Buy,
using e-Buy satisfies the requirement to provide fair opportunity since
all e-Buy registered contractors can view all RFQs posted. She further
mentioned that even if a non DOD contracting office places an order on
behalf of a DOD activity, Section 803 has to be complied with since the
rule "follows the money" (DOD money). GSA will be rolling out an
ambitious e-Buy training strategy to include industry forums, videos,
and on-line training. On a different topic, Ms. Maguire solicited
comments on changing the name of the maximum order limitation (MOL)
clause in GSA schedule contracts and the Council agreed to consolidate
their comments and provide them to her office.

# Industry Update

Ed Naro, Council Chairman, provided an overview of issues and concerns
from Industry's perspective. One such issue, the Office of Federal
Procurement Policy's preference for GSA schedule task orders to be firm
fixed price has not gone away and that industry and GSA need to be
proactive in promoting the value of allowing other contract types. Mr.
Naro stated that Section 803 will have a chilling affect on DOD as
implementation unfolds and that industry has a role in communicating
implementation strategies and best practices wherever they have a
platform (National Contract Managers Association, Professional Services
Council, Coalition For Government Procurement, GSA's Professional
Services Expo, etc.). It was mentioned that industry should be proactive
in explaining how they pursue business because one aspect of Section 803
is the requirement for adequate competition to ensure three quotes when
conducting a GSA schedule buy. Industry is sophisticated enough to know
when they are seriously in contention for being awarded a task order and
will be reluctant to spend bid and proposal resources to facilitate
agency ordering activities compliance (receiving three quotes) to
Section 803.

# Industry Government Council Update

Sue McIver, Director, GSA,FSS Services Acquisition Center (SAC) provided
an update of the "white paper" recommendations from the previous IGC
meeting. She stated that GSA has contacted our Office of Small Business
Utilization and will coordinate efforts pertaining to the Mentor Protégé
recommendations with them. The Other Direct Costs "white paper" has been
submitted to GSA's Federal Supply Service policy office for Commercial
Acquisition. As the recommendations are asking our policy office to look
at this issue differently, the IGC should expect them to ask for
additional "clarity". Len Pinkey, Deputy Director, SAC requested that
IGC comments on SAC's draft option year renewal letter be forwarded to
SAC electronically for consolidation.

# Professional Services Expo

The Council was briefed on the upcoming Second Annual Professional
Services Expo (PSX). Attendance at last years PSX was 1500 actual
customers, this year's (2003) goal is 2000-2500. There are 48 class
hours planned encompassing 40 different classes, with as many as
possible to be CEU certified. Council members were once again invited to
speak or serve as panelists.

# E-Buy

Tim Dempsey of GSA's Office of Electronic Commerce provided a status
update of GSA e-Buy and fielded questions from the Council. The Council
feels that e-Buy is of such importance to the GSA schedules program that
it will be a recurring topic of discussion at future IGC meetings.

# 2003 Goals and Objectives

The Council brainstormed, consolidated and completed and initial ranking
of 2003 goals and objectives.The goals and objectives will be further
refined before the January IGC meeting and assigned to ad hoc committees
at that time. See attachment one for initial list.

#  Adjourn

Attachment One

Draft

**FCX/MSC IGC Objectives**

**CY 2003**

1.  Maintain pressure on outstanding E-Buy issues

2.  Maintain pressure on resolving ODCs and other avenues for industry
    to pursue resolution

3.  Maintain pressure on GSA portal

4.  Necessary corporate contracting improvements

5.  Look at GWACs and Federal franchise funds

6.  At end of contract base period, how is renewal determined

7.  803 training Sessions \*

8.  Strategy for implementing performance based services contracting
    using schedules \*

9.  Strategy to encourage continuity among agencies \*

10. Further leverage connections with DAU and FAI \*

11. Dummy guide to award and issue task orders and BPAs \*

12. Firm Fixed Price versus time and material preference by OFPP

13. Competitive positional statement "branding issues" RE: MAS

14. PPIRS (OFPP) and CAsI (GSA's contractor assessment initiative.)

15. Strategy for marketing support for agency table top events and other
    market research/outreach efforts (supported by documentation)

16. Medium size companies are being overlooked and impacted (by policies
    promoting small businesses)

17. Accenture Study implementation (FSS IT and FTS merge)

\* Denotes items the Council suggests could be combined into one
objective.