# Presentation: 669108

## Competitive Sourcing (A-76)

- Tim Wheeles
- NIH Competitive Sourcing Program Manager
- Director, NIH Commercial Activities Review Team
- April 2005

## Competitive Sourcing (A-76)

- For questions during _this session only_, please call:
-              **(301) 435-1969**

## What is Competitive Sourcing?

-    Competitive sourcing is the process of acquiring recurring commercial services through fair and open competition.

## The A-76 Requirement

**President’s Management Agenda**: Agencies required to compete commercial activities - tied to performance goals and budget.
**Circular A-76**: “The Government shall not start or carry on any activity to provide a commercial product or service if the product or service can be procured more economically from a commercial source.”
**NIH must compete 100%** of commercial competitive functions by 2013.
**Post MEO Performance Review:** If the MEO defaults, the function must be recompeted in the private sector.

## Types of Competitions

- Standard
- Streamlined

## Pre-Planning

- Occurs prior to public announcement in the FedBizOpps
- Nine steps:
- Scope
- Grouping
- Workload Data and Systems
- Baseline Costs
- Type of Competition
- Schedule
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Competition Officials
- Informing Incumbent Service Providers

## A-76 Standard Competitions –    Attributes

- 65 or more FTEs (No lower limit)
- Completed in 12 or 18 months
- Performance Work Statement (PWS)
- Most Efficient Organization (MEO) – Agency’s Bid
- Decision can be contested by both the Agency Tender Official (ATO) and non-government bidders

## A-76 Standard Competitions –    Timeline

- Pre-planning
- Employee Notification
_**Day 1**_ - Public Announcement - FedBizOpps
- Performance Work Statement (PWS) developed
- Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by Contracting Officer (CO)
- Most Efficient Organization (MEO) developed

## A-76 Standard Competitions –    Timeline (continued)

_**12 months or 18 months**_ – Costs of the MEO and the other bidders are entered into COMPARE and winner is decided
- Employee notification
- Decision announcement - FedBizOpps

## A-76 Streamlined Competitions -     Attributes

- Maximum of 64 FTEs
- Completed in 90 or 135 days
- Requirements Document (RD)
- Most Efficient Organization (MEO) – Agency’s bid, if necessary
- Market Research
- Decision is final – No contests allowed

## A-76 Streamlined Competitions –     Timeline       

- Pre-Planning
- Employee Notification
_**Day 1**_ - Public Announcement - FedBizOpps
- Develop Requirements Document
- Develop MEO (if necessary)
- Prepare Market Research
- Develop Cost Estimates (“As Is” or MEO)

## A-76 Streamlined Competitions –     Timeline (continued)

_**Day 90 or Day 135**_ - Comparison of
-    In-house Government Cost (“As Is” or MEO)               to Market Research Cost
- Employee Notification
- Public Decision Announcement - FedBizOpps

## Additional Information

- NIH A-76 Web Site:   _[http://a-76.nih.gov/](http://a-76.nih.gov/)_
- E-mail additional questions to:   _[A76@od.nih.gov](mailto:A76@od.nih.gov)_
- Employee Assistance Program website:
- _[http://](http://www.nih.gov/od/ors/ds/eap/index.html)__[www.nih.gov/od/ors/ds/eap/index.html](http://www.nih.gov/od/ors/ds/eap/index.html)_
- Transition Center website:
- _[http://](http://osmp.od.nih.gov/NIHTransitionCenter.asp)__[osmp.od.nih.gov/NIHTransitionCenter.asp](http://osmp.od.nih.gov/NIHTransitionCenter.asp)_