Posts By Melissa Hudak King

Urban Myths Regarding Small Business

This week’s blog post continues the series on “Urban Myths” associated with the General Services Administration’s (GSA’s) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. There is some belief that the best way to help small business on the GSA schedules is to apply small business set-aside rules to the program. Historically, that has not been the case.Read… Read more »

Urban Myths regarding GSA’s MAS Program – Part 2

This week’s blog post shines the light on another “Urban Myth” regarding the General Services Administration’s (GSA’s) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. Contrary to the misperceptions of some in the procurement community, the MAS program includes effective mechanisms and ordering procedures for leveraging and competing customer agency recurring requirements. Indeed, it is surprising that someRead… Read more »

Urban Myths regarding GSA’s MAS Program – Part 1

This week marks the beginning of a new series of blog posts highlighting and debunking “Urban Myths” regarding GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. Through the Coalition’s “Myth-Busters” conversations with acquisition leadership across the federal government, it has become clear that there are certain “Urban Myths” regarding the MAS program. That’s why we are doingRead… Read more »

Ongoing Reforms of GSA’s Operations

This week’s blog post was to begin a series on “urban myths” regarding GSA’s multiple award schedule program. Instead, this week’s blog post focuses on the ongoing reforms of GSA’s operations. On Wednesday, Acting Administrator Dan Tangherlini testified before the Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs on “Moving from Scandal to Strategy.” Acting AdministratorRead… Read more »

Duplicative Contracts Create Confusion and Uncertainty

Contract duplication is one of the central strategic acquisition challenges facing the Federal Government and its contractors. Contract duplication (i.e. many contracts for the same and/or similar services and products across the federal enterprise) unnecessarily increases government and contractor administrative, bid and proposal, and other overhead costs. These unnecessary costs are ultimately borne by theRead… Read more »

Concerns Regarding the Potential Elimination of Continuous Open Seasons

On Wednesday the Coalition submitted comments in response to GSA’s Federal Register Notice regarding the Federal Acquisition Service’s (FAS’s) intent to institute a Demand Based Model (DBM). Central to the DBM is the prospect of FAS eliminating continuous open seasons for selected schedule solicitations. As stated in our comments to GSA, although the Coalition appreciatesRead… Read more »

Modernizing The GSA Schedules Program to Better Address Customer Needs

As announced last week, the Coalition is launching a new Excellence in Partnership (EIP) Savings award “which will go to a government and industry activity based on sound acquisition planning and use of well-defined requirements that lead to significant savings for the government/taxpayer.” This new EIP Savings award reflects the central, fundamental principle of governmentRead… Read more »

Increasing FSS BPA Effectiveness

On June 12th, the Coalition issued a “Best Practices for Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs). It provides a framework for increasing the effectiveness of FSS BPAs for government customers, FSS contractors and ultimately taxpayers. FSS BPAs are an important tool in the procurement toolbox to support program and mission needs across government.Read… Read more »

July Legal Corner

GSA Schedule Option Extensions – A Time of Risk and Opportunity Guest Bloggers: Bill Bressette & Jeff Clayton, Baker Tilly Many contractors don’t fully understand the disclosures that form the basis for the negotiated prices on their GSA Schedule contracts, but a company’s failure to keep those disclosures current may expose it to audit riskRead… Read more »

Reforming the Procurement System

Over the last two weeks, three events have highlighted the need for fundamental reform of procurement processes, procedures, and regulations in order to deliver a more efficient and effective procurement system. On July 11th, Joe Jordan, Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, and Dan Tangherlini, Acting Administrator of the General Services Administrator, briefed the President’s ManagementRead… Read more »