In a business environment where the government is expected to do more with less, the strategic sourcing process has become a resourceful approach in helping agencies reduce spending and clearly define requirements while also improving mission delivery. Strategic sourcing can be defined as a standard and formal process that incorporates rigorous analytics, tools and techniques …
Category Archives: Acquisition Management
What We’re Thankful For at Integrity
We took a pause from our normal hectic workday schedules to gather here at our headquarters for a potluck Thanksgiving lunch. It was nice to slow down, enjoy a meal together and talk about peoples’ families, holiday plans and traditions. It is the people, after all, who make our company and any company succeed. We …
Widening the Aperture of Acquisition & the Acquisition Team
Today’s fiscally constrained environment is being felt in many places, including acquisition. The Federal Government spends billions to execute its missions through acquisitions. After talking with one of my colleagues about the impact on the acquisition discipline, she astutely said “though resources may be narrowing, the way you approach acquisition shouldn’t”. In fact, to face …
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Avoid Risk by Using Solicitation/Contract Templates
Imagine this scenario. Your acquisition lead time is quickly slipping. Time is running short to develop your solicitation documents, which could jeopardize meeting the target project completion date. What do you do? It’s likely that you don’t start entirely from scratch on a completely blank page. Do you pull the last electronic version of the …
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Successfully Quarterbacking Government Contract Closeout Files
Imagine a college football game day – large crowds of fans, student colors, marching bands, and the cacophony of noise. Once the last touchdown is scored and the crowds leave, the crew that remains behind has the important job of ensuring things are brought to a close and all is in place. Representatives who contribute …
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What Elements of BBP 2.0 are Important to IT Programs and Why?
As we move further into an unprecedented era of tighter budgets and post war downsizing, it makes sense to implement Better Buying Power 2.0, the directive published by Frank Kendall, Undersecretary for Acquisition at the Department of Defense (DoD), in April 2013. Bottom line – if you are a program under Acquisition Technology &Logistics (AT&L), …
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Does Your Organization’s Roadmap Have Enough Intersections?
In this time of tight budgets and mandates to do more or the same with less, the need for innovation is greater than ever. This is the case wherever you add value to your organization, including acquisition. Frans Johansson, author of The Medici Effect, talks about intersections as “the place that ideas from different groups …
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Three MORE Things to Consider When Choosing Contract Types
The original implementation of DoD’s “Better Buying Power” initiative heavily promoted the use of Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract types. Many federal agencies adopted this approach with the intent to control costs and limit the Government’s risk exposure on acquisitions. This does not remove risk from the acquisition itself, and may not even reduce it. …
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Bright Spots in Government: VA Acquisition Academy’s Program Management Fellows Initiative
Integrity Management Consulting and GovLoop are proud to present a 12-part series called “Conscientious Contracting: A Thoughtful Approach to Acquisition and Program Management,” that aims to address common challenges and achieve new efficiencies in government procurement. Integrity Matters will bring you occasional posts written by GovLoop’s Andrew Krzmarzick, featuring the expertise of Integrity subject matter experts and other professionals in acquisition. …
PSC President: Six Ideas for the Future of Federal Sector Training
Lately it may seem like training in the Federal sector is under fire. From last year’s post-GSA clampdown on travel, to this year’s sequestration-driven furloughs and budget cuts that leave less time and money, training is often moving to the bottom of the priority list. But should it? Most front-line folks would say no. …
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