Comments made recently by at least some members of the Section 809 DOD acquisition reform panel reflect skepticism that Government Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWAC’s) are in the best interest of DOD.  The comments, which were not specific to any specific GWAC program, are a further indication that the panel may recommend that DOD stop using any GWAC awarded by another agency.  Concern continues to turn on two key points:  1.  That it can take multiple years to establish a GWAC, tying up resources and potentially delaying acquisitions and 2. That pricing may not always be competitive.  Make no mistake, despite the fact that DOD could not possibly meet its missions without using GWAC’s, contractors need to engage the 809 panel on the benefits of these contracts and be prepared to defend their use should the panel’s final report make such a recommendation.  There may be more time to work with the panel as well.  Multiple sources have said that they expect the deadline for the panel’s report will be pushed back to 2019.  This gives industry, and people inside DOD who understand the value of GWAC’s, time to try and restore some common sense to the dialog.