WHY DOES GSA ACT LIKE A 16 SEED?

Ok, so maybe it’s not quite time for the NCAA basketball tournament, but the question still remains: When competing against other agencies, why does GSA consistently act like a 16 seed? Using numbers released late last year by Bloomberg Government, total federal IDIQ spending was approximately $100 billion. GSA owns nearly half of that market, making it the largest IDIQ purveyor by far. The largest single IDIQ program, despite years of neglect, remains GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule program. GSA is the number one seed when it comes to IDIQ contracts. It’s the Kentucky/Duke/Carolina/UCLA of this government market sector.

 

Why, then, does it continually go to market with one hand tied behind its back? John Calipari would never allow that for his team. Neither should Dan Tangherlini. Tangherlini is concerned that the IT 70 Schedule can’t compete successfully against NASA SEWP or other contracts. Dan, in a bad year the IT Schedule does $13 billion more than SEWP. Imagine how well Schedule 70 would do if you dedicated some resources to it and made it clear to CO’s that you, and every other person in senior management, has their back when making sound business decisions. With faster additions of new items and less unnecessary paperwork, you’d waltz into the Final Four of IDIQ contracting leaving lower seeds in the dust.

 

Conversely, focusing on everything other than the MAS program will continue to erode GSA’s position as the IDIQ leader. If being the best IDIQ player in the league is important to GSA, more resources and better processes need to be implemented. Without adequate support and coaching, a number one seed might not even make it to the Sweet 16.