Commercial Services Management Program

Overview

Competitive Sourcing is the process by which commercial-type activities that are currently performed by governmental agencies are evaluated, re-engineered for efficiency, and, where appropriate, are offered to the private sector for bidding on a competitive basis in order to ensure that customers, stakeholders, and citizens are provided services at the best possible value. Used judiciously, it can be one of the most effective tools for improving the Federal workforce. It is one of the five elements of the President's Management Agenda. Collectively, these five elements are designed to provide better service to the American citizen by improving how government works. Competitive Sourcing can be accomplished using OMB Circular A-76 methodologies but it is not synonymous with A-76. It is not about downsizing, streamlining, contracting out or cost-cutting.

This program is an initiative to look at the way business is being done in the federal government. This is not simply an exercise of studying functions or organizational units. It is not a matter of reorganizing an agency. The initiative given to management is to improve the delivery of its agency’s services and products to meet the goal of becoming more efficient and effective in terms of quality, timeliness and cost. This is the cornerstone of responsible Government - to prudently use its resources to do its work for the citizens of our country.

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Last updated: 11/06/07