NITAAC IAC Meeting

 

Bldg. 6011 Executive Blvd.

Conference Room 605K

Wednesday, July 28, 2004 

1:30 P.M. - 3:00PM

 

Attendees:

 

Mr. David R. Ramos, NIH

Mr. Victor E. Powers, NIH

Mr. Greg Holliday, NIH

Mr. Donald Wilson, NIH

Mr. Rusty Wall, CSC

Mr. Howard Ady, Bearing Point

Ms. Esther Burgess, SI International

Mr. Robert Montgomery, Argosy Omnimedia, Inc.

 

Agenda Items:

 

  1. IAC Committee and Subcommittee Membership. 

 

Ms. Esther Burgess, IAC Co-chair, raised the issue of internal company transfers of IAC committee members and subcommittee members to work duties not involving NITAAC Contract vehicles without providing committee replacements.  She noted that this company practice has resulted in a shortfall in IAC membership. After much discussion, NITAAC Executive Director, Dave Ramos recommended that this topic be the subject of a future meeting – perhaps on September 16th - to discuss the overall charter, IAC membership, and subcommittees.  It was generally agreed that when companies make changes, the replacement personnel assigned should be asked to assume the IAC-related responsibilities as well as the direct contract-related duties.

 

  1. Share-in-Savings Initiative by GSA

 

The IAC discussed the GSA initiative and associated contract vehicles mentioned in a recent article pertaining to share-in –savings. Greg Holliday, the CIO-SP2i contracting officer described, for the committee, the features of Cost Sharing currently available to users of the CIO-SP2i contract vehicle.  To date, no customers have used this contract type.  The committee discussed that it is possible that some customers might consider using Share in Savings (currently Share in Savings is not a contract type recognized by the FAR.  Efforts are underway to modify the FAR). 

 

It was generally agreed that the time might be right for NITAAC to flesh out the associated procedures for Government customers to follow in order to procure support using the Cost Sharing contract type and emphasize on the NITAAC web site that this contract type has always been available on CIO-SP2i via NITAAC.

 

  1. Information Security/Infrastructure Protection Contract Vehicle

 

The IAC discussed that GSA is examining alternatives in order to resolve and accommodate the contract vehicle vacuum that developed when it chose to allow the Safeguard Information Security contracting vehicle to expire without replacement.  It was generally agreed that NITAAC should consider advertising to its customers that the

CIO-SP2i Contract vehicle has the scope and capability to provide all the same services that were lost with the expiration of GSA’s Safeguard vehicle, and, as a result, Government customers should consider the use of NITAAC contract vehicles.

 

  1. GSA Get is Right! Program

 

In July 2004, GSA’s Administrator Mr. Perry and the DoD Procurement Executive,

Ms. Deidre Lee kicked-off the GSA “Get it Right” Program to address procedural lapses and issues within GSA’s and DoD contracting processes.  The areas of issue for the organizations involved DoD’s use of GSA schedules and GWACs. The specific issues have been widely reported in the press and are also the subject of draft legislation including proposed legislation to strictly limit any DoD use of GSA’s contract vehicles. DoD is also considering internal procedures to limit the use of non-DoD vehicles.

 

This issue was raised in the IAC because several members believed that NITAAC should take the opportunity to address Ms Lee at DoD and advise her that the NITAAC vehicles remain available to DoD, and that NITAAC continues to get it right.  No new initiative is necessary.  One member estimated that DoD has placed over $1B in orders on the

CIO-SP2i contract alone in the last 3 years and that the NITAAC GWAC vehicles remain a valuable resource for DoD.  Mr. Powers indicated that he and NITAAC have worked closely with Ms Lee concerning various initiatives.  Mr. Powers related that he had worked with Ms. Lee when she was the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, OMB.  As a result, NITAAC agreed that they would investigate getting on her calendar. Mr. Powers related that ongoing dialogue with her and her office would be beneficial.  Ms. Lee has been NITAAC’s guest at briefings on the program and ordering system capabilities within the past couple of years.

 

  1. GAO Decision Concerning Two-Step Procurement Process Used on TIPPS II

 

Mr. Victor Powers informed the IAC that as a result of GAO Decision B302499, NITAAC has undertaken a close examination of the two-step Fair Opportunity process.  It was NITAAC’s initial reaction that certain procedures might either have to be modified or be more clearly explained in accordance with FAR for this procedure to be continued on agency GWACs.  NITAAC stated that at some point they might seek the opinions of

CIO-SP2i Prime contractors for their views of the impact of this GAO decision.

 

 

  1. Contract Performance Statistics

 

The chart below details the current awards for the NITAAC GWACs.  The contracting officers discussed the current statistics (awards and dollars from contract inception) during the IAC meeting.

 

NITAAC GWACs

 

Contract Name

No. of Awards

Total Dollars Awarded

CIO-SP2i

TOs

301

$826M

IW2nd           

TOs

33

$19M

DOs

326

$45M

ECS III

DOs

28,415

$644M

 

 

The meeting adjourned.

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