As noted in the 25-Point Implementation Plan to Reform Federal Information Technology Management, the Federal Government benefits greatly when there is broad engagement with industry before an IT project is initiated. Inexpensive yet efficient solutions for this kind of engagement can and should be used by all agencies to tap the understanding and market knowledge of our industry partners, especially in the period prior to issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP). GSA has taken a key step in encouraging this kind of engagement, announcing a draft Statement of Work (SOW) on a government-wide, online, interactive wiki platform to solicit comments during the pre-RFP stage for the Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative (FSSI) Wireless acquisition.

The platform provides a forum for questions and commentary, prior to final release of the document. The draft SOW is available at https://betterbuy.fas.gsa.gov. the Federal Government benefits greatly when there is broad engagement with industry before an IT project is initiated. Inexpensive yet efficient solutions for this kind of engagement can and should be used by all agencies to tap the understanding and market knowledge of our industry partners, especially in the period prior to issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP). GSA has taken a key step in encouraging this kind of engagement, announcing a draft Statement of Work (SOW) on a government-wide, online, interactive wiki platform to solicit comments during the pre-RFP stage for the Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative (FSSI) Wireless acquisition.

OMB encourages collaboration opportunities; increased effective communication with industry at critical points, early in the IT acquisition process, will help clarify requirements to reduce costs and help agencies achieve better results.