"Myth-Busting"" Addressing Misconceptions to Improve Communication with Industry during the Acquisition Process

The purposes of this memorandum are to:

1) Identify common misconceptions about vendor engagement that may be unnecessarily hindering agencies’ appropriate use of the existing flexibilities, and provide facts and strategies to help acquisition professionals benefit from industry’s knowledge and insight;

2) Direct agencies to remove unnecessary barriers to reasonable communication and develop vendor communications plans, consistent with existing law and regulation, that promote responsible and constructive exchanges; and

3) Outline steps for continued engagement with agencies and industry to increase awareness and education.