The article Overview of the Federal Procurement Process and Resources by Halchin (2006) delves into the aspect of the federal acquisition process, and to be specific, it explores the process of acquisition. According to the author, the basic acquisition process of the federal government typically involves the identification of the services and goods it requires. Therefore, the report expounds on some of the most common elements of the federal acquisition process and the types of resources that are utilized in that particular process.
The article also explains that the Federal Acquisition Regulation is the primary source of guidance and information on the procurement processes, and this particular document has 53 parts. For a firm to have the chance to compete for contracts from the federal government, they must satisfy three primary requirements, including (1) obtaining a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, which is usually a special nine-digit ID number that denotes the physical locations of the businesses, (2) registering with the database of the government’s Central Contractor Registry (CCR), and (3) completing an Online Representation and Certifications Applications (ORCA).
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The author also summarizes the acquisition process of the federal government. He states that the federal acquisition process commences after an agency determines its necessities and how to procure them. If the contracting officers of the agency approve that the suitable method to procure the services or goods is by contracting, and the amount stipulated in the contract is more than $25,000, the agency then publicizes a solicitation on the FedBizOpps website (Federal Business Opportunities). In a typical situation, a solicitation describes what the agency wants to purchase, provides directions for the potential sellers, identifies the method of source selection which will be utilized to evaluate different offers, and the solicitation also elucidates on the schedules and deadlines for the submitting the proposals or bids. After the deadline submission of offers by the various companies, the personnel evaluate the offers using the method of source selection as well as the criteria described in the solicitation.
The article also describes the resources that businesses have at their disposal. For instance, there are governmental resources, including the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the General Service Administration (GSA), Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP), and Small Business Administration (SBA). In regards to CRS, members of congress can request to have the page of CRS added to their websites. The GSA is the most common, especially in regards to contracting resources and opportunities, as the agency maintains several supply schedules. The MBDA promotes the competitiveness as well as the growth of minority business enterprises, regardless of size. The PTAP is available for assisting companies that market services and products to all federal agencies and local and state jurisdictions. Finally, the SBA offers several services and assistance to present and potential government contractors. It also provides counselling and training services. The second source of resources is non-governmental resources.
The analogy described in this article is similar to the s’more analogy in that the government decides to procure most of its services and goods by contracting in order to decrease the risks associated with doing the services or developing the products themselves. Therefore, the federal government creates a contract where different companies or organizations place their bids or proposals and thus, the best company that has the ideal requirements is chosen. This also ensures that companies compete for the contracts, thus enhancing innovation. The procurement process is an ideal situation because it not only enables small businesses to grow but it also significantly reduces the risks towards the federal government. Therefore, this is related to the Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction (TMRR) phase.
References
Halchin, L. E. (2006, November). Overview of the federal procurement process and resources. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
