Federal government contracting officers: Take a fresh look at GSA schedules

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Federal government contracting officers: Take a fresh look at GSA schedules

To be a successful Contracting Officer (CO), you must have the skills to quickly acquire quality products, services, and solutions at a best-value price.

June 21, 2019 9:37 am

2 min read

This content is provided by the General Services Administration.

FAR Compliance

To be a successful Contracting Officer (CO), you must have the skills to quickly acquire quality products, services, and solutions at a best-value price. Your agency’s mission depends on it. Unlike the private sector, COs must be in complete compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR). The entire process—from Market Research to Post-Award—must be followed perfectly or the entire buy is in jeopardy.

Using the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Multiple Award Schedules helps make procurement easy and efficient. GSA Schedules have been around for almost three decades. Over the years, GSA Schedules has continued to modernize our approach to acquisition and help bring the latest commercial goods and services to the Federal marketplace, while maintaining compliance with the FAR.

Download the MAS Desk Reference Guide for Detailed Guidance

Market Access

With GSA Schedules, government buyers have access to more than 11,000 pre-vetted supplies and services that offer volume discount pricing.

GSA evaluates and validates potential contractor financials, catalogues, price lists, brochures, organization charts, and past performance client references – so you don’t have to. Contractors on the Schedule also agree to provide their “most favored” customer price, ensuring that your agency gets a good value when using Schedules.

GSA Advantage provides easy market research, statement of work and statement of objectives templates, as well as acquisition support. Expert online support is also available via live chat or via phone (800-488-3111) whenever questions arise.

Flexibility

To further streamline the procurement process, GSA’s new Order Level Materials (OLM) procedure enables miscellaneous supplies and/or services acquired in direct support of an individual task or delivery order to be placed against a Schedule contract or Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA).

Since OLMs are identified and acquired at the order level, the ordering contracting officer (OCO) is responsible for making a fair and reasonable price determination for all OLMs.

OLMs are procured under a special ordering procedure that simplifies the process for acquiring supplies and services necessary to support individual task or delivery orders placed against a Schedule contract or BPA.

Using this new procedure, ancillary supplies and services not known at the time of the Schedule award may be included and priced at the order level. GSA provides training to COs on using Schedules and other GSA vehicles, including how to take advantage of OLM.

If you are not actively using GSA Schedules to meet your agency’s procurement needs, it’s time to take a fresh look.

Desk Reference Guide

Click here to download the Desk Reference guide

and learn how OLMs can make buying simple.