Fulfilling the Promise of e-Gov Initiatives—Part II: the integration of federal acquisition processes has already improved services—and the near future looks even brighter

Public Manager, The, Winter, 2007 by Lisa Cliff, Judy Steele

ESRS has reduced government cost in terms of manpower and time while eliminating duplicate systems. More time is now spent on data analysis than on collection or input. It has improved the quality of subcontracting data by offering a single method and point of entry for all subcontracting reports, reducing manual errors and showing trends. Plans call for the integration of DoD into eSRS. FAR Case 2006-029 allows eSRS to provide subcontracting data to the new online database required under FFATA. ESRS currently contains more than 38,000 vendor report files and has more than 8,000 registered users.

ESRS received a commendation from the President's Management Council in an October 13, 2006, report, which stated that it has "introduced higher visibility and greater transparency into the process of gathering information on federal subcontracting accomplishments. This [I]nternet-based tool streamlines the process of reporting on subcontracting plans and provides agencies with access to analytical data on subcontracting performance."

Gazing into IAE's Crystal Ball

Technology is changing so rapidly that discerning where it is going is difficult, and ideas for the future of IAE and e-Gov are constantly evolving. Julie Basile, an e-Gov visionary at OFPP, recently developed a concept called "RapidAward," which would allow for emergency purchasing or purchases from remote offices from a handheld personal digital assistant (PDA) or telephone. This would allow contracting officers ordering emergency supplies or in the field to not just accomplish their tasks quickly and accurately, but to comply with regulations. Eventually, this concept could be used for most acquisitions.

Today's generation of young professionals get their information from their "critical tools": their phones and PDAs. As senior acquisition professionals retire (and more than half are eligible for retirement in the next five years), technological advancement and this technically sophisticated generation of business professionals will demand changes to outdated business processes. They will not put up with slow systems, cumbersome applications, hard-to-find regulations, or irrelevant guidance, nor should they.

Imagine a warfighter with a warrant and needing supplies in a deserted area with no access to computers or an office. A PDA offers all the tools needed to make a rapid award at the touch of a button: the Internet, an office platform, a directory of contractors, a calculator or notepad, and then the FAR, Defense FARs, and other regulations and a personal contract-writing system. The PDA will know the warfighter's identity by the login and the warrant limit from the Automated Contract Management Information System information. The contract-writing system can enter the contracting officer information; look up the contractor DUNS number and a draft request for quote, request for proposal, or invitation for bid; find a wage determination; and check the excluded parties list. The system inserts the contractor's DUNS number, completes the award data fields, enters negotiated price or cost, and contacts the contracting team members.