Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program Continuous Open Season-Operational Change, 43084-43086 [2012-17882]
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43084
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 141 / Monday, July 23, 2012 / Notices
• Mail: General Services
Administration, Regulatory Secretariat
(MVCB), 1275 First Street NE.,
Washington, DC 20417. Attn: Hada
Flowers/IC 3090–0228,
Nondiscrimination in Federal Financial
Assistance Programs.
Instructions: Please submit comments
only and cite Information Collection
3090–0228, Nondiscrimination in
Federal Financial Assistance Programs,
in all correspondence related to this
collection. All comments received will
be posted without change to https://
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal and/or business confidential
information provided.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
A. Purpose
The General Services Administration
(GSA) has mission responsibilities
related to monitoring and enforcing
compliance with Federal civil rights
laws and regulations that apply to
Federal Financial Assistance programs
administered by GSA. Specifically,
those laws provide that no person on
the ground of race, color, national
origin, disability, sex or age shall be
excluded from participation in, be
denied the benefits of, or be otherwise
subjected to discrimination under any
program in connection with which
Federal financial assistance is extended
under laws administered in whole or in
part by GSA. These mission
responsibilities generate the
requirement to request and obtain
certain data from recipients of Federal
surplus property for the purpose of
determining compliance, such as the
number of individuals, based on race
and ethnic origin, of the recipient’s
eligible and actual serviced population;
race and national origin of those denied
participation in the recipient’s
program(s); non-English languages
encountered by the recipient’s
program(s) and how the recipient is
addressing meaningful access for
individuals that are Limited English
Proficient; whether there has been
complaints or lawsuits filed against the
recipient based on prohibited
discrimination and whether there has
been any findings; and whether the
recipient’s facilities are accessible to
qualified individuals with disabilities.
B. Annual Reporting Burden
Respondents: 1,200.
Responses per Respondent: 1.
Total Responses: 1200.
Hours per Response: 2.
Total Burden Hours: 2,400.
Obtaining Copies of Proposals:
Requesters may obtain a copy of the
information collection documents from
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:21 Jul 20, 2012
Jkt 226001
the General Services Administration,
Regulatory Secretariat (MVPR), 1275
First Street NE., Washington, DC 20417,
telephone (202) 501–4755. Please cite
OMB Control No. 3090–0228,
Nondiscrimination in Federal Financial
Assistance Programs, in all
correspondence.
Dated: July 9, 2012.
Casey Coleman,
Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012–17833 Filed 7–20–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–34–P
BILLING CODE 6820–27–P
[Notice–MG–2012–05; Docket 2012–0002;
Sequence 13]
Office of Federal High-Performance
Green Buildings; Federal Buildings
Personnel Training Act; Notification of
Release of Core Competencies and
Recommended Curriculum
Office of Federal HighPerformance Green Buildings, Office of
Governmentwide Policy, GSA.
ACTION: Notice of release of core
competencies and recommended
curriculum.
AGENCY:
The General Services
Administration, Office of
Governmentwide Policy, is providing
notification of the release of the core
competencies and recommended
curriculum for Federal personnel
involved in facilties operations and
management.
DATES: July 23, 2012.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
John Simpson, Program Manager,
Federal Buildings Personnel Training
Act, Office of Federal High-Performance
Green Buildings, Office of
Governmentwide Policy, General
Services Administration, 1275 First
Street NE., Room 634, Washington, DC
20417; telephone at 951–302–4463, or
via email at john.simpson@gsa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Core
Competencies and the Curriculum are
available for download from the Office
of Federal High-Performance Green
Building Web site Library at—https://
www.gsa.gov/portal/content/117699.
The Facilities Management Institute,
FMI.innovations.gov (available 08/01/
2012), is a public facing ‘‘cloud
institute’’ developed to implement the
requirements of the Federal Buildings
Personnel Training Act of 2010 (Pub. L.
111–308). It has been structured to
embody the principles of transparency,
participation and collaboration. No
membership will be required for
PO 00000
Frm 00040
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Dated: June 21, 2012.
John C. Thomas,
Deputy Director, Office of Committee and
Regulatory Management, Office of
Governmentwide Policy, General Services
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012–17916 Filed 7–20–12; 8:45 am]
GENERAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION
SUMMARY:
FMI.innovations.gov (available 08/01/
2012), an open site where the public,
Federal agencies, professional societies,
industry associations, apprenticeship
training providers and academic
institutions will come together to
collaborate on every aspect of reducing
the cost of the Federal Government
while increasing its productivity.
GENERAL SERVICES
ADMINISTRATION
[Notice–QDA–2012–01; Docket No. 2012–
0002; Sequence 17]
Multiple Award Schedule (MAS)
Program Continuous Open SeasonOperational Change
AGENCY:
Federal Acquisition Service,
GSA.
Notice with a request for
comments.
ACTION:
The General Services
Administration (GSA), Federal
Acquisition Service (FAS) intends to
institute a Demand Based Model (DBM)
designed to assess and improve the
performance of the Multiple Award
Schedule (MAS) contracts operated by
GSA. GSA is proposing this operational
change to enhance the performance of
and modernize the MAS program in
three key program areas: Small business
viability, operational efficiency, and
cost control. The DBM will realign
suppliers under the MAS program with
current Federal marketplace demands.
This will result in directing suppliers,
including small businesses, to where
government procurement needs are;
thereby having a supplier base more
focused on providing innovative
solutions to address the procurement
needs of the government, especially
under these current fiscal challenges.
Operational efficiencies and cost control
thus realized will restore and maintain
the MAS program’s value to Federal
agencies as a streamlined acquisition
vehicle through reduction in duplicative
contracts, better contract administration
support by GSA as well as other
increased levels of customer support
from GSA. Additionally, DBM is
intended to benefit participating
members of industry, including small
businesses, by improving processing
time for awards, modifications and
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\23JYN1.SGM
23JYN1
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 141 / Monday, July 23, 2012 / Notices
contract options, and improving
supplier relationship management.
Implementing the DBM will allow GSA
and suppliers to focus on the ongoing
modernization of the Schedules aimed
at adding innovative solutions,
improving pricing and simplifying the
buying experience.
DATES: This change in operations will
become effective September 21, 2012.
Comment Date: Interested parties
should submit written comments to the
Regulatory Secretariat at one of the
addressees shown below on or before
August 22, 2012. This will allow GSA
sufficient time to consider the
comments prior to the effective date of
this notice.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments in
response to Notice—QDA–2012–01 by
any of the following methods:
• Regulations.gov: https://
www.regulations.gov. Submit comments
via the Federal eRulemaking portal by
searching for ‘‘Notice–QDA–2012–01’’.
Select the link ‘‘Submit a Comment’’
that corresponds with ‘‘Notice–QDA–
2012–01.’’ Follow the instructions
provided at the ‘‘Submit a Comment’’
screen. Please include your name,
company name (if any), and ‘‘Notice–
QDA–2012–01’’ on your attached
document.
• Fax: (202) 501–4067.
• Mail: General Services
Administration, Regulatory Secretariat
(MVCB), Attn: Hada Flowers, 1275 First
Street NE., 7th Floor, Washington, DC
20417.
Instructions: Please submit comments
only and cite Notice–QDA–2012–01, in
all correspondence related to this case.
All comments received will be posted
without change to https://
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal and/or business confidential
information provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs.
Angela Lehman, telephone 703–605–
9541, email
DemandBasedModel@gsa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Over the
last 20 years, the MAS program has
expanded to encompass 31 Schedules
with over 19,000 federal contractors and
generally, has operated under
continuous open solicitations or
‘‘seasons’’ to receive new offers.
Additional information about the MAS
program is available at www.gsa.gov/
schedules.
Over time certain offerings and
suppliers under the MAS program have
not aligned with the procurement needs
of the government. FAS projects that
well over 50 percent of the MAS
contracts awarded in 2011 will not have
significant sales, and FAS will spend
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:21 Jul 20, 2012
Jkt 226001
millions of dollars to support and
manage such low/no sales contracts.
Additionally, the Government estimates
that industry incurs significant costs in
applying for and maintaining Schedules
contracts.
To mitigate the costs and burdens
associated with the current process
while maintaining the benefits of a
program that facilitates easy access to
cost-effective competitive small and
large businesses, FAS is proposing to
modify its current practice of a
continuous open season for all
Schedules to a practice whereby the
Schedules will be individually assessed
to determine whether a continuous open
season should continue or whether one
of the variations described below would
be suitable.
GSA’s plan for moving to a demand
based model is built around careful
analysis before any action is taken and
continually monitoring the
government’s procurement demands.
The tentative plan, which GSA seeks
comment on before finalizing, includes
the following steps:
1. GSA will assess each Special Item
Number (SIN) level requirements from
the standpoint of Federal demand,
existing sources, sales performance
under existing contracts, changing
market dynamics, socio-economic
considerations, and other available data.
2. Based on the assessment, GSA
would determine whether to maintain a
continuous open season for an entire
Schedule, maintain a continuous open
season for only certain SINs on a
particular Schedule, or close the
Schedule or certain SINs on the
Schedule on a temporary basis to new
offers.
3. GSA would publish its decision
with regard to the affected Schedule or
SIN, in FedBizOpps. This might
include, without limitation; maintaining
a continuous open season for the
Schedule or SIN; a temporary closure of
the Schedule or SIN; temporarily reopening after a decision to close the
Schedule or SIN temporarily; merging
the Schedule or SIN into one or more
other Schedules or SINs; or the
cancellation of the Schedule or SINs.
4. Each temporary closure of a
Schedule or SIN would be published in
FedBizOpps no fewer than 30 days prior
to the effective date of the temporary
closure. During the interim period, new
offers for Schedule contracts and
modification requests to add SINs to
existing contracts would be received
and processed in the usual manner. No
new offers would be accepted after the
effective date of the temporary closure,
except, contract holders may, during or
after the last year of their third contract
PO 00000
Frm 00041
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
43085
option period, submit an offer for a new
contract.
5. For any Schedule or SIN that is
closed temporarily, the Schedule or SIN
would be assessed periodically and
would re-open (via an open season) at
least once every 3 years. The open
season would be published in
FedBizOpps effective immediately upon
publication. In case of cancellation or
merger of a Schedule or SIN, affected
MAS solicitations would be amended
(refreshed), and affected contracts
would be cancelled or modified
accordingly.
The DBM is not intended to affect
contracts or orders awarded prior to a
temporary closure. Holders of valid
contracts under Schedules or SINs that
were open when the contract was
awarded but which are later closed
temporarily under DBM would continue
to be able to seek, accept, and perform
orders through the end of their
contract’s current period of
performance. Decisions on whether to
exercise any remaining option periods
on such contracts would be made in the
usual manner.
This measured approach will create a
more effective environment for
managing the Schedules Program. It will
also create a healthier business
environment for current and prospective
suppliers. Combined with tools such as
order set-asides, authorized by section
1331 of the Small Business Jobs Act, the
Schedules Program should be even more
successful in meeting its obligation to
maximize opportunities for its small
business partners and is fully
committed to providing them with the
help they need to win work.
GSA is seeking comments, especially
from small businesses. Detailed and
comprehensive responses are
appreciated to ensure that GSA fully
understands the comments. GSA
encourages comments that address
specific operational implementation
recommendations and responses to the
specific questions below:
1. There are a wide range of
considerations GSA should employ in
determining whether additional
capacity is needed on a certain Special
Item Number (SIN). This includes
considerations such as number of
contracts, sales trends, average sales per
contractor, geography, socio-economic
status on the SIN, degree of innovation
in the industry, and views from other
Federal Agencies. What else should
GSA consider in making this decision?
2. How much advance notice should
GSA provide before making a decision
for temporary closure? What business
factors drive the amount of notice
needed?
E:\FR\FM\23JYN1.SGM
23JYN1
43086
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 141 / Monday, July 23, 2012 / Notices
3. Once GSA makes an announcement
for temporary closure, there is potential
for a high number of new offers before
the effective date of the temporary
closure. It is highly likely that nearly all
of these offers will not generate
business. What should GSA do with
offers received in this window?
4. To help industry best plan, should
GSA’s reassessment be conducted
annually, every two years, or every three
years? What actions can GSA take to
assist industry with planning? For
example, is it better to know with
certainty when a schedule or SIN will
reopen even if that means the duration
of closure is longer, or is it better for
GSA to take a shorter term view of the
question?
5. Currently, over 50 percent of
schedule contracts will not meet the
sales retention criteria. Is reducing this
percentage to 30 percent an
appropriately aggressive interim goal?
6. Are there other considerations on
how to ensure minimum impact to
industry with the implementation?
Dated: July 18, 2012.
Houston Taylor,
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Acquisition
Management, Federal Acquisition Service,
General Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012–17882 Filed 7–20–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820–89–P
gov, or call the Reports Clearance Office
on (202) 690–6162. Written comments
and recommendations for the proposed
[Document Identifier OS–0937–0166]
information collections must be directed
to the OS Paperwork Clearance Officer
Agency Information Collection
at the above email address within 60
Request; 60-Day Public Comment
days.
Request
Proposed Project: Title: HHS 42 CFR
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HHS.
subpart B; Sterilization of Persons in
In compliance with the requirement
Federally Assisted Family Planning
of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the
Projects—OMB No. 0937–0166—
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
Extension—OPHS, Office of Population
Office of the Secretary (OS), Department Affairs—Office of Family Planning.
of Health and Human Services, is
Abstract: This is a request for
publishing the following summary of a
proposed information collection request extension of a currently approved
collection for the disclosure and recordfor public comment. Interested persons
keeping requirements codified at 42
are invited to send comments regarding
this burden estimate or any other aspect CFR part 50, subpart B (‘‘Sterilization of
Persons in Federally Assisted Family
of this collection of information,
Planning Projects’’). The consent form
including any of the following subjects:
solicits information to assure voluntary
(1) The necessity and utility of the
and informed consent to persons
proposed information collection for the
undergoing sterilization in programs of
proper performance of the agency’s
health services which are supported by
functions; (2) the accuracy of the
federal financial assistance
estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance
administered by the PHS. It provides
the quality, utility, and clarity of the
additional procedural protection to the
information to be collected; and (4) the
individual and the regulation requires
use of automated collection techniques
that the consent form be a copy of the
or other forms of information
technology to minimize the information form that is appended to the PHS
regulation. In 2003, the PHS
collection burden.
sterilization consent form was revised to
To obtain copies of the supporting
conform to OMB government-wide
statement and any related forms for the
standards for the collection of race/
proposed paperwork collections
ethnicity data and to incorporate the
referenced above, email your request,
PRA burden statement as part of the
including your address, phone number,
consent form. There are no revisions to
OMB number, and OS document
identifier, to sherette.funncoleman@hhs. the form.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
ESTIMATED ANNUALIZED BURDEN TABLE
Forms (if necessary)
Type of respondent
Number of
respondents
Number of
responses per
respondent
Average
burden hours
per response
Total burden
hours
100,000 .............................................
citizen seeking sterilization ..............
100,000
1
15/60
25,000
Keith A. Tucker,
Paperwork Reduction Act Reports Clearance
Officer, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012–17790 Filed 7–20–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4150–34–P
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Solicitation of Written Comments on
Draft Phase 3 Long-Term Care
Facilities Strategy/Module for Inclusion
in the National Action Plan To Prevent
Healthcare-Associated Infections:
Roadmap to Elimination
Department of Health and
Human Services, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Health, Office of
Healthcare Quality.
AGENCY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
19:21 Jul 20, 2012
Jkt 226001
ACTION:
Notice.
The Office of Healthcare
Quality is soliciting public comment on
a new long-term care facilities strategy/
module of the National Action Plan to
Prevent Healthcare-Associated
Infections: Roadmap to Elimination. To
further the HHS mission to protect the
health and well-being of the nation, the
HHS Steering Committee for the
Prevention of Healthcare-Associated
Infections has developed a draft
comprehensive strategy for preventing
and reducing healthcare-associated
infections in long-term care facilities.
This Phase 3 Long-Term Care Facilities
module builds upon and is to be
included in the existing National Action
Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00042
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Infections: Roadmap to Elimination that
focuses on reducing healthcareassociated infections (HAIs) in acute
care hospitals, ambulatory surgical
centers, and end stage renal disease
facilities and presents strategies for
increasing healthcare personnel
influenza vaccination coverage (Phases
1 & 2).
DATES: Comments on the draft Phase 3
Long-Term Care Facilities module
should be received no later than 5:00
p.m. Eastern daylight saving time on
August 22, 2012.
ADDRESSES: The draft Phase 3 LongTerm Care Facilities module can be
found at https://www.hhs.gov/ash/
initiatives/hai/actionplan/
index.html#tier3. Comments are
preferred electronically and may be
E:\FR\FM\23JYN1.SGM
23JYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 141 (Monday, July 23, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43084-43086]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-17882]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
[Notice-QDA-2012-01; Docket No. 2012-0002; Sequence 17]
Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Program Continuous Open Season-
Operational Change
AGENCY: Federal Acquisition Service, GSA.
ACTION: Notice with a request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Acquisition
Service (FAS) intends to institute a Demand Based Model (DBM) designed
to assess and improve the performance of the Multiple Award Schedule
(MAS) contracts operated by GSA. GSA is proposing this operational
change to enhance the performance of and modernize the MAS program in
three key program areas: Small business viability, operational
efficiency, and cost control. The DBM will realign suppliers under the
MAS program with current Federal marketplace demands. This will result
in directing suppliers, including small businesses, to where government
procurement needs are; thereby having a supplier base more focused on
providing innovative solutions to address the procurement needs of the
government, especially under these current fiscal challenges.
Operational efficiencies and cost control thus realized will restore
and maintain the MAS program's value to Federal agencies as a
streamlined acquisition vehicle through reduction in duplicative
contracts, better contract administration support by GSA as well as
other increased levels of customer support from GSA. Additionally, DBM
is intended to benefit participating members of industry, including
small businesses, by improving processing time for awards,
modifications and
[[Page 43085]]
contract options, and improving supplier relationship management.
Implementing the DBM will allow GSA and suppliers to focus on the
ongoing modernization of the Schedules aimed at adding innovative
solutions, improving pricing and simplifying the buying experience.
DATES: This change in operations will become effective September 21,
2012.
Comment Date: Interested parties should submit written comments to
the Regulatory Secretariat at one of the addressees shown below on or
before August 22, 2012. This will allow GSA sufficient time to consider
the comments prior to the effective date of this notice.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments in response to Notice--QDA-2012-01 by any of
the following methods:
Regulations.gov: https://www.regulations.gov. Submit
comments via the Federal eRulemaking portal by searching for ``Notice-
QDA-2012-01''. Select the link ``Submit a Comment'' that corresponds
with ``Notice-QDA-2012-01.'' Follow the instructions provided at the
``Submit a Comment'' screen. Please include your name, company name (if
any), and ``Notice-QDA-2012-01'' on your attached document.
Fax: (202) 501-4067.
Mail: General Services Administration, Regulatory
Secretariat (MVCB), Attn: Hada Flowers, 1275 First Street NE., 7th
Floor, Washington, DC 20417.
Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite Notice-QDA-2012-
01, in all correspondence related to this case. All comments received
will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including
any personal and/or business confidential information provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mrs. Angela Lehman, telephone 703-605-
9541, email DemandBasedModel@gsa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Over the last 20 years, the MAS program has
expanded to encompass 31 Schedules with over 19,000 federal contractors
and generally, has operated under continuous open solicitations or
``seasons'' to receive new offers. Additional information about the MAS
program is available at www.gsa.gov/schedules.
Over time certain offerings and suppliers under the MAS program
have not aligned with the procurement needs of the government. FAS
projects that well over 50 percent of the MAS contracts awarded in 2011
will not have significant sales, and FAS will spend millions of dollars
to support and manage such low/no sales contracts. Additionally, the
Government estimates that industry incurs significant costs in applying
for and maintaining Schedules contracts.
To mitigate the costs and burdens associated with the current
process while maintaining the benefits of a program that facilitates
easy access to cost-effective competitive small and large businesses,
FAS is proposing to modify its current practice of a continuous open
season for all Schedules to a practice whereby the Schedules will be
individually assessed to determine whether a continuous open season
should continue or whether one of the variations described below would
be suitable.
GSA's plan for moving to a demand based model is built around
careful analysis before any action is taken and continually monitoring
the government's procurement demands. The tentative plan, which GSA
seeks comment on before finalizing, includes the following steps:
1. GSA will assess each Special Item Number (SIN) level
requirements from the standpoint of Federal demand, existing sources,
sales performance under existing contracts, changing market dynamics,
socio-economic considerations, and other available data.
2. Based on the assessment, GSA would determine whether to maintain
a continuous open season for an entire Schedule, maintain a continuous
open season for only certain SINs on a particular Schedule, or close
the Schedule or certain SINs on the Schedule on a temporary basis to
new offers.
3. GSA would publish its decision with regard to the affected
Schedule or SIN, in FedBizOpps. This might include, without limitation;
maintaining a continuous open season for the Schedule or SIN; a
temporary closure of the Schedule or SIN; temporarily re-opening after
a decision to close the Schedule or SIN temporarily; merging the
Schedule or SIN into one or more other Schedules or SINs; or the
cancellation of the Schedule or SINs.
4. Each temporary closure of a Schedule or SIN would be published
in FedBizOpps no fewer than 30 days prior to the effective date of the
temporary closure. During the interim period, new offers for Schedule
contracts and modification requests to add SINs to existing contracts
would be received and processed in the usual manner. No new offers
would be accepted after the effective date of the temporary closure,
except, contract holders may, during or after the last year of their
third contract option period, submit an offer for a new contract.
5. For any Schedule or SIN that is closed temporarily, the Schedule
or SIN would be assessed periodically and would re-open (via an open
season) at least once every 3 years. The open season would be published
in FedBizOpps effective immediately upon publication. In case of
cancellation or merger of a Schedule or SIN, affected MAS solicitations
would be amended (refreshed), and affected contracts would be cancelled
or modified accordingly.
The DBM is not intended to affect contracts or orders awarded prior
to a temporary closure. Holders of valid contracts under Schedules or
SINs that were open when the contract was awarded but which are later
closed temporarily under DBM would continue to be able to seek, accept,
and perform orders through the end of their contract's current period
of performance. Decisions on whether to exercise any remaining option
periods on such contracts would be made in the usual manner.
This measured approach will create a more effective environment for
managing the Schedules Program. It will also create a healthier
business environment for current and prospective suppliers. Combined
with tools such as order set-asides, authorized by section 1331 of the
Small Business Jobs Act, the Schedules Program should be even more
successful in meeting its obligation to maximize opportunities for its
small business partners and is fully committed to providing them with
the help they need to win work.
GSA is seeking comments, especially from small businesses. Detailed
and comprehensive responses are appreciated to ensure that GSA fully
understands the comments. GSA encourages comments that address specific
operational implementation recommendations and responses to the
specific questions below:
1. There are a wide range of considerations GSA should employ in
determining whether additional capacity is needed on a certain Special
Item Number (SIN). This includes considerations such as number of
contracts, sales trends, average sales per contractor, geography,
socio-economic status on the SIN, degree of innovation in the industry,
and views from other Federal Agencies. What else should GSA consider in
making this decision?
2. How much advance notice should GSA provide before making a
decision for temporary closure? What business factors drive the amount
of notice needed?
[[Page 43086]]
3. Once GSA makes an announcement for temporary closure, there is
potential for a high number of new offers before the effective date of
the temporary closure. It is highly likely that nearly all of these
offers will not generate business. What should GSA do with offers
received in this window?
4. To help industry best plan, should GSA's reassessment be
conducted annually, every two years, or every three years? What actions
can GSA take to assist industry with planning? For example, is it
better to know with certainty when a schedule or SIN will reopen even
if that means the duration of closure is longer, or is it better for
GSA to take a shorter term view of the question?
5. Currently, over 50 percent of schedule contracts will not meet
the sales retention criteria. Is reducing this percentage to 30 percent
an appropriately aggressive interim goal?
6. Are there other considerations on how to ensure minimum impact
to industry with the implementation?
Dated: July 18, 2012.
Houston Taylor,
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Acquisition Management, Federal
Acquisition Service, General Services Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-17882 Filed 7-20-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6820-89-P