15: Contracting Guidance
Issue contracting guidance and templates to support modular development Other Information:
Over the next year, OFPP will work with the acquisition and IT communities to develop guidance on contracting for modular
development. As part of this effort, OFPP will hold an open meeting with industry leaders to solicit ideas/feedback on contracting
for modular development. OFPP will develop templates and samples, and will create communities of practice to facilitate adoption
of modular contracting practices. This guidance will address a variety of factors that IT program managers as well as contracting
officers will need to consider as they plan for modular development efforts, such as whether to award to a single vendor or
multiple vendors; how to ensure that there is appropriate competition at various stages in the process; how broad or specific
the statements of work should be; when to use fixed-price contracts or rely on other pricing arrangements; and how to promote
opportunities for small business. As noted above, the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 provides a variety of flexibilities
for acquiring commercial items and for streamlining competition that will be reflected in the guidance to ensure IT program
managers and others are aware of existing authorities that can further support modular IT development. When evaluating acquisition
strategies, agencies will need to prioritize those solutions that promote short deadlines for deliverables (generally less
than three months), allow for responsiveness to rapidly evolving program and technical requirements, and facilitate a streamlined
award process. One innovative example is at the Department of Transportation (DOT), which has recently formed IT “Agility
Platforms” with contract vehicles in place that simplify how business owners can quickly access technology.
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