Procurement and Travel are not usually handled by the same types of offices. Yet they need to come together when trying to procure either Travel Management Services or an E-Gov Travel System. The travel teams are the functional experts that can identify the needs of the agencies and what the specific requirements will be. The contracting officer can counsel on the complicated procurement processes and ensure all steps are accurately followed. The request for information stage and drafting the unambiguous requirements can be one of the most difficult steps. If you miss something that may be vital to your agency, it may be defined as out of scope later in the process and require modification. In an effort to avoid costly mistakes, involve as many subject matter experts as possible to review the solicitation documentation.
A preferred practice would be to have the lead member of the team take Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) training at the beginning of the process instead of after the contract is awarded. This training advises employees of the pitfalls and special requirements when participating in the solicitation process. Determining evaluation factors and how to rate the vendors is a tough practice, but usually provides a valuable return on investment. Make sure to call and ask questions of several references. Even after the decision is made and the vendor is selected, the work of monitoring the contract has just begun. A well thought out quality assurance surveillance plan should be established at contract award; so both vendor and the Government know what is expected.
by Jaqueline Lynch
The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.