Insights

The Quintessential PR Package for an Extra Crazy Buying Season

Written by Patrick Shields | May 17, 2023 10:52:44 PM

This year, Government acquisition teams only have 6 months to award contracts in a financially responsible way before the end of the FY if they have 1-year funds. 6 months to do 12 months of work.  Smartly, many agencies have been performing market research and planning their acquisitions while they waited for the budget to pass March 15th. 

How do you as a Requirement Owner pull together your on-going efforts into a Purchase Requisition (PR) package that your boss will review and approve with ease for submission to your contracting office?  What is your Contracting Officer looking for that will cause your PR Package to rise to the top above jumbled, incomplete PR packages submitted by others? 

Here are the components of your PR Package with notes about the process that informs these components: 

  1. Market Research Report shares the findings from your Market Research. Check out our blog on The Streamlined Market Research Report (enlightenedsolutionssuite.com) that has a MRR template available 
  2. Source Restriction Justification, if applicable, following the conclusion of your Market Research.  Our use of the term, Source Restriction Justification, includes:   
    • Brand-name justifications (FAR 6.305, 13.105, and 13.501) 
    • Justifications limiting competition (FAR 6.305, 13.501, and 19.808) 
    • Limited Sources Justifications (FAR 8.405)
    •  Exceptions to the Fair Opportunity Process (FAR 16.505) 
  3. Statement of Need which can be in the form of a Statement of Objectives (SOO), Performance Work Statement (PWS), or Statement of Work (SOW) 
  4. Finalized Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE) which is informed by conducting Market Research that makes you aware of what is available in the market and pricing considerations   
  5. Source Selection Plan (Draft)
  6. Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) Nomination   
  7. Small Business Coordination Document within your agency, if applicable  
  8. Acquisition Plan – using agency-prescribed format based on dollar value or other criteria
  9. SBA Offering Letter if you are electing to do an 8(a) sole source as part of your Acquisition Planning. Per Kiya Perrin of the SBA, the SBA has a five-day working acceptance, so if an agency does not hear back within that time, they “have the right to move forward”.

Be sure to check with your agencies’ Acquisition Manual to see if other documents are required for PR packages within agency.  Hope this helps your PR packages smoothly sail through the procurement process during this especially crazy EOY.   

 

If your agency would like to see a demo of our Facilitated Intelligent Needs Development (FIND) App that helps PMs develop their PR packages from the beginning, contact us at demo@seventhsenseconsulting.com