GSA Schedules ~ The Professional Services Schedule
As one of several initiatives to improve its professional services offerings, GSA announced in September of 2014 plans to merge a number of service related Schedules into the Professional Services Schedule (PSS).
Before the merger, there were 4,400 professional services GSA Schedule Contracts across 8 service areas. The scope of the various GSA Schedules frequently overlapped, which caused confusion about which multiple award schedule (MAS) was the best fit for a federal agency’s requirements and acquisition objectives as service acquisitions are increasingly complex and demand a total solution that may involve several different Schedule offerings.
Multiple MAS GSA Contracts for services also presented challenges for GSA’s industry partners as well, with many managing multiple MAS GSA Contracts. Before the merger, there were approximately 527 contractors who held more than one professional service contract. Their contracts were negotiated independently, managed independently, and audited independently costing both contractors and GSA scarce contract administration resources.
In order to more effectively administer the GSA Schedule Program and to combat declining budgets and increasing demands on the acquisition workforce, the PSS was created. With the merger of the service related GSA Schedules, GSA can achieve:
- Improved contract usability; agencies can obtain and contractors can provide total service solutions through one contract vehicle.
- Increased program efficiency by managing fewer contracts and solicitations.
- Reduced administrative costs to industry by reducing the number of contracts they manage.
- The elimination of the need to submit separate offers for professional services; firms would have the ability to submit a modification request instead – this equates to a substantial decrease in time required to add new services.
This migration of services GSA Schedules is the most significant change to the GSA Schedules Program in recent years and affects both prospective and existing GSA Schedule Contract holders for the following service schedules:
- Consolidated (00CORP)
- MOBIS (874)
- PES (871)
- FABS (520)
- AIMS (541)
- LOGWORLD (874V)
- Environmental (899)
- Language (738II)
On October 1, 2015, GSA officially launched the PSS. GSA is estimating a five year savings of $3.95 million with a sustained savings of $1.29 million annually thereafter. The single PSS is one of several FAS initiatives underway to ensure that GSA contracts meet the needs of the federal acquisition community as they work to help the government be more efficient and effective, while also reducing costs and redundancies.
For help with your GSA Professional Services Schedule please contact us