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CLARIFICATION: OASIS AND OASIS SB ARE NOT IT CONTRACTS! - Oct 22, 2012

Submitted by OASIS Blogger on Monday, October 22, 2012 - 9:26 AM

Hello to the OASIS community, We’d like to continue to get the message out there on what OASIS and OASIS SB are and how they work. Some have characterized OASIS as GSA's next IT vehicle; however, that’s not the case.  As I have said in other blogs and forums, OASIS is not an IT contract. OASIS is not a GWAC.  A GWAC contract is for IT services based requirements.  OASIS and OASIS SB are for professional services based requirements.  This is a very important distinction.  Using GSA's Alliant and Alliant SB GWACs as an example, professional services may be performed on Alliant and Alliant SB as ancillary support. Unless the professional services ancillary support is integral and necessary to an IT services based requirement, professional services support may not be provided on Alliant or Alliant SB.  Similarly, IT services may be performed on OASIS or OASIS SB as ancillary support. Unless the IT ancillary support is integral and necessary to a professional services based requirement, IT ancillary support may not be provided on OASIS or OASIS SB.  

We sincerely hope this clarifies the matter.

Jim

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JR.Murphy1925
<p>Jim,</p><p>I&#39;m attempting to better understand the term &quot;ancillary&quot; as it may refer to IT under the OASIS contract, as envisioned. &nbsp;I&#39;ll pose the question in the form of an example:</p><p>An Agency requires professional services consulting to review a certain program&#39;s efforts, seeking to find ways to make its service delivery more efficient and cost effective in the face of budget reductions. &nbsp;If the professional services engagement, including perhaps some engineering work, determines and recommends an improverment in an IT element of the program, can that IT improvement be conducted under the Task Order from OASIS? &nbsp;This might involve purchase and installation of new hardware, software or an element of process improvement associated with the program. &nbsp;That would certainly provide the Agency in question with a complete solution, and give the vendor/contractor the ability to deliver the full solution without the Agency having to move to another procurement under an IT contract to complete the work.</p><p>Thanks in advance for any clarification.</p>
Posted 11/27/2012 11:03 AM
OASIS Blogger
<p><b id="internal-source-marker_0.23918238817714155" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hello and thanks for the question. &nbsp;For the example described above, as presented, the answer is yes, the requirement would fit under OASIS. &nbsp;The example presents the IT component as an integral and necessary component of the overall requirement to increase efficiency, which falls within the OASIS core competencies of management consulting, program management, engineering/scientific, and perhaps even logistics depending on the details of the requirement. &nbsp;Hope this helps. &nbsp;Jim</span></b></p>
Posted 11/28/2012 2:08 PM
JR.Murphy1925
<p>Thanks, Jim,</p><p>That&#39;s exactly the clarification I was looking for. &nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Thanks again.</p>
Posted 11/29/2012 8:41 AM
OASIS Blogger
<p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.05574613846302734" style="font-size:13px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Glad we could be of help, John. Please let us know if you have any other questions or comments to share. &nbsp;Jim</span></p>
Posted 12/03/2012 12:25 PM
RothJLL
<p>Our primary contracts and efforts have historically been real estate focused and therefore reside with GSA&rsquo;s PBS. Recently we&rsquo;ve seen opportunities to support GSA&rsquo;s agency customers in <em>tangential</em> areas we have technical expertise (program and project management, consulting, financial services, other public-private partnerships, energy and sustainability services, continuous process improvement, and move management are examples). Of note is Jeff Koses presentation at Magic back in July which included a situation where an agency is seeking integrated professional services for a commercial requirement, the consolidation of two offices with similar functions to meet the President&rsquo;s goal of simplifying government. Any thoughts on if, or where, a line between PBS and FAS would be drawn with respect to services such as those mentioned above?&nbsp;</p>
Posted 11/01/2012 7:11 PM
OASIS Blogger
<p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.32205318156569374" style="font-size:13px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Hello and thanks for a great question. &nbsp;The firm line we have right now in this area revolve around labor covered by the Brooks Act, which will be prohibited on OASIS. &nbsp;OASIS is NOT a construction contract, but OASIS will allow for minor construction and alteration when integral and necessary to a professional services based requirement. &nbsp;The tangential areas you refer to will be examined on a case by case basis and we will work with our PBS counterparts during development of the OASIS solicitations to ensure that we include the functionality and flexibility they need as well as avoid duplication of contracts. &nbsp;Thanks again for the question! &nbsp;Jim</span></p>
Posted 11/05/2012 2:04 PM
mneyland
<p>Jim - excellent clarification on defining OASIS and OASIS SB&nbsp;as addressing professional services based requirements.&nbsp; We look forward to working with you in responding to the OASIS SB solicitation.</p><p>V/r</p><p>Mike Neyland</p><p>Amyx, Reston VA</p>
Posted 10/26/2012 8:56 AM
OASIS Blogger
<p>Hi Mike, thank you for your comment. We greatly appreciate the feedback. Jim</p>
Posted 10/29/2012 3:41 PM
ccorlett
<p>I would like to recommend adding a VOSB designation under OASIS SB. The trend has been to cut out the VOSB and go straight to SDVOSB; would it not be acceptable to distinguish VOSB as a category? SDVOSB will still compete for opportunities set-asside in this manor, but it would allow VOSB to compete also. Not doing this forces VOSB to compete with all other small business. Open to discussion; maybe there is a reason for this that I am not seeing or aware of.</p>
Posted 10/25/2012 2:18 PM
OASIS Blogger
<p>Hello Colin, and thank you for your recommendation and comments. In response to your question...</p><p>The socioeconomic categories mentioned in previous posts that may receive direct task order awards or compete for task orders set aside exclusively for one of those categories are established by Small Business regulation and designated in the Federal Acquisition Regulation at Subpart 19.000(a)(3). The regulatory authority to set aside procurements for these groups is found in the statutes establishing their programs. VOSBs are not among those categories. GSA does not have the authority to establish set asides that are not authorized by statute and implemented in the Small Business Regulations at 15 USC.</p><p>Jim</p>
Posted 10/29/2012 3:34 PM
bobwoods46
<p>Good clarification, Jim.&nbsp; I have made this same point to those who asked.&nbsp; Glad you did this.</p>
Posted 10/22/2012 11:55 AM
OASIS Blogger
<p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.954543249953533" style="font-size:13px;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;">Thank you for your comment, Bob. We appreciate the feedback. </span></p>
Posted 10/22/2012 1:40 PM

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