APMP CAPTURE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE | PAGE 2 Developing the Federal Acquisition Workforce Melissa Starinsky, Department of Veterans Affairs.

APMP CAPTURE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE | PAGE 2

Developing the Federal Acquisition WorkforceMelissa Starinsky, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Chancellor, VA Acquisition Academy


The State of Federal Acquisition


Acquisition: Still Mission Critical

• $321B Spent in FY ‘14!

• VA – 4th largest spend at $15B


A New Talent Development Approach Needed

“…despite policy directives, proclamations, and legislative initiatives – including nearly $2B in

acquisition workforce development funds spent by the Department of Defense (DoD) alone since 2007 – the skills and capabilities of the workforce have

not improved and key skill gaps (negotiations, business risk/acumen, understanding complex IT)

remain largely unaddressed.”

Source: 2013 PSC Leadership Commission


The VA Acquisition Academy

• Opened in 2008; five (5) Schools• State of the art 80,000 square foot facility,

16 classrooms, 7 breakout rooms, 3 distance learning labs

• Recipient of 23 awards for innovative and effective acquisition talent development efforts

• Contributed toward issuance of 10,502 VA Federal Acquisition Certifications


The VA Mission

Through better acquisitions, we can serve our Veterans better.


A Veterans Centric Approach

Team Stand of Inaugural Warriors to Workforce (W2W) Program Interns VA’s Next Generation of Trusted Acquisition Business Advisors

Lean Six Sigma, Critical Thinking, Agility…Performance InterventionsOrganizing, Managing Others, Measuring…

Performance Interventions

FAC-P/PM

FAC-P/PM

FAC-CFAC-C

Spectrum of Learning Solutionsto Build Pipeline of Qualified Workers( Right Person, Right Job, Right Time)

CoreProfessional

Curricula& Certifications FAC-C FAC-COR FAC-P/PM VA SCM VA FM

Self Management, Listening, Planning, Negotiating, Conflict Management…

Electives and JIT

Aligned toCareer

Progression

Cohorts, Partnerships,Interdisciplinary OTJ

ExperiencesInternship Program, Fellows Program, Educational CO-OP,

Education w/Industry, Team Workshops, Mission-Service OJT

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Entry

Senior

Mid

Qualified

Certified

Selected

Operational

TacticalStrategic

WorkforceWorkAcquisition Corps

Tal

ent

Dev

elop

men

t C

onti

nuum

Acquisition Workforce (~ 44,000 Workers)

In Partnership with VALU, in Context of Acquisition

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Melissa’s Top 10 Tangible Techniques

#10: Debriefings


Available (if offeror requests in a timely manner) under: FAR Part 15 procurements IDIQ orders over $5M

Not required for: FAR Part 8 buys (i.e. GSA) only require Contracting Officer (CO) to provide a

brief explanation, when requested by offeror, of basis for award when based on factors other than price alone

Simplified Acquisition Procedures

Intent should be to provide feedback to unsuccessful offerors to enable them to provide better proposals in the future

Can take any form from written, in-person, or by phone – requires CO judgment on appropriate form

Recommend successful offerors request debriefings

Debriefings


• If exercised by written request, within 3 days after notification of exclusion from competitive range or otherwise excluded

• Offeror can request or CO can defer actual debriefing until after award but offerors only entitled to one debriefing

• Must include:• agency’s evaluation of significant elements in the offeror’s proposal• summary of the rationale for eliminating the offeror from the competition; and• Reasonable responses to relevant questions about whether source selection

procedures contained in the solicitation, applicable regulations, and other applicable authorities were followed in the process of eliminating the offeror from the competition.

• Preaward debriefings shall not disclose: the number of offerors; identity of other offerors; content of other offerors’ proposals; ranking of other offerors; evaluation of other offerors; or any of the information prohibited in 15.506(e).

Pre-Award Debriefings

https://acquisition.gov/far/current/html/Subpart%2015_5.html#wp1095245


• If exercised, by written request from the offeror, within 3 days after notification of award

• Government should provide within 5 days after receipt of the written request

• An offeror that was notified of exclusion from the competition but failed to submit a timely request, is not entitled to a debriefing.

• Untimely debriefing requests may be accommodated - does not automatically extend the deadlines for filing protests

Post-Award Debriefings


• The Government’s evaluation of the significant weaknesses or deficiencies in the offeror’s proposal, if applicable;

• The overall evaluated cost or price (including unit prices) and technical rating, if applicable, of the successful offeror and the debriefed offeror, and past performance information on the debriefed offeror;

• The overall ranking of all offerors, when any ranking was developed by the agency during the source selection;

• A summary of the rationale for award; • For acquisitions of commercial items, the make and model of the item to be

delivered by the successful offeror; and • Reasonable responses to relevant questions about whether source

selection procedures contained in the solicitation, applicable regulations, and other applicable authorities were followed.

Post Award Debriefings Must Include


• Point-by-point comparisons of the debriefed offeror’s proposal with those of other offerors.

• Any information prohibited from disclosure or exempt from release under the Freedom of Information Act

• Trade secrets• Privileged or confidential manufacturing processes and techniques• Commercial and financial information that is privileged or confidential,

including cost breakdowns, profit, indirect cost rates, and similar information

• The names of individuals providing reference information about an offeror’s past performance

Debriefings Shall Not Include


• A tracked-changes version of Final Proposal Revisions (FPR) is not necessary and creates increased burden on both contractors and Government

• Instead rely on answers to discussion questions• Proposals should not be incorporated by reference or in full• The contractor is bound by contract terms and conditions –

not their technical proposal• Let the contract or order reflect agreed upon terms verses

repeated revised proposals

Melissa’s Top 10 Tangible Techniques#7: Final

Proposal Revisions


• Trust in the system and in each other• Assume positive intent• Trust increases operational efficiencies and minimizes

programmatic risks• Ensure separation of duties internally and maintain arms length

relationship with contractors but be accessible and talk with each other

• Less email and more conversation • Eliminate the “us versus them” mindset• Stop the blame game – we own it together

Trust


• Proposal Substance• Make sure to properly identify agency in proposal• Tell a good story and write well• Unified corporate proposal – a single brand

• Know Your Agency • Read agency strategic plan• Know agency budget• Read GAO/IG reports about agency

Tips for Proposal Writers


VA Acquisition Academy

http://www.acquisitionacademy.va.gov/

[email protected]

(240) 215-0671

Contact Information

mailto:[email protected]




APMP CAPTURE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE | PAGE 2 Developing the Federal Acquisition Workforce Melissa Starinsky, Department of Veterans Affairs.

Documents

apmp capture

va acquisition academy

b slide

context of acquisition

business riskacumen

va mission

right job

fellows program