GSA has said it will launch in Man an online platform so that parties interested in streamlining procurement and grant awards can submit ideas, comment on others, respond to questions posed by moderators, and vote on ideas they think are the most promising.
GSA announced that intent in the April 1 Federal Register as a followup to last year’s Open Dialogue on Federal Procurement, during which “many commenters pointed to the potential reduction of redundant reporting and related processes as one way to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the government’s acquisition practices. This feedback is helping to support ongoing efforts to modernize the IT infrastructure supporting federal procurement data collection and display, which will include development of a single Web site for federal contractors to use for federal contract reporting requirements.”
“Management of federal contract and grant business arrangements requires multiple layers of reporting across multiple agencies. In some cases, lack of standardization results in slight (or significant) variations in reports that create additional administrative and burdensome requirements for awardees that could be readily rectified.
“This dialogue is intended to continue the conversation begun last year in the context of federal procurement and expand it to cover federal grants by identifying opportunities for reducing burden, discussing ideas for standardizing processes and forms, and identifying recommended actions to reduce costs and eliminate duplication for awardees,” GSA said.
