WashingtonExec has launched a government acquisition and procurement commission focused specifically on the needs of the small business community serving the federal government. The chairman of the Small Business Acquisition Reform Commission (SBARC) is Greg Baroni, Chairman and CEO of the professional services company Attain, LLC. With a goal of outcome-driven networking, the Commission will present at the end of its three-month mandate a report to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Federal Procurement Policy Administrator, Dan Gordon. The report will detail findings about how to create a more efficient, fair, and accessible system for small government contractors through implementation of recommended reforms.
“Much work has already been done by government and various industry groups to identify and assess the successes and shortcomings of the Federal procurement process, from whitepapers to memos and reports outlining specific recommendations,” said Baroni.
“With the Obama Administration’s focus on procurement reform, with a particular attention to its impact on small businesses, this Commission aims to initiate the vital few actions necessary to affect change and drive the adoption and implementation of effective reform recommendations that support Government efficiency and innovation,” he said.
Why SBARC?
Through the issue of significant rule changes and policies, the Obama administration has left no doubt of its desire for an open and transparent government that is fair, and efficiently operated.
Among the contracting community, small business thought leaders operate at the “cutting edge” of innovation, with the flexibility and agility to drive change. Small business is uniquely affected by the mandates of acquisition reform, and needs a stronger voice in articulating the innovative thinking necessary to drive progress and reinforce their position and value in the marketplace.
Cumulatively, small businesses hire more employees and offer more innovations than larger businesses. Not being as burdened by bureaucracy, or as invested in current solutions, small businesses are often in a better position to usher-in and embrace innovation. As a matter of fact, to a small company, innovation may be the only equalizer in its competitive arsenal against larger organizations. Yet, due to size and capabilities, they remain very vulnerable to acquisition reform mandates, particularly those impacting the cost of doing business.
An Outcome-Driven Mission
SBARC’s mission is twofold. The Commission was formed to identify and to provide the Obama administration with actionable recommendations on how the Federal Government and the companies that serve it can work together to reform the procurement process in ways that more closely reflect the goal of fostering innovation, as well as to work toward affecting such reforms. The Commission also is committed to providing outreach to the small business contracting community through an educational networking program that brings together small businesses and agency executives to overcome barriers and challenges of the procurement process.
Action Into Motion
In order to meet this approximate 3-month mandate, WashingtonExec will host a series of roundtables with various senior Government procurement/acquisition executives and industry experts to address Commission members and other participants.
Key recommendations and develop a roadmap for improving the procurement process by affecting change with respect to at least two small business procurement issues – one through regulatory change and one through legislative action will be identified.
The Commission will initiate this objective in September to be completed in December 2011. A white paper detailing SBARC’s findings would be submitted formally to OMB’s Office of Federal Procurement Policy Administrator Daniel Gordon in early December.