NASA Procurement

GAO reviewed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) plans to pilot test new procedures for procurements with annual values between $25,000 and $500,000 and total five-year values up to $2.5 million. The pilot test seeks to determine whether the new procedure will reduce the time and effort needed to solicit offers and award contracts in this price range. As now designed, each midrange acquisition of supplies or services is reserved exclusively for small businesses. GAO reviewed (1) the extent to which the pilot test procurement procedures differ from the Federal Acquisition Regulation; (2) the development of key features of the pilot project, including the financial impact of using an electronic commerce system on those wanting to do business with NASA and how such a system would accommodate the amending of solicitations; and (3) NASA's plans for assessing the results of the pilot project.

GAO found that: (1) NASA has planned a pilot test for its new procurement procedures and to assess their impact on competitiveness and minority and small business participation; (2) the key features of the new procedures include an electronic commerce system, a small buying team process, and a best value selection approach that will require changes to FAR procedures; (3) the new NASA procedures are intended to extensively reduce the amount of documentation required to support the solicitation and award of midrange procurements and simplify the selection process while ensuring a fair and impartial selection; (4) NASA will use quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate the pilot test results; and (5) NASA has developed baseline data to help determine whether its new procurement procedures maintain sufficient competition and adequate small business participation.