Acquisition Reform

NASA's Acquisition Internet Service is a simple, effective, and user-friendly system for disseminating information on contracting opportunities. The service has contributed to the development of a more standardized and streamlined acquisition process at NASA and provides a central electronic source of procurement information from NASA's decentralized facilities. It allows businesses to obtain procurement information immediately, without waiting for delivery of printed information. Vendors especially like the electronic mail notification service that automatically sends announcements about procurements of interest to them. NASA, the General Services Administration, and other federal agencies are working together to develop a single, governmentwide Internet entry point for information on federal procurement opportunities. But several steps must still be taken, and many obstacles remain. Even if the new system is successfully developed and implemented governmentwide, current statutory requirements for publication of procurement notices and minimum waiting periods for mail delivery may continue to limit the potential benefits of an electronic procurement information system.

GAO noted that: (1) NAIS is a simple, effective, and user-friendly system for disseminating information on contract opportunities; (2) NAIS has contributed to the development of a more standardized and streamlined acquisition process at NASA and provides a central electronic source of procurement information from NASA's decentralized facilities; (3) it allows businesses to obtain procurement information immediately, without waiting for mail delivery of printed information; (4) vendors especially like the electronic mail notification service that automatically sends announcements about procurements of interest to them; (5) vendor feedback about NAIS came primarily from small businesses and was generally positive; (6) procurement data showed that offers and awards to small businesses did not change significantly after NAIS implementation; (7) NASA noted that data limitations made it difficult to quantify other NAIS benefits; (8) NASA, the General Services Administration, and other federal agencies are working together to develop a single, governmentwide Internet entry point for information on federal procurement opportunities; (9) but a number of steps must still be taken and many obstacles remain; (10) even if the new system is successfully developed and implemented governmentwide, current statutory requirements for publication of procurement notices and minimum waiting periods for mail delivery may continue to limit the potential benefits of an electronic procurement information system; and (11) the same legislation that encouraged NASA and others to work together also requires the Office of Federal Procurement Policy to submit to Congress annual reports assessing compliance with the requirement to provide direct access to procurement information through a single governmentwide electronic point of entry.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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