Air Force Signs On the Line, Commits to Primary Use of GSA's OASIS Contract for Complex Professional Services

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a ceremony held today at U.S. General Services Administration headquarters, GSA and the United States Air Force signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) securing Air Force's use of GSA's One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) and OASIS Small Business contracts for procurement of complex professional services.  OASIS is a first-of-its kind contract that will provide the government with a total solution contract vehicle for complex professional services projects.

"OASIS will save Air Force, and our folks in the field, a tremendous amount of time and effort. It will allow us to aggressively go after our small business goal with access to highly capable and vetted companies, and it significantly reduces our manpower requirements to conduct complex acquisitions," said Randall D. Culpepper, Program Executive Officer for Combat and Mission Support, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition .  "Our partnership with GSA on OASIS allows us to preserve precious resources while putting in place a tool that is exceptionally responsive to the needs of defense organizations supporting the warfighter.  We think this will be a great long-term relationship that will get us a lot of bang for the acquisition bucks that we have.

Through OASIS and OASIS Small Business, Air Force will:

• Reduce excess costs associated with award and administration of multiple IDIQ and/or standalone contracts
• Reduce the lead time and administrative efforts it currently takes agencies to acquire complex professional services
• Gain insight into spend volume and labor types and costs across the Federal Government and facilitate negotiation of lower pricing at the task order level
• Improve and reduce time associated with task order proposal comparison process by creating "apples to apples" comparisons of proposed labor costs
• Eliminate need for Task Order Contracting Officers to evaluate proposals from poor performers

The response period for OASIS and OASIS-Small Business Requests for Proposal (RFPs) came to a close last month; the OASIS team expects to award contracts in early 2014.

OASIS will be designed to address agencies' needs for any one or combination of the following professional service requirements that:

• Span multiple professional service disciplines
• Contain significant IT components, but are not IT requirements in and of themselves
• Contain Ancillary Support components commonly referred to as ODCs
• Require flexibility for all contract types at the task order level including cost reimbursement

OASIS will be able to provide both commercial and non-commercial services. The core disciplines of the contract will include program management services, management consulting services, logistics services, engineering services, scientific services, and financial services.

For more information about the MoU and/or OASIS, visit gsa.gov/oasis.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU)

BETWEEN GSA's OFFICE OF GENERAL SUPPLIES AND SERVICES AND
AIR FORCE SINGLE MANAGER FOR SERVICES (SMS)

1. PURPOSE. The purpose of this agreement is to establish an ordering level, and associated fee structure, between GSA's Office of General Supplies and Services and the Air Force Single Manager for Services (SMS) for use of the One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) and OASIS-Small Business Contract Vehicles. For the purposes of this document, the Air Force contracting office will be referred to as "Client." 

2. GENERAL. Client anticipates obligating in excess of $500,000,000.00 during the first Contract Access Fee (CAF) computation period.  This period is defined as the timeframe from time of GSA OASIS SB Notice to Proceed (NTP) through the next full calendar year, but it is guaranteed to be a minimum of 18 months in duration.  These 18+ months shall be used to calculate the obligation dollars and assess the CAF for all of the Client's task orders awarded in 2016.  For instance, if NTP is 28 Feb 14, the CAF computation will be based on the obligations from 28 Feb 14 through 30 Dec 15. The CAF shall be 0.10% for the first CAF computation period that ends on 30 Dec 15, in accordance with the GSA Memorandum on CAF issued by the OASIS Program Office on 29 May 2013 (see Atch).  This computation will include OASIS and OASIS-Small Business orders issued within the Air Force, identified by having a Department of Defense Activity Address Code (DoDAAC) beginning with "FA."  This fee structure applies to orders let by the Client and not using GSA contracting officers.

At the conclusion of the first term as described in the previous paragraph, the OASIS Program Office will sum all obligations from DoDAACs beginning with "FA" to set the fee for orders in the following year.  The client shall be notified no later than Jan 2016 of the appropriate CAF to be assigned for orders issued in that year.  The Client may dispute the assessment and provide GSA with their assessed sum of obligations.  This Assessment will be made in the same manner, on a 12 month basis, for each subsequent year.  The fee established at the time the task order is issued, with a separate CLIN titled "GSA OASIS CONTRACT ACCESS FEE," will remain unchanged for the base year and all option years of that task order regardless of the year in which the option is exercised.

3. RESPONSIBILITIES.  The AF will, through policy issued in accordance with their internal practices, identify the GSA OASIS and OASIS SB contracts as the preferred vehicles for complex, integrated professional services which fall within the scope of GSA OASIS. 

GSA shall provide training, scope reviews, and share templates and best practices as requested related to usage of OASIS Contracts.   Additionally, at the request of the Client, the GSA OASIS PM and/or CO will support meetings and reviews.  Meeting notifications will be provided at least 60 days prior by the Client. This support shall be at the expense of GSA as it represents the costs for which the CAF is assessed.

The OASIS Program Office will notify and coordinate with Air Force program offices if planning to exercise the authority to off-ramp or on-ramp additional contractors to OASIS-Small Business in accordance with OASIS contract provisions.

4. AGREEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION. This agreement shall be in effect from the date of signature of this MOU and apply until revoked by the client or bilaterally modified by both parties.  By signing this MOU, the client certifies that the anticipated obligation amount is accurate to the best of their ability and that the individual signing has responsibility for acquisition strategy and planning within that office.  GSA understands that actual obligations may vary based upon unanticipated events and/or factors outside the control of the client. 

Attachment: 
Decision Paper, Fee Structure for the OASIS Program

SOURCE U.S. General Services Administration