The 2024 Federal Business Forecast Scorecard will be released at PSC's Acquisition Conference.

 Download Scorecard PDF

Federal contractors, including PSC’s 400+ member companies, rely on agency procurement forecasts to (1) conduct business planning and (2) better focus capabilities development on the needs of their federal government customer(s). 

 
  • The fifth edition of PSC’s annual Federal Business Forecast Scorecard examined publicly available procurement forecasts from 70 federal agencies and sub-components.
  • PSC is pleased to report general improvement in those procurement forecasts across the U.S. Government since the release of the 2022 PSC scorecard. That said, there remains additional room for improvements, as some agency forecasts still include incomplete, inconsistent, or outdated information (e.g., five agencies surveyed do not have publicly accessible forecasts).
  • Of course, publicly available forecasts represent only one way in which the federal government engages its existing industry partners and attracts new entrants to the federal marketplace. The government’s acquisition officials continue to engage in market research, participate in industry days, and update opportunities. PSC and its member companies appreciate such efforts for meaningful engagement.
  • We also note that an accessible, navigable procurement forecast is particularly important for companies who are unable to participate in such outreach, as well as those companies who are beginning to explore whether they should enter the federal market. Agencies’ web-based business forecasts can play a pivotal role in attracting new entrants – or re-attracting contractors who left the federal market – into work with the U.S. Government.
  • PSC respectfully offers this Scorecard as a resource for agencies who would like to understand how industry uses procurement information. What kinds of timely, relevant information does industry seek? How can agencies improve forecasts so they can access needed capabilities? We look forward to continuing our dialogue with acquisition officials as they prepare their next acquisition business forecasts.


  


Model for Success: OPM

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) received the highest score in PSC’s 2023 Federal Business Forecast Scorecard. Leveraging the “Acquisition Gateway” system, OPM’s procurement forecast benefits from that system’s functionality – e.g., multiple ways to sort information quickly – so industry partners can more easily identify specific contracting opportunities. This system is shared with the Departments of Justice and Labor, as well as last year’s top scorer, the General Services Administration. OPM’s forecast is regularly updated, populated with useful information to support companies' decision-making, and frequently goes above and beyond to provide accurate, timely information to its industry partners.
 



 

Honorable Mention: Department of the Navy

The U.S. Department of the Navy (DoN) earned an honorable mention in the 2023 Scorecard, working closely with PSC and the contractor community throughout 2022 and 2023 to assess and improve its forecasting. In addition to previous improvements, DoN volunteered additional Navy contracting entities to be assessed; those; these organizations also received good scores. Moreover, PSC commends DoN for its responsiveness to contractor’s needs, as it rapidly and competently improved forecast information. We encourage DoN to continue this positive trajectory by updating forecast information more frequently for each opportunity within their website and ensuring all contracting offices adopt and maintain high forecasting standards demonstrated by those assessed in 2023.










Honorable Mention: Department of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earned an honorable mention in the 2023 Scorecard. Over the last 5 years, PSC has given consistently high marks to DHS components’ forecasts. Unifying DHS components under a single Acquisition Planning Forecast System (APFS) has helped improve the quality and consistency of DHS forecasts across the board. PSC commends DHS for providing frequent updates to this system as well as incorporating a transparent log of updates to individual opportunities within APFS. We encourage DHS to continue this positive trajectory by including more comprehensive descriptions of forecasted opportunities within their website.










Needs Improvement: USDA

Over the last 5 years of assessing forecasts, PSC has determined that U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) operating divisions have several areas for improvement. Considering that USDA spends a significant portion of its budgets on contracted goods and services, PSC encourages the Department to provide a more frequently updated, detailed procurement forecast, including but not limited to a “date modified” column of information for each opportunity. Additionally, the USDA could benefit greatly by increased engagement with contractors, and PSC, on ways to improve its forecast; such outreach would highlight the importance of more detailed information about anticipated award dates and length, contract vehicle information, program buying office, and award type so that USDA could better access needed capabilities from their contracting partners.


How Does Industry Use Business Forecasts?

To provide federal customers with more timely, comprehensive, and thoroughly researched solutions when final Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are released, companies rely on the accuracy, comprehensiveness, and timeliness of an agency’s business forecast, especially though not limited to the publicly available website. Often, resource allocation and teaming decisions are made well in advance of the RFP release. A useful forecast provides excellent, actionable information that can enable interested entities to determine potential staffing requirements, project needs, and costs. While PSC and the services contracting community fully recognize that spending priorities often change on short notice, significant course corrections tend to be the exceptions rather than the rule in the services sector.




Scorecard Methodology

Due to the number of agencies and subcomponents tracked and to be as objective as possible, PSC staff take a “snapshot” of agencies’ web-based forecasts at the beginning of the second quarter of the government’s fiscal year (i.e., January). PSC staff then begin the assessment process.

  • Using 15 key attributes used by services contractors who seek to make go / no-go decisions based on available information, one assessor reviews each agency’s forecast and assigns point values in accordance with those attributes. Of note, each attribute is weighted in accordance with its relative importance to industry; PSC has vetted these attributes with contractors and government officials, as well as internally within PSC.
  • Other PSC staff then conduct a “blind” reassessment process wherein they are unaware of the score already assigned to an agency's forecast. This step encourages objectivity. In the event of a discrepancy between the two assessments for a particular forecast, the staff discuss their perspectives and resolve the discrepancy.
  • Finally, PSC compares total scores of the assessed agencies side-by-side, determining the distribution of scores into Good, Fair, Needs Improvement, or Not Found. These cleavage points often “pop out” during the assessment process.
     

PSC’s 15 Key Attributes for a Successful Business Forecast

1. Searchable Spreadsheet
At a minimum, forecasts should be available in Excel format. Because PDFs are often difficult to read and sort, it is also difficult to extrapolate data; this complicates a potential bidder’s ability to identify opportunities. The use of a PDF may also indicate that the agency does not frequently update the forecast. PSC’s Federal Business Forecast team awards additional points for advanced Electronically Sortable Information (ESI) systems which go above and beyond Excel.

2. Date Modified
Agencies should indicate the last modification date for each opportunity. This informs users whether the information is recent or has changed since last viewing. 

3. Forecast Update Frequency
PSC’s Federal Business Forecast team evaluates forecasts on frequency of publication. Agencies should update procurement forecasts at least twice a year. 

4. Project Description and Contract Number
The PSC team evaluates forecasts on the existence and comprehensiveness of a project description and if the agency has assigned a contract number to the opportunity. To the greatest extent practicable, forecasts should include details on place of performance, type and scope of work, technical requirements, potential security clearance requirements, and other relevant opportunity-specific information.  

5. Dollar Value (Base + Options)
The PSC team evaluates forecasts on whether the tool lists opportunity-specific dollar values, as well as the specificity of dollar values (e.g., base and option year values).

6. Program POC and COR Contact Information
Agency forecasts should specify a point of contact for each opportunity—with an individual’s (not generic or office) email address and telephone number. The PSC team awards additional points if the forecast tool indicates an individual point of contact and additional “back-up” points of contact.

7. Program Office & Buying Activity
PSC’s Federal Business Forecast team evaluates forecasts on whether they specify program office and buying activities for each opportunity.

8. PSC & NAICS Codes
When evaluating a forecast, the PSC team looks for specific NAICS and/or PSC code for each opportunity. Forecasts receive full points for including a NAICS code and PSC code, with partial credit awarded for having one, but not the other listed. 

9. New Start or Recompete with Incumbent
Does the forecast specify the incumbent for each opportunity, or does it indicate which opportunities are new / have no incumbent?

10. Set Aside and Type
PSC’s Federal Business Forecast team evaluates whether the tool specifies set asides, and if so, what types (e.g., 8(a), WOSB, VOSB, etc.) 

11. Contract Vehicle (e.g., IDIQ, BPA)
Forecasts should indicate a particular contract vehicle for each opportunity.

12. Action / Award Type
The team evaluates whether the forecast specifies each opportunity’s award type (e.g., competitive, sole source, multi-award) and contract type (e.g., fixed price, time and materials, incentive fee).

13. Anticipated Solicitation Release Date
Forecasts should specify the anticipated solicitation release date for each opportunity.

14. Anticipated Award Date
Does the forecast specify the anticipated award date and / or fiscal year and quarter?

15.Anticipated Award Length
PSC’s Federal Business Forecast team evaluates whether the forecast includes award length.


Recording of the Forecast at the 2023 Federal Acquisition Conference


For More Information

Access links to the 2023 Federal Forecasts here. If you have questions about the Scorecard or would like to engage with PSC further, please contact policy@pscouncil.org.

Interested in Participating in Next Year’s Scorecard?

Contact policy@pscouncil.org.

About PSC

PSC is the voice of the government technology and professional services industry. PSC’s more than 400 member companies represent small, medium and large businesses that provide federal agencies with services of all kinds, including information technology, engineering, logistics, facilities management, operations and maintenance, consulting, international development, scientific, social, environmental services, and more. Together, the trade association’s members employ hundreds of thousands of Americans in all 50 states. Follow PSC on Twitter @PSCspeaks. To learn more, visit www.pscouncil.org.