PSC Sees General Improvements in Federal Procurement Forecasts

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PSC Sees General Improvements in Federal Procurement Forecasts

Annual assessment finds improvements resulting from ongoing PSC conversations with government leaders and information sharing from agencies

Arlington, Va. (June 22, 2023) The Professional Services Council (PSC) today released its fifth annual Federal Business Forecast Scorecard, which assessed publicly available, web-based procurement forecasts from 70 federal agencies and elements.

“Open-source federal procurement forecasts provide invaluable information to industry on projected acquisition needs and timelines,” said PSC President and CEO David J. Berteau. “They help attract new entrants to the federal marketplace and enable existing federal contractors to decide when to bid on federal opportunities.”

He continued, “Since our first Scorecard in 2019, PSC has seen steady improvement in web-based forecasts. Each year, we discuss with agency officials ways in which they can improve this key procurement tool. Our goal is for every federal procurement forecast to contain accurate, complete, searchable data that allows contractors to prepare better proposals and offer solutions that support the full range of federal missions.”

PSC’s Scorecard process examines forecasts against 15 key attributes that industry deems necessary for an effective web-based forecast, such as award type, the ability to sort data, frequency of updates, and set-aside information. Top performers in 2023 include:

•Office of Personnel Management (Model for Success). OPM leverages the Acquisition Gateway system whose functionality – e.g., multiple ways to sort information quickly –allows industry partners to more easily identify specific contracting opportunities. OPM’s forecast is regularly updated, populated with useful information to support companies' decision-making, and provides accurate, timely data to industry partners.

•Department of the Navy (Honorable Mention). Working closely with PSC and industry throughout 2022 and 2023, the Navy continues to improve its forecast across the board and offered additional Navy contracting entities for PSC assessment.

•Department of Homeland Security (Honorable Mention). By unifying components under a single Acquisition Planning Forecast System, DHS has improved the quality and consistency of forecasts throughout the Department.

“The Department of the Navy understands the importance of providing forecasts to our industry partners. The Navy and Marine Corps are dedicated to delivering the best capabilities to the warfighter at the best price to the taxpayer. Providing a realistic forecast of our future requirements enables our industrial partners to make key business decisions and position themselves to do business with the Navy, which is vital to achieving our mission. We look forward to the continued partnership with industry and we are very pleased with this recent recognition from PSC,” said Cindy R. Shaver, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Procurement), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition.

“At DHS, it’s no secret that we’re committed to engaging with industry in meaningful ways. We’re pleased, but certainly not surprised, to see that each of the DHS organizations reviewed for the scorecard received the highest rating. Our dialogues with industry have enabled us to make impactful changes to our processes and tools, including our Acquisition Planning Forecast System, which have benefited not only our industry partners but also the Department. Thank you, PSC, for this recognition,” said Paul Courtney, Chief Procurement Officer, Department of Homeland Security.

“In terms of numbers, PSC is pleased that federal procurement forecasts continue to improve,” said PSC Executive Vice President for Policy Stephanie Kostro. “We increased the number of forecasts assessed from 62 to 70 in the last year. This year, nearly 60 percent of those 70 forecasts received PSC’s highest ratings of ‘Good’ and ‘Fair,’ up from 47 percent in 2022. These improvements align with the U.S. Government’s own push to attract new entrants to the federal marketplace and the recognition that web-based forecasts are often the first way those companies learn about federal opportunities. Improvements are also due to PSC’s engagement with agencies that reached out to us, wanting to earn a higher rating in the next Scorecard.”

“Well-articulated, sufficiently detailed forecasts can lead to better proposals, improved competition, and shorter award decision timelines which are all critical factors for companies who are either beginning to explore entering the federal market or deciding to allocate resources to pursue specific contracts,” Kostro continued. “We look forward to continuing our work with PSC members and federal agencies to enhance the government’s vital business engagement efforts.”

To view the full Scorecard report, including a breakdown of the rankings and definitions of the key attributes, visit pscouncil.org/2023scorecard.

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