The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Strategic Sourcing Program Office (SSPO) sponsored an Industry Outreach event on November 10, 2015.  Missed the event? ASM Concepts has pulled together the major insights and trends heard at this event.

Come for the program, stay for the networking

The Agenda split between companies that were new to DHS contracting/Strategic Sourcing vehicles and experienced companies looking to increase their footprint. This provided a nice mix of Industry.

Many companies took advantage of the full hour of networking before the event and this particular event was notable for the active circulating of the DHS government representatives through the crowd. Leading the charge was Faye Jones, Small Business Advocate and Margaret Strang, Industry Liaison for the Office of Procurement Operations and USCIS.

The DHS Small Business love affair will continue into 2016 and beyond

DHS reported they are the only Department across the Federal Government to meet, and for HUBZone, exceed, its goals. Contracting Officers across the DHS Components are very proud of this achievement and will continue to seek out how to guide requirements to Small Businesses and Disadvantaged Socio-economic categories.

GSA Vehicles are a critical and growing part of the SSPO portfolio moving forward

The welcoming speaker and panelists continuously mentioned GSA and its influence on DHS SSPO.

For example, OASIS Program Lead, Todd Richards, joined the “How to Get Involved in DHS Strategic Sourcing” panel. This GSA vehicle received “Mandatory for Use” status in 2015 a key criteria for major DHS SSPO vehicles. Mr. Richards’ highlighted current OASIS primes in the audience for partnering and shared tips about succeeding in the planned OASIS on-ramping, including maximizing CPARS scores and strongly written past performance. Reported spending on OASIS in 2015 was just under $11 million. Projections for its 2016 spending are expected to skyrocket to exceed $200 million.

Component meetings will continue to be elusive – proper preparation is key

DHS contracting representatives now agree that it is hard for contractors to meet with project managers and contracting officers. Both Government and Industry speakers emphasized that when there is a meeting, companies don’t always take full advantage to make an impression or shape a requirement. Recommendations include reviewing talking points, researching current requirements and bringing your technical expert, especially if you are meeting with a program manager.