Economic Stimulus Program Guide
By
Barbara DePompa
What must the government do to efficiently
allocate ARRA funding? What steps can industry suppliers take to make
the most of opportunities created by the economic stimulus package?
Here are some tips and suggestions to help agencies and industry
partners keep the funding initiative rolling forward. These tips were
gathered from leading industry observers and recent participants in an
Economic Stimulus Conference, held in Falls Church, Va. in June,
sponsored by the 1105 Government Information Group.
Government organizations must:
*Identify
frequently used contract vehicles that may help speed acquisitions.
*Investigate task orders, line
item projects or the grants process to gain further funding for
specific initiatives.
*Be care not to
‘overinvest’ early. There may be early ARRA
initiatives that may seem successful at first, but results/outcomes may
not be sustainable over the long term.
*Be prepared to face a battle
ahead over agency budgets versus funding for ARRA. Right now, questions
about the longevity of economic stimulus spending remain unclear.
*Please visit recovery.gov
frequently for updates on spending timelines and other information that
can help government organizations view the impact of the recovery act
at work.
*Pre-packaged solutions from
industry suppliers may help agencies speed implementation on projects
that must start within 120 days.
*Anticipate and plan for
tighter performance and reporting requirements to come, due to the
higher level of oversight and transparency associated with ARRA funding.
*Look for unique
public/private partnerships to go after funding. Industry
partners/contractors with grant writing experience could be of enormous
benefit to federal, state and local government organizations that lack
the internal resources to seek ARRA grant funding, for example.
Industry suppliers should:
*Quickly
identify potential partners with existing, longstanding agency
relationships.
*Conduct competitive analysis
to better understand comparable offerings and how to differentiate
solutions that directly meet ARRA funding goals.
*Build agency acquisition
profiles to follow the types of work likely to be contracted.
*It’s not wise to
wait for the RFP, as that puts suppliers in a bidding war.
It’s far better to offer/provide services agencies can use
immediately to assist in pre-bid justifications of spending, or to aid
in agency efforts to comply with regulatory scrutiny.
*
Work closely with federal
channel partners and subcontractors to avoid wasting time trying to
figure out who controls which opportunities.
*Consider exploring state and
local government opportunities gathering support from regional
partners/subcontractors to help in those efforts.
*Construction projects are
most attractive because building/construction contracts are likely to
lead to long term revenue streams, as buildings require maintenance and
support over the long term.
*GSA’s E library
lists contractors who are viable partners for industry suppliers that
wish to partner with government in ARRA projects.
*Due to higher levels of
scrutiny, be prepared to provide more detailed information that tracks
spending and progress on ARRA projects.
*Seek out those ARRA projects
most likely to generate long term revenue streams, such as, for
example, providing a wireless broadband service in hospital settings,
allowing patients to purchase TV/internet service for a fee during
their stays.
*Although industry suppliers
can do a great deal to help agencies, it’s crucial not create
a conflict of interest in writing AND supplying products that fulfill
grant proposals.