Q&A: Roger Waldron | GSA plans the schedule's next chapter

 

Connecting state and local government leaders

Roger Waldron is acting senior procurement executive and acting deputy chief acquisition officer for GSA. He directs procurement and acquisition policy on all Federal Supply Service contracts, including the Federal Supply Service IT Schedule, known as Schedule 70.

Roger Waldron is acting senior procurement executive and acting deputy chief acquisition officer for GSA. He directs procurement and acquisition policy on all Federal Supply Service contracts, including the Federal Supply Service IT Schedule, known as Schedule 70. This program accounted for approximately $16.5 billion in IT purchases by the federal government over the last fiscal year. 'Caron GoldenWALDRON: GSA's mission is to provide product, services and procurement for other agencies. The schedule is authorized by statute.The ordering procedures are streamlined. Our electronic tools have supplemented the program by increasing transparency and competition. And products and services have surely changed. The balance used to be two-thirds products and one-third services, 10 to 15 years ago. Now, 60 to 65 percent of the dollar volume under the program is services. It reflects today's economy.Another change is that in the early 1990s we used to have mandatory schedules and single-award schedules. We changed those schedules and made them nonmandatory. But we had to have a value proposition to create the incentive to use Schedule 70 so we re-engineered the ordering process and contracts to reflect the commercial market. So today, Schedule 70 is a nonmandatory source but still one of [the] biggest procurement programs in government.WALDRON: Get it Right lays the foundation for acquisition excellence. We've been able to build electronic tools customer agencies can use, [have] updated ordering procedures, and also develop ed the Center for Acquisition Excellence for training.There were challenges the agency faced. Our response was [to] focus on some [of the] basics I just mentioned to improve the program. I think that the program has continued to grow each year demonstrates that the things we did have laid a foundation for acquisition excellence going forward.Our strengths are in flexibility and mirroring [the] commercial market place. If we didn't do that, services wouldn't account for such a large portion of our business.WALDRON: We do surveys of customers both in terms of their understanding of the program and how they feel about it. We saw a customer need for electronic tools to better do procurement, which led to creation of e-Buy. For example, the Department of Defense can meet Section 803 requirements to provide notice to all contractors by using e-Buy. It provides transparency and enhances competition.We've also seen a need to develop training. So we created the Center for Acquisition Excellence. It works both online and in [a] classroom setting. It's designed to help customers better meet their needs and get better bang for the buck.WALDRON: We look at the schedules program as a whole. The IT schedule is biggest, but we also have 42 other schedule offerings. We will maintain overall program focus and strengthen it as we go forward and build on foundations we've put in place with electronic tools, training and procedures. The reorganization is an opportunity to build on that foundation and continue to improve the program.

Roger Waldron



GCN: How has Schedule 70 evolved over time?







GCN: Has the Get It Right campaign succeeded in improving the management of Schedule 70 and, if so, how?






GCN: How responsive has GSA been to customer suggestions?





GCN: How will GSA's reorganization impact Schedule 70 customers?

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.