Electronic Commerce for the Procurement of Construction and Architect-Engineer Services Implementing the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (1997) / Chapter Skim
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Electronic Commerce: Perspectives of Four Federal Agencies
Electronic Commerce: Perspectives of Four Federal Agencies
Pages 16-35
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From page 16... ...
. The goal of the SPS is to standardize all the contract business practices throughout the Department of Defense (DOD)
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From page 17... ...
We evaluated relevant off-the-shelf software and found that, while no one software package would be perfect for a government agency, some of the available software is adequate for the job. Another major step was ensuring that all the needed interfaces would be established among our NAVFAC automation systems, such as our financial system.
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From page 18... ...
to provide current wage determinations via the Internet. The Service Contract Act and Davis-Bacon Act require every service and construction contract to have a DOL wage determination.
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From page 19... ...
Two of the first three contracts to be advertised on an Army home page will be NAVFAC projects. A contractor will be able to download all or part of the plans and specifications for these solicitations via the Internet, instead of ordering a set of specifications through the mail.
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From page 20... ...
Also arriving on the scene was important, interoperable new technology software, allowing computer operating system independence for Macintosh computers, personal computers, and UNIX computers, and independent of any specific application software. In other words, when using this new software, the authors and He users of information can be on either the same or different types of computers, as in Macintosh to Macintosh, personal computer to Macintosh, and UNIX to personal computer exchanges, using either the same or different application software.
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From page 21... ...
GSA brings that consensus into being by coordinating interagency activities. GSA and the other major procuring agencies have many conceptual, user understanding, technical, and computer equipment resources and operating methods that all agencies and vendors need and can share.
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From page 22... ...
NASA's approach of using the Internet for displaying business opportunities is being followed by other agencies, and there is some consensus that NASA's approach works well. Wage determinations and the debarred bidders list are very widely used by federal contracting officers and by prime contractors.
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From page 23... ...
Currently, there are hyperlinks Dom the FAR World Wide Web site to many other Web sites, including the NASA FAR Supplement, the DEARS, AFFARS, DEAR, and others. More hyperlinks will be added as soon as additional federal procurement information is loaded.
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From page 24... ...
Develop hyperlink pointers between each major federal procurement document or file on all the agencies' Tnternet servers. Establish interagency steering committees, made up of six to ten of the major procurement agencies, to establish a consensus direction on each topic and to provide a member to each users' working group and technical working group.
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From page 25... ...
With this capability, users wall be able to find the location of similar information wherever it is. Make available the business opportunities, including forecasts, synopses, and solicitations of government requirements, and the award of government contracts for subcontracting opportunities.
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From page 26... ...
Army Corps of Engineers The Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA) of 1994, with the electronic commerce it specifies including the Federal Acquisition Computer Network (FACNET - brings changes and new advantages to the acquisition process, in particular for the area of interest here today, engineering and construction contracting.
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From page 27... ...
By taking advantage of today's technology, including use of CD-ROM, the cost of printing contract documents can be borne by the location creating the demand-whether the designer, reviewer, contracting office, contractor, or supplier. The Electronic Bid Set Project Originally, several Army Corps of Engineers groups began their own initiatives in providing electronic bid packages, that is, in putting their documents for construction contracts into an electronic medium to deliver to the contractor.
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From page 28... ...
We therefore defined an electronic bid set as the contract forms, the clauses and conditions of that contract, and related drawings and technical specifications. Originally, then, the project goal was simply to convert these contract bid documents from print media to an electronic format.
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From page 29... ...
The TriService CADD/GIS Center will provide technical assistance, monitor pilot projects, and make recommendations about the process and standards. The results of the process will provide implementation guidance for all the Corps districts in implementing electronic bid sets.
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I will describe the NASA Acquisition Internet Service, also known as NAIS (http://procurement.nasa.govl) and the Federal Acquisition Jumpstation (http://procure.
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From page 31... ...
Many of the procurements that appeared very suitable for EDI transactions three years ago can now be carried out with significantly less effort by using IMPAC cards, the government's credit card equivalent the buyer simply calls up suppliers, such as CompUSA or Staples, and places an order; and it is delivered the next day, with the delivery scanned in at the customer's desktop by the delivery service, such as United Parcel Service or Federal Express. Little training is required to use the IMPAC card.
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From page 32... ...
NASA's Internet service, NAIS, provides immediate access to all NASA synopses and competitive acquisitions over $25,000. NASA is the first federal agency to use this We of procurement system agenc~wide.
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From page 33... ...
So a highly automated environment may not be needed to access the required procurement information. Benefits of NAIS NASA is significantly reducing procurement lead times and saving money.
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From page 34... ...
We are working with the Office of Federal Procurement Policy and with Congress to expand the definition of what types of electronic commerce qualify for FACNET certification. In searching for architect and engineering construction contracts, NASA has a page that anyone can access from a desktop personal computer via the Internet (http://procurement.nasa.gov)
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From page 35... ...
For example, if you access the Air Force through the Jumpstation, you will find that their business opportunities search capabilities closely resemble NASA's. One of our goals in working with other agencies is to link these opportunities closely so Mat when We user searches for architect and engineering or construction contracts, for example, the search can be carried out across the participating agencies.
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