10 Do’s and Don’ts of Communication in the Federal IT Acquisition Process

The American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) has released a report designed to improve communications between government and industry in the federal IT acquisition process by providing a list of the top 10 do’s and don’ts. ACT-IAC believes that better communication and collaboration between government and industry will result in more effective and innovative technology solutions for the government and improve the effectiveness of the acquisition process.

The list was developed at an ACT-IAC Acquisition Management Shared Interest Group (SIG) sponsored workshop on RFP-related communications that included over 80 acquisition experts and program officials from government and industry.

Click through for the top 10 do's and don'ts for improving the federal IT acquisition process, as outlined by the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC).

Don’t go around proper communication channels, violate the black-out period, or ask unnecessary questions.

Don’t inflate or misrepresent your expertise or bad mouth your competition.

Don’t blindly cut & paste (from draft response, company literature or previous proposals) – customize to agency requirement.

Do understand your own capabilities and decide accordingly (and realistically) on what to bid.

Do put client interests first.

Don’t call the procurement best value if it isn’t best value – be clear about the evaluation criteria.

Don’t provide a point of contact who doesn’t answer phone calls or e-mails.

Do allow at least a 2 week period after the final answers to questions are posted to allow industry to adequately address clarifications or changes in the RFP.

Do use Statement of Objectives (SOO) – have true objectives and not “shall statements”. Encourage innovation on both sides. Promote more industry involvement through RFIs, one-on-one market research & other techniques.

Do establish a realistic schedule – be mindful of major holidays.