Listen to the Deep Dive of this post
GSA Eyes Government-Wide Contracting Takeover Amid Reorganization
The General Services Administration (GSA) is reportedly exploring a significant shift in federal procurement: a potential takeover of contracting functions from other civilian agencies. This move comes as part of a broader reorganization within GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS).
According to sources familiar with the plans, GSA is considering establishing a new entity within FAS to handle contracting work for various agencies. An internal email to GSA employees indicated that the contracting needs of agencies like the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which previously managed its own contracting, are likely to transition to GSA.
Several sources suggest that this initiative aims to consolidate contracting activities across the federal government. The reorganization is allegedly starting with a pilot program involving agencies such as the OPM, the Education Department, the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). One GSA employee stated that these pilot agencies may no longer have their own acquisition staff after personnel are either subject to RIFs (Reductions in Force) or transferred to GSA.
Interestingly, this reorganization appears to have links to the Trump administration’s previous efforts to merge OPM and GSA into a single agency. News also recently emerged that OPM laid off its entire procurement team, suggesting a facilitating step towards this consolidation. Furthermore, there’s a draft memo indicating that the Education Department might face elimination via an upcoming executive order, which could explain the planned reassignment of its functions.
GSA has reportedly been actively seeking employees, particularly current and former contracting officers, to help establish this new organization. Interested individuals were asked to express their interest through an online form with a recent deadline. Updates on this potential reorganization are being regularly provided to FAS Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum, and a dedicated “tiger team” involving senior procurement executives and chief financial officers has been formed, acknowledging the considerable risks associated with such a large undertaking.
The ambitious timeline suggests that GSA is aiming to take over these contracting functions at the pilot agencies by March 30th. Sources indicate that vendors are likely unaware of these impending changes, raising the possibility of potential disruptions to existing contracts. The reorganization is also expected to impact contracting functions within GSA’s Public Buildings Service.
This potential government-wide contracting consolidation by GSA represents a significant shift in how federal agencies manage their acquisitions and could have wide-ranging implications for both government employees and contractors.
gsa, contracting, federal acquisition service, fas, opm, office of personnel management, education department, small business administration, sba, department of housing and urban development, hud, reorganization, government contracting, trump administration
