Facilitation of a multi-functional integrated project team through the performance-based acquisition process.
A facilitated requirements development workshop is a collaborative engagement where the integrated project team planning for a specific acquisition spends a block of time together, with other stakeholders as well as a facilitator/coach, working through various aspects of the requirement. The facilitator/coach walks the team through development of the project vision/mission, high-level objectives, performance requirements and performance-based strategies for the agency project and implementation roadmap.
DOD manages the Services Acquisition Workshop (SAW) program and GSA manages the Civilian Services Acquisition Workshop (CSAW) program, including train-the-trainer opportunities. Modeled after the CSAWs, the DHS Procurement Innovation Lab (PIL) facilitates PIL Acquisition Workshops (PAWS).
In a workshop, the facilitator enables the team to effectively arrive at consensus on key decision points for the project’s requirement and resulting acquisition. These workshops are typically conducted very early in market research. PAWs, which may be as short as one day or as long as one week, are workshops dedicated to discussing and finalizing the market research, finalizing requirements development, and formulating procurement strategies. The SAW and CSAW workshops (no cost to federal customers) typically take a full week or two with the team. Workshops have been effectively used for professional, human resources, information technology, construction, and medical services acquisitions. Additionally, workshops have been used for manufacturing challenges as well as for policy development. Federal Agencies can implement facilitated requirements development workshops within their organization and it can be done virtually or in-person.
- Workshops enable easier adoption of performance-based acquisition (see FAR 2.101) steps.
- Facilitated workshops can help teams develop more precise and concise requirements.
- The workshops force teams to work together, in smaller teams and in a group setting, through the development process. Siloed functional roles can lead to suboptimized requirements development that fails to reflect an organized demand signal.
- Decisions are not continually delayed for another meeting down the road, they can happen within the workshop which will streamline the procurement process.
- Enhanced awareness of best practices in market research, requirements writing, and source selection-- all tailored to the specific needs of the team, the project, and the acquisition.
- Effective collaboration of integrated project teams
- Better defined requirements and acquisition strategies
- Reduced procurement administrative lead times
- Improved project management and better performance outcomes
- Increased stakeholder buy-in in the end product
- Increased engagement with end users and industry, improving the overall requirements and procurement process
- A high-level roadmap to accomplish the project
Acquisition teams are frequently siloed by function (e.g. Contracting, Program Office) and generally do not collaborate on each phase of the acquisition process. CSAWs break down the silos and get teams working together through the process.
Across government, adoption of Performance Based Acquisition [PBA] (FAR 2.101) has been hit and miss. CSAWs provide teams with facilitated guidance by subject matter experts in PBA, which results in more precise and concise requirements.
CSAW Facilitators are introducing teams to best practices in requirements writing, market research, source selection and all of it is tailored to the specific needs of the team. As new best practices, tools or techniques are identified, CSAW Facilitators incorporate into the workshop.
Facilitated requirements development workshops have been identified as a best practice for helping to reduce PALT, which is directly tied to the level of collaboration between team members of the acquisition team.
