Comparative Analysis of Multiple-Award Task Order Contracting and Its Impacts on Acquisition Reform

Book excerpt: Present procurement practices for purchase of commercial, commercial off-the-shelf, and non-developmental products and services take thirty days and sometimes years to procure and deliver to the end user. Federal Government contracting offices spend costly amounts of time advertising the actions and preparing formal solicitation documents for each purchase order generated by the end- user. This translates to high administrative costs, high prices, and at times marginal performance. This research offers alternative procurement practices through a single award indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract accessed through an advanced electronic system, which is maintained in accordance with commercially established practices. Further comparisons are made with the growing popularity of multiple-award contracts as these procurement instruments affect competition, pricing and socio-economic issues.