Currently our agency is understaffed in the contracting shop and it may cause serious, unacceptable award delays for our program office as we are procuring critical services. Is there any opportunity to outsource the contracting authority to another agency? At one time I had heard that DoD had a shop that would help agencies get through some of theses procurements. Any information, if available would be helpful.

Some options are:

-GSA Assisted Acquisition Services (www.gsa.gov/aas )

-DOI Acquisition Services Directorate (www.aqd.nbc.gov)

-HHS Program Support Center (www.psc.gov)

Those are the major programs I know of on the civilian side. With regard to DoD, I am not sure if any agency in DoD really is offers contracting support "for sale" on a large-scale basis anymore. There are some DoD offices that do a lot of acquisition support for other DoD activities (Army Center of Contracting Excellence and Washington Headquarters Services).

I cannot comment much on the quality of work that any of these places do on a for-hire basis. I can tell you that the DOI place used to be called "GovWorks," until they got raked over the coals for a variety of improper practices...so they changed their name.

I should add that under guidance issued by OFPP last year, there are certain processes that you are obliged to folllow when going on a route like this. You can read it here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/procurement/...iac_revised.pdf

Corps of Engineers has it's offices for sale for engineering and contracting. They LOVE outside money as everything has to have a project labor code. Right now they are courting my agency especially in contracting, but I am thanks, no thanks.

Other ideas, have someone from another Contracting office within the agency come tdy for 4 mos to help with the backload till you can get some people hired.

Have other contracting offices within the agency pick up the load.

Have you considered just contracting out for support?

The Director of the Army Contracting Command has said at conferences that he has the ability to cross-level requirements across the various contracts shops that fall under his domain. But it's getting close to when most contracts shop have reached capacity for FY10 awards