Opportunity to Watch: Worldwide Program Management Support Services

Following on from a blog posting on another attractive Department of State professional services opportunity (Worldwide Design Services)  let’s take a look at Worldwide Program Management Support Services (WPMSS).  This is a great opportunity that affords a many businesses access to well-funded and a diverse set of professional services work.  As always, I look at (1) a scope of work has high growth potential or at least very stable demand, (2) strong funding profiles and (3) access to opportunities with reduced competition.  WPMSS meets all criteria so let’s explore it a bit further.

Not unlike FBI PMSS, WPMSS has an attractive and large scope of work.  I’ll provide some high level detail on the nature of the work provided courtesy of an older FedBizOpps posting.   Now, on to the high level scope of work covered using State’s descriptions in terms of the objectives to be achieved:

• Provide Project Management, Program Management, and Program Management Office services for Information Technology (IT) and other specialized support under a performance-based arrangement, which will maximize an organizations ability to perform its mission at a lower total cost and meet budget, schedule, and quality goals
• Provide support that maximizes the contribution of the organization’s resources to achieve its mission by establishing a clear line of sight from investments to measurable performance improvements whether for the entire enterprise or a portion (or segment) thereof.  If you read the old notice this comes down to aligning Information Technology with business processes.
• Provide support that evaluates, develops, implements, and manages a variety of portfolio management and risk management programs to ensure the organization’s investments are well thought out, cost-effective, and that these investments support the mission and business goals of the organization.
• Provide processes, support staff and tools that support executive decision makers, executive working groups, and other established boards in making well-though out decisions that support investments and support the mission and business goals of the organization.
• Provide a wide-spectrum of project management standardization, training, and development based on best practices to achieve the organization’s strategic goals and enable the organization to apply lessons learned throughout the project life-cycle.

If you’re serious about evaluating this opportunity further I suggest you explore a possible relationship with one of the incumbents.  It would also be wise to pursue more documentation via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  Start the FOIA process now because it will not happen quickly.  I use “quickly” in a very charitable way.

Speaking of the incumbents, let’s look at the who’s who WPMSS.

Deloitte and ICF have won the majority of work (and reward).  Deloitte and ICF are the “haves” of WPMSS.  Booz Allen Hamilton had a single good year and they’ve had some older work de-obligated in a significant way.  PWC and Allied Technology Group have not fared well leaving them and Booz Allen Hamilton in the “have not” category.  Expect some possible exits from WPMSS and some revised teams to make another run.

It is worth noting that FY2012 is still underway and the contract vehicle is well on pace to match or exceed FY2010 and FY2011 spending.    Another important piece of information for you to consider is how WPMSS allows access to work and contract spending in an area of interest to you.  If you consider spending by State in areas of IT and other applicable professional services contracting, WPMSS does not represent a contract vehicle through which the majority of State’s relevant spending runs.  Let’s take a look at the numbers.

However, consider an interesting trend in terms of contract spending in single award, definitive contracts vs. multiple award IDIQ contracts and how State buys.  A recently published report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) supports some things that many of us already know.  Multiple Award IDIQ contracts are getting more and more spending vs. the traditional single award contract.

This opportunity is currently structured as a Blanket Purchasing Agreement using both the GSA Schedule 70 and MOBIS contract vehicles to procure a wide variety of services.  Also interesting there is not a single small business prime contractor (although each prime contractor has several on its team).  I have to wonder if the ever diligent Department of State OSDBU organization led by Shapleigh Drisko will increase subcontracting requirements or create some prime contracting space for small businesses.  Looking towards the re-compete timeline the incumbent contracts don’t expire until August 2013.  Expect to see the acquisition planning to heat up in early FY2013.  It will be interesting to see if State stays with its MOBIS and Schedule 70 BPA.

Takeaways:

• Funding has been strong each year and the service area is broad enough to provide a business with a lot of opportunities inside State
• There may be a few “have not” incumbents considering a way out or possibly a way to strengthen their teams to take work away from “the haves”
• The acquisition strategy is probably not even being considered yet so you do have an opportunity to make suggestions to State
• While this is not a particularly large contract in terms of total spending compared to State’s combined professional services and IT services spending (averages about $2.5 billion a year) it allows access to some attractive work
• State is embracing more and more multiple award IDIQ contracts to get projects done so if you don’t have one (and one of theirs) you are at a competitive disadvantage (but not necessarily done altogether)

Keep tuned to State to learn more about the opportunity as it unfolds.

Stay focused. Do your capture homework. There are some great opportunities out there. Good hunting!