PSC, Grant Thornton release acquisition survey

The Professional Services Council and Grant Thornton today released their annual acquisition policy survey.

The biennial study, now in its eighth edition, reflects interviews with 80 federal officials, including senior acquisition executives, contracting professionals, congressional staff and members of the oversight community.

This year's survey reported "mixed results" when it comes to the acquisition workforce.

"More than a competency gap, this year's interviewees expressed concern about a capacity gap, wherein the existing workforce, however skilled it may be, simply does not have the time and resources to keep up with demand," the document reads. "The government also continues to suffer from a capability gap when it comes to hiring, training, and retaining acquisition workers, particularly in the face of ongoing retirements of seasoned contracting professionals. All of these factors contribute to an apparent confidence gap, as workers remain unprepared or unwilling to take well-reasoned risks to exploit potential innovations or cost savings, instead defaulting to familiar, often suboptimal, strategies, practices, and even outcomes."

Additionally, the report noted continued issues with open communication and with innovation.

"On the whole, respondents are concerned the government does not have a consistent, successful strategy for soliciting, evaluating, and contracting for innovative ideas from industry, whether in the 'traditional' or 'cutting-edge' contracting space," the document states. "In fact, the government often views the traditional contracting base as being mutually exclusive from innovative offerors."

The survey also called on policymakers and oversight bodies to better understand the effects of their requirements on the acquisition system.