Jerry McGinn: Federal Government Adopting ‘All-of-the-Above’ Approach to Acquisition

Jerry McGinn, executive director of the Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University’s School of Business, said the federal government is implementing an “all-of-the-above” approach to procurement as it responds to the coronavirus pandemic, the Washington Business Journal reported Monday.

“They are doing [Other Transaction Authorities], they are doing contract ramping, commercial production, they are doing things like the Defense Production Act, so lots of different efforts,” McGinn said of federal agencies. “It runs the gamut, and the idea is that we’ve got to marshal all parts of the broad government contracting industry to help.”

The Trump administration passed the $2.2T Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and McGinn said the measure offers an opportunity to speed up the acquisition process through the use of OTAs amid COVID-19.

Agencies have also used blanket purchase agreements and other contract vehicles to accelerate procurements.

“We’ve seen lots of quick churn, 24-hour responses on BPAs and other funding opportunities where the agencies are looking to get things immediately on contract. That, in the last week, has dramatically increased,” McGinn said.