Our purpose today is to share Preliminary Planning Scoping and Grouping approaches, lessons learned,

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Our purpose today is to share Preliminary
Planning Scoping and Grouping approaches, lessons
learned, and critical success attributes

• Multiple dimensions need to be addressed in
  preliminary planning to
• As OMB/OSD accountability pressures mount, DLAs
  Competitive Sourcing Competitions must be planned
  to achieve high Service Provider performance
• Despite acknowledgement of the required need for
  Preliminary Planning, most do not know where to
  begin
• DLA utilizes a Thorough 14 Step Methodology to
  support each Competitive Sourcing Study decision
  prior to public announcement of an A-76
  Competition

Strategic Mission Priorities
Leadership Support
Structure/Process and Financial Planning
Assessment
Information Integration Reporting
Performance Measures Definition Application
Data, Tools Technology
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DLA Preliminary Planning Process
Execution Phase Implementing the project plan
including Scoping, Grouping, Workload Assessment,
Baseline Cost, Study Type, Officials, and
Notifications
The Transition Phase Transitioning out of the
preliminary planning phase, handoff the
deliverables developed during the phase, and
position the organization to execute the
preliminary planning decision
Project Management and Planning Phase
Developing the management structure and
approaches recommended for managing the
preliminary planning including a sound project
plan that will enable successful preliminary
planning.
Teams and Managers must focus their attention on
the process interfaces or potential fail points
in the process.
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Preliminary Planning is a project plan roadmap
to successful Competitive Sourcing Competition
execution

• The purpose of the project plan is to
• Ensure requirements are met
• Eliminate reinventing the wheel by
  standardizing routine project work
• Reduce the number of tasks that could be
  overlooked
• Eliminate duplication of effort
• Ensure the project is kept in control
• Maximize the use of resources

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Project Plan Components

• The Initial Project Scope includes a review of
  both the Inherently Governmental/Commercial
  Activities and current contracts within those
  activities.
• Preliminary Planning Milestone Schedule provides
  team members with a means to coordinate their
  activities to meet deadlines.
• Responsibility Assignment Matrix shows the level
  of responsibility for groups or individuals in
  executing the major tasks on the milestone
  schedule.
• Resource-Staffing Plan schedules the time
  required to complete the project allows
  participants to assess their time required over
  the course of the project, and is useful for
  tracking expenditures.
• External/Internal Communications Plan establishes
  a coordinated plan to effectively help inform
  both affected personnel and outside audiences of
  efforts associated with the initiative.

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Step 1 Scope - Selecting Activities for
Competition
Since the Circular has specific timeframes for
completing the PWS and MEO, preliminary planning
is an important step for DLA in preparing for
competition

• Preliminary Planning Assessment
• Initial assessment/baseline at the beginning
  of the preliminary planning period and monthly
  updates discussed during regularly scheduled
  video teleconference).
• Completed before public announcement and
  submitted for tracking purposes and to determine
  the readiness and ensures accomplished correctly
  and within a reasonable timeframe (120-180 days).
  

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Scoping is a detailed analysis to determine the
best candidates for a competitive sourcing study

• Detailed analysis of the FAIR Act Inventory.
  This ensures the FAIR Act categorizations are
  accurate and up-to-date and validated using
  on-site focus group interviews. These interviews
  will provide a clear and descriptive view into
  the functions considered for competition.
• In addition to these interviews, a review of
  positions under study should also occur. This
  analysis requires the collection and review of
  position descriptions of the functions under
  study to validate whether they are commercial or
  inherently governmental.

Preliminary planning research encompasses all
requirements performed by in-house and contract
resources for the activities under
review. Scoping ensures impacted authorizations
are properly coded and any questions about study
inclusion are investigated. Study inclusion may
involve the resolution of inherently governmental
workload and possible realignment.
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Additional Scoping Issues

• In considering whether an activity should be
  competed, consider the following factors
• Planned competition costs vs. potential savings
• Timing of the competition in relation to other
  organizational activities
• Potential efficiencies to be realized through
  competition and possible mission degradation
• Research whether the activity is currently being
  performed by the private sector and probe level
  of industry interest
• Human Resource involvement

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Scoping Best Practices
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Additional Scoping Best Practices
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Step 2 Group Activities
Goal To group functions so that the product or
service produced by that activity is adequately
maintained (can be maintained by a service
provider) In this phase, the activities
identified as eligible for a competition are
subdivided into groups, which will be separately
competed.

• Subdivide activities into groups
• Geographic location
• Function/department
• Discuss with Activity Under Study (AUS), RA,
  Program Manager, KO, and affected organizations
  senior management
• Determine which, if any, service contracts to
  include
• Review appropriate placement of inherently
  governmental responsibilities (performance
  assessments, contract administration)
• Functions should be grouped in such a way that
  the product or service produced by the activity
  is adequately maintained and can be performed by
  any service provider.

Consider potential effects on internal and
external customers impact of consolidating
service contracts into new acquisition
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Grouping Functions as Business Units

• Consider the requirements of nonappropriated
  fund employees, interservice support agreements
  (ISSA), memorandums of agreement (MOA), and
  memorandums of understanding (MOU) to determine
  their most appropriate placement (inside or
  outside the business unit) and to develop a
  rationale for inclusion of the particular group
  of functions for competition.
• Identify work units mandatory and advisory
  directives, hours of operation, certification
  requirements, security issues, definitions, and
  publications/forms associated with the outputs
  during this phase.
• Public reimbursable source agreements provided by
  a host command or another reimbursable activity
  should be included in the scope of work,
  particularly when the service has a major impact
  on the performance of the function.
• Requirements that are outside the business unit
  must also be considered. Review and appropriate
  placement of inherently governmental
  responsibilities (performance assessment,
  contract administration, etc.) as well as
  civilian bump and retreat impact.

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Market Research

• Market research is required to obtain
  information relevant to the grouping of functions
  (consistent with market and industry structures
  and the needs/requirements of the potential
  acquisition).
• Obtain information relevant to grouping
• Have similar acquisitions been issued?
• How were functions grouped?
• Did they offers did they receive?
• What are the needs and requirements of potential
  acquisition?
• How does industry do this function?
• In-house or outsourced
• What are their costs/compare as-is costs
• What are their lessons learned
• What has been the response to previous
  competitions
• Complete with input from the KO as not to
  duplicate efforts

The extent of the market research will vary
depending on the complexity, past experience, and
the amount of information already available

• The following are examples of MR techniques
• Identify commercial sources/practices/standards
• Collect MR information from government and
  non-government sources
• Develop questionnaire for industry and government
  agencies
• Review recent market research from similar
  acquisitions
• Query government and commercial databases
• Conduct exchanges with industry
• Review marketing literature/brochures
• Identify new technology in the market place
• Issue RFI or presolicitation notices for planning
• Industry panel
• Meet one-on-one with commercial sources

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Is a Business Case Analysis Needed?

• What is the impact of competing this function?
• Cost savings
• Are the savings significant enough?
• FTE vs. Cost
• Mission accomplishment/degradation
• Mission Impact
• Customer Impact
• Operational Risk
• Organizational Impacts
• Operational risks
• Environmental/Cultural Impacts
• Qualitative/Quantitative Benefits

If serious concerns surface during preliminary
planning, notify the CSD for further direction
before proceeding