10/29/09 04:33 pm ET
ACS Federal won the contract that the Veterans Affairs Department announced on Wednesday to pitch in, on a temporary basis, to help the department process GI bill benefit claims.
VA told me four bidders responded to the requests for proposals, and ACS Federal was chosen because "they submitted the highest quality response and have had successful past performance."
OK, it's good that the high-quality outfit will help process GI bill claims rather than have vets starve waiting for their checks, but the whole contract process raises a lot of questions.
The RFP was issued on Oct. 21, but the VA press shop did not publicly announce it until Oct. 28. Why the delay in public notification?
I'm told that the RFP went to a handful of vendors on some GSA schedule contract, but folks who are really good at keeping track of contracts told me they could not find the solicitation anywhere after their diligent searches.
Why not a more full-and-open competition? Did the VA consider using a veterans owned business for the job? And if not, why not?
This contract process was about as transparent as a battleship.
COMMENTS
Bob, It should have been done like that *Cash 4 Clunkers* program, i.e., pay the Veteran first, and then make the school come after the money from the VA (a floating loan). Don't worry - old State U would get paid their $$.
In Cash 4 Clunkers, auto dealers sold the car and then went to the government for the $4,500 reimbursement - not the car buyers
Don't our Veterans deserve treatment such as this?
FJ 10/30/09 10:05 am ET
I usually agree with many of Bob's observation but this one is a little parnoid. Having sold to the VA for over 8 years I believe it is my responsibility to be aware of what the VA is doing and how I can help them with their mission. Knowing the state of acquisitions in the VA, if they had posted this on every street corner for every Tom/Dick and Harry to offer options, the VA would make an award 6 months from now and someone who doesn't know the first thing about how to do do business with the VA will take another 3 months to spin up. The veterans need help now. If you're a vendor who wants to participate, roll up your sleves and get involved and then an RFP won't be a suprise.
BTW, I didn't have a dog in the fight :-)
VAGUY 10/30/09 09:38 am ET