by Brianna Crandall — December 23, 2013—The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) released a Request for Information (RFI) on December 18 seeking industry feedback and demonstrated best practices in facilities maintenance and operations to assist the agency, along with a team comprised of representatives from 18 federal agencies, with the development of a new government-wide Building Maintenance and Operations (BMO) services program. The program will cover such areas as heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC); elevator maintenance; janitorial services; grounds maintenance and utilities.
This BMO program is designed to incorporate federal strategic sourcing principles including pricing discounts, improved operations management, small business support, and incorporation of government and private industry best practices. Through this request, GSA seeks recommendations about how cost and operations savings can be measured and achieved through a BMO-focused strategic sourcing solution, either by demand management strategies, better acquisition, or improved performance management.
According to GSA, Building Maintenance and Operations was selected in 2013 as one of five new commodity categories to be considered as a Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative (FSSI), an initiative using a collaborative process to analyze the government’s decentralized spending patterns in order to better leverage its purchasing power, reduce costs, and improve overall performance.
GSA is currently developing a government-wide program designed to improve the way the federal government purchases and manages these types of services, which could include: HVAC, electrical, elevator, road work, janitorial, landscaping, pest control, waste management and utilities.
Small and local business utilization is a major focal point of the development of this building maintenance and operations program, notes GSA. The agency says it is committed to creating opportunities for small businesses.
“The federal government’s portfolio of building assets contains more than double the square footage of the top five U.S. commercial real estate companies combined,” said GSA’s federal acquisition service commissioner Tom Sharpe, Jr. “This program has the opportunity to significantly change the way the government approaches the services used to maintain and operate its buildings and structures, saving money and streamlining processes.”
For more information, and access to the RFI document and submittal instructions, visit GSA’s Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative (FSSI)—Building Maintenance & Operations (BMO) Web page. The RFI response period will close on January 17, 2014, and the agency will host a follow-up Building Maintenance and Operations “Industry Day” next month to discuss the government’s strategy and provide the opportunity for interested industry stakeholders to get involved.
