Pentagon launches consulting contract review process
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By
Nick Wakeman
In order to align with Trump priorities, the Defense Department wants written justifications for why each consulting contract should not be cancelled.
The Defense Department has kicked off a review process to look at consulting contracts and determine if they are essential and support the priorities of the Trump administration.
The memo is from Steven J. Morani, who the signature block indicates is “Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment."
Morani is an Air Force veteran and most recently was the deputy director of logistics, civil engineering and force protection with the Air Force Materiel Command.
The memo asks senior Pentagon leaders, defense agency leaders and field activity directors to identify consulting contracts to be canceled or descoped.
DOD is taking a phased approach and will begin with orders placed against General Services Administration-managed contracts for consulting services. Phase two will look at non-GSA consulting contracts.
“Components shall take action to terminate, descope, or forego exercising options for requirements determined to be non-essential as a result of this review,” Morani writes.
Component leaders will have to write justifications for contracts they believe are essential. A general officer or senior executive service member who represents the requirement will sign off that it is valid.
Submissions for the GSA consulting contracts are due March 19. Non-GSA consulting contract justifications are due April 19.
Now is the time for companies holding these contracts to talk to their customers and help them build justifications, as Jeff Shapiro, a partner at the advisory firm CohnReznick, writes on LinkedIn.
“If you are a consulting GovCon to DOD, you may want to consider proactively helping your acquisition officers with their rationale on why they should keep you. What value are you driving for today and tomorrow?” Shapiro writes.