Acquisition Leadership: The SEWP Way

1. Acquisition Leadership:The SEWP Way

2. SEWP Program Overview • SEWP: Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement • NASA-Wide IDIQ Contract Vehicle for purchase of IT Product solutions • Authorized by OMB as a Government-Wide Acquisition Contract • Program is 19 years old • Version IV started in May 2007 • FY11 Government-Wide: 24,000 Delivery Orders worth over $2.3 Billion • 70 Agencies / Over 10,000 customers in past year

3. SEWP By The Numbers • 38 Competed Prime Contractors • 3800+ Manufacturers • Including Cisco, Sun, NetApp, EMC, APC, Microsoft, Oracle, etc. • 1.9+ Million Products • Hardware, Software, Network Communications, Audio-Visual, Supporting Technology • Maintenance / Warranty / Product Training • Firm Fixed Price Product Based Services; e.g. Installation

4. SEWP Program Services • Help Desk • Pre-order support • Order processing and support • Post-order support • On-Line Information / Tools • RFQ, Search, FAQs, etc • Training • Free on-site and web-based training on proper use of Contracts • Outreach • Meetings / Retreats / Conferences • Order Processing/ Reports / Tracking • Quality Assurance / Surveys

5. SEWP Program Office • Post Contract Award Management • 4 civil servants • Program Manager • Deputy Program Manager • Financial Manager • Contracting Officer • Contractor staff of over 35 personnel • Focus on customer support

6. Program Structure - Financial • Program budget is self contained • NASA provides no direct SEWP funding • No SEWP funding is provided to NASA except overhead • Working Capital Fund • Not tied to Fiscal Year • Budget closely monitored to ensure “non-profit” status • Program staffing and existence directly tied to usage and customer satisfaction • Operates essentially as a small business

7. Program Structure - Oversight • NASA • Direct oversight: Part of the GSFC CIO Directorate • HQ oversight: • CIO • Financial Office • Other Government Entities • Office of Management and Budget (OMB) • Congress / General Accounting Office (GAO) • Inspector Generals Everywhere • Others • Press / Public • Industry

8. SEWP Success • Large non-GSA Government-Wide Contract Vehicle • Utilized by every Federal Agency • Clean “Bill of Health” from DoD IG and GAO • Lowest Service Fee in Government • 0.45% of order total (Typical fee is 0.75 to 1%) • Customer Service Survey by Outside Consultant • 93% satisfaction rating for customer service • Can be leveraged by single customers; consolidated groups; up through CIO-level agency requirements • Tracking, support, training, oversight, insight along with up to date IT product solutions

9. Basis For Success • Customer Service • Work Environment • Diversity • Management • Leadership • Innovation and Change

10. Customer Service • Entire staff is part of Customer Service • Involve non-Help desk staff in Program-wide activities • Form cross-functional teams • Share Program Vision • Support training and meeting activities • Customer Outreach • Reach out to the Customer • Provide easy access to training • Ensure Website and other materials are for the Customer and not the Program

11. Dealing With Customers • Always Smile • Keep a positive attitude • Let off steam at the right time • Customer is not always Right … But the Customer is never Wrong • The Customer may: • Be misinformed • Lack information • Lack understanding, etc. • Program must monitor Customer issues and increase information, outreach, etc.

12. Work environment • Door almost always open • Encourage staff to ask questions • Know the Staff • Strengths and weaknesses • Work Hard / Play Hard • Encourage appropriate “free time” • Staff-wide activities / celebrations • Foster team building • Encourage “taking the extra step”

13. Staff Diversity • Every staff has diversity • Not just the obvious (Race / Gender) • Many forms • Family status • Upbringing / background • Age • Education • Personality • Personal Goals • …

14. Effects of Staff Diversity • Diversity can cause issues with: • Communications • Expectations • Motivations • Diversity can (should) be leveraged for positive results • Diverse program requirements • Growth for staff and program • Understanding Customer Base – also diverse

15. Handling Staff Diversity • Treat Program and staff as a “Whole” • While recognizing individual differences and contributions • Separate management expectation from management characterization • Recognize own position in diversity schema • Management must go beyond its own comfort zone • Avoid favoritism – real or perceived • Utilize Teams Carefully • Employee Code of Conduct

16. Management Expectations - OHNS The OHNS Management Philosophy “Often Happy … …Never Satisfied”

17. Often Happy • Congratulate good work • Both directly to staff and to their management • Emphasize to outside world Program’s positive aspects • Show pride in staff accomplishments

18. Never Satisfied • Program should not be seen as a finished product • Avoid stagnancy and self-satisfaction • Recently initiated shift from culture of speed to culture of quality • Technology, customer expectations, internal requirements always changing • Continuous improvement • Short-term Tweaking • Long-term Vision

20. “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” - Warren G. Bennis • NASA SEWP Program has always been more than a set of contracts – it is viewed as an innovative experiment in IT acquisition • One of the 4 Acquisition objectives (all 4 are intact 20 years later): embrace innovative procurement transactions and processes • 3 Godfathers of SEWP • Set the objectives, goals and frameworks the Program continues to strive to meet

21. Creativity and Innovation • “The essential part of creativity is not being afraid to fail.” • — Edwin H. Land • “The innovation point is the pivotal moment when talented and motivated people seek the opportunity to act on their ideas and dreams.” • — W. Arthur Porter • “Absolute identity with one's cause is the first and great condition of successful leadership.” • — Woodrow Wilson

22. Keys to SEWP’s Innovation • Understanding the difference between administering a contract and managing an acquisition program • Bringing together disparate parts • Technical, procurement, policy • Government and Private Industry • Willingness to experiment • Hands-off upper management • Started as a non-entity / under the radar • Self-contained financially

23. Keys to SEWP’s Innovation Part II • Accept responsibility for failures and move on • Staff: dedication to mission; willingness to listen, observe and recommend • Mission is to provide the best customer service and the best contract program possible • No mandatory customers • Managed as if the Program is a Small Business not a Government Program

25. Technical Background Creative mentor Had to design from scratch Forward thinking while remaining a Skeptic Thinker not a doer Staff of doers is very important to success when leader has visions Philosophy: Often Happy, Never Satisfied Always something to learn and try “The achievement of excellence can only occur if the organization promotes a culture of creative dissatisfaction.” — Lawrence Miller A Personal Perspective

26. SEWP Leadership Timeline • First Government-Wide Acquisition Contract • Implicit goal – be the best program possible while keeping as low a profile as possible • Past 3-5 years have been a paradigm shift • Increased size • Increased visibility of GWACs and SEWP • Outreach is working • No longer under the radar • Viewed as a leader and need to fill that role • Leadership not confined to SEWP Contracts – Acquisition issues in general • We could run and hide or push forward

28. SEWP Leadership History • One of the first to use EDI over the Internet • Attempted to require RFID type functionality in mid-1990’s • First to post draft RFPs on Internet with interactive Q and A • Strong emphasis on customer service, outreach and training • Early adopters of blackberry technology • Contract Holder Relationship Manager concept • Many special contract clauses; warranty as a product for example

29. “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” - Peter Drucker • Annual conference built around customers • Semi-Annual Industry forums • Federal IT Acquisition Summit • Goal was to provide a neutral forum for a variety of acquisition related activities to provide information to Federal procurement personnel • Attendance: Over 300 Government attendees from 72 distinct Government offices • Innovative tools for customer, industry and internal use • General association leadership • NCMA Executive Advisory Council and NCMA Sponsor • ACT/IAC Acquisition Government Advisory Panel • OpenGroup Trusted Technology Forum (O-TTF)

30. OpenGroup: O-TTF • Industry-led effort to standardize / accredit supply chains • Co-chair of the Acquisition and Global Outreach Workstream • Global in nature • SEWP’s goal: • Ensure final product is inclusive • Assist in formulating acquisition policy recommendations Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. —John F. Kennedy

31. “The price of greatness is responsibility.” — Winston Churchill SEWP Vision Statement SEWP will solidify its reputation as an innovative, customer focused program as it seamlessly transitions to SEWP V and will be a visible, leading contributor to NASA and the Federal IT Acquisition Community. SEWP Mission Statement As an established and agile leader in the Federal Acquisition Community, the SEWP Program Office manages a suite of government-wide IT product solution contracts that provide NASA and all Federal Agencies with timely access to mission critical technologies. The Program provides best value and cost savings for the Federal Government and American taxpayer through innovative procurement tools and processes; premiere customer service and outreach; and advocation of competition and cooperation with industry.

32. SEWP Customer Service Contacts Follow SEWP @nasasewp Find Us NASA SEWP

33. The SEWP Management Team 050912