David W. Garrett
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.             November 30, 1992
(Phone:  202/453-8400)


RELEASE:  92-211

NASA SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENT ON NEW PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES


     NASA plans to publish a request in the Federal Register 
for public and industry comment on new procedures to simplify 
and expedite the award of mid-range contracts, which account 
for 80 percent of the agency's procurement actions.

     "It is incredible to think that these contracts, which 
range from $25,000 to $2.5 million, frequently require as 
much paperwork and time to complete as contracts worth 
hundreds of millions of dollars.  This is a costly, wasteful 
situation that discourages small business, and we aim to 
change it," said NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin.

     Goldin said that under the proposed procedures, both 
solicitations by the agency and documentation required of 
potential contractors would be greatly simplified.  The goal 
is to reduce cost, improve the quality of goods and services 
purchased by NASA, and encourage small and disadvantaged 
business to participate in the nation's space and aeronautics 
research programs. 

     "This procurement reform is perhaps the most 
revolutionary approach to government contracting in many 
years," Goldin said.  "This will merge the capabilities of 
electronic technologies of the 1990s with greater empowerment 
of people directly responsible for the process, 
straightforward evaluation and documentation simplification.  
We aim to create a system -- with input from the public and 
industry -- which will significantly reduce the time and 
effort involved in procurement."

     After the 45-day public comment period, the new mid-
range procedures initially will be tested at a NASA field 
center.  Based upon the results of this test, the agency will 
seek authority to expand mid-range procedures to the 
remainder of its centers.

Electronic Bulletin Board to Speed Process

     An electronic bulletin board  -- called the NASA 
Acquisition Bulletin Board (NABB) -- would be used as the 
primary means of publicizing requirements and providing 
copies of solicitations.  There would be no charge for access 
to the NABB other than the user cost of a phone call.  This 
would eliminate the inherent delays in using Commerce 
Business Daily to publicize requirements and the mails to 
provide copies of solicitations.

     NASA mid-range solicitations would clearly explain 
requirements considered of major importance.  A buying team 
-- a group of two to four people intimately familiar with the 
procurement requirements and unburdened by layers of 
bureaucracy -- will focus on these key aspects in the 
evaluation and source selection.

     "Mid-range solicitations would be stripped of much of 
the 'boilerplate' language associated with government 
procurement.  Small firms would be encouraged to do business 
with the government rather than be intimidated.  The buying 
team's documentation requirements would be relaxed to a more 
reasonable standard," Goldin said.

     All procurement decisions would be made by the buying 
team.  It is expected that these new, simplified procedures 
could ultimately be used for all but the most complex 
procurements.