Technology Collaboration/Shared Services - Valuing Re-use in Acquisition

Peter Gallagher

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While re-use is tracked in OMB 300 documentation re-use strategy is generally not evalutated in procurements. There are many ways to encourage re-use of technology including the use of COTS software. In recent years the application of open source COTS (open source is COTS by OMB definition) has shown promise of providing a whole new range of options for re-use as compared to proprietary COTS. If acquisition evaluation criteria regularly valued the cross-government re-use potential by using an open source approach there would be a dramatic shift in commercial response to IT initiatives.

Why Is This Idea Important?

Valuing re-use in acquistion has the potential to easily and quickly increase the use of common software tools and architectures.

Idea # 746Between Federal, State, and Local Governments, re-use, open source, acquisition

Comments

Peter Tuttle 9 months ago

Although this sounds good, I am afraid adoption of this suggestion will result in creating a "closed shop" in favor of IT large businesses. The government must answer the hard questions regarding how to balance cross-organizational efficiency and effectiveness against socio-economic programs, such as small business, etc. Unless Congress changes the rules, the government cannot purchase like corporate America.

Peter Gallagher 9 months ago

The idea is that by encouraging, not mandating, the sharing of assets then the assets produced by big businesses will be shared with all, including small busineses. This will allow a level of participation and learning that has today resulted in the "closed shop" that should be discouraged. The marketplace does the best job of sharing information _IF_ the incentives are put in place. Small businesses, regardless of socio-economic status, have much to gain from an environment where assets are shared. The re-use strategies will encourage sharing.