Acquisition is a process that requires teamwork with each individual and/or group working together to ensure that the customer is provided the greatest overall benefit in response to their requirements (best value). Acquisition planning should start once the need for supplies or services are identified. Integrated Product Teams (IPT) should be used when needed to help develop the acquisition strategy. The use of these teams will reduce false starts and delays resulting from unclear scopes of work. In the following paragraphs the steps in the acquisition process will be defined and discussed.
The first step in acquisition planning is market research. Market research collects and analyzes information about the capabilities within the …show more content…

It is a description of the Source Selection Organization (SSO) and the duties and responsibilities of each component. It includes the issuance of the draft solicitation, conduct of pre-solicitation and/or pre-proposal conferences, etc. Also included in the SSP are: proposed acquisition strategy, including contract type and whether multiple awards are anticipated, proposed evaluation factors and sub-factors (their relative importance and associated standards), proposed evaluation methodology/innovative techniques and the milestones from receipt of the proposal to signing of the contract.
After the Source Selection Organization and Source Selection Plan have been established the solicitation is issued. In negotiated procurement a request for proposal (RFP) is used to solicit proposals from potential offerors. The RFP includes explanation of what the government is buying, the information they must provide and how their proposals will be evaluated. It is important that the consistency between the RFP and related documents are well maintained. It should not request too much information and should not limit the offeror’s flexibility to propose their best solutions. The benefits of sticking with this methodology are increased competition, access to better commercial technology, technical solutions and fewer protests.
The fourth step is evaluating the proposals. Assign relative importance to each