Agencies sometimes prefer their own homegrown IDIQs. Bureaucracies are bureaucracies worldwide- they tend to be parochial, self-serving, and mistrustful of outsiders. It is no different in the world of IDIQs.

Most IDIQs are created and awarded by agencies at the cabinet or subcabinet levels, e.g., the Department of Homeland Security or the Coast Guard within the DHS. In the Department of Defense, the Army, Navy, and Air Force issue hundreds of IDIQs. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have their own information technology IDIQs.

A truly honest federal buyer might say:

“We just feel more comfortable with our own even if it does duplicate administrative costs. We like our vendors to give us a fee for using ‘our vehicle’ rather than someone else so we can feed out own bureaucracy.”

“Our IDIQs reflect our unique needs and we can keep them more current and better attuned to our needs.”

While there is some truth in this, the opposing argument is that a PC is a PC or a BlackBerry is a BlackBerry no matter what vehicle you buy it through. I don’t take sides in this argument because many flavors of IDIQs exist and consolidation will probably not occur. Changing the way the federal government does business is like beating your head against a wall.

This newsletter is an excerpt from Loading the Dice in DC, Legally:
Learn the Politics and Realities of Federal Contracting by Fedmarket Founder and President, Richard White.
Download your complimentary copy – Click here.