Find ways to share contractor performance data, GSA tells agencies

The federal government is seeking new ways to collect and make better use of information about contractors’ performance, according to a Federal Register notice the General Services Administration issued today.Agencies use past performance measures as an important factor when considering contractors, the notice states. However, agencies have not made a concerted effort to share the information with one another, leaving them vulnerable to using poor-quality contractors, the notice adds.Senior government procurement executives recently created a working group to review ways to streamline data collection, simplify the evaluations and improve the value of the data in the governmentwide database known as the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS). The group made recommendations to update a best practices guide called "Contractor Performance in the Acquisition Process."Officials now want the public’s comments on the guide, according to the notice.“Evaluating contractor performance is also useful as a tool to encourage outstanding performance throughout the life of a contract,” according to the notice.Contractor performance is based on a company’s professional behavior, cost control and ability to comply with a subcontracting plan, according to the guide.Performance data is currently collected in PPIRS, despite the lack of effort from agencies to share the information. An Office of Management and Budget memorandum from July 3, 2002, states that all federal contractors’ past performance information currently captured by existing tools would be centrally available online for all agencies to use.