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OFPP Deputy Administrator Lesley Field Headlines ACT-IAC Mythbusting ForumFAIRFAX, Va. --(Business Wire)-- The American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC (News - Alert)), the premier public-private partnership in the government IT community, today announced the agenda for the ACT-IAC Mythbusting Forum, a half-day event that will explore best practices for allowable government and industry communications to improve the federal acquisition process. Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) Deputy Administrator Lesley Field will deliver the opening remarks. The event will be held on May 29, 2013 at the American Institute of Architects in Washington, D.C. Mythbusting is a major Administration initiative designed to improve communications between government and industry. "OMB promotes vendor engagement as a key strategy for achieving better acquisition solutions," said Joseph Jordan, OFPP Administrator at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). "Tapping into industry expertise helps our acquisition workforce understand the marketplace better and results in more effective solicitations."
Long an advocate for better communications between government and
industry, ACT-IAC has been working closely with OMB since the
Mythbusting program was announced. The Forum will feature agency vendor
communications specialists who will provide actionable strategies for
enabling effective collaboration between government and industry
acquisition professionals. Featured panelists include: Joanie Newhart,
Associate Administrator of Acquisition Workforce Programs at OMB OFFP; The Forum will include small group discussions to define communications and collaboration in the acquisition process, as well effective Mythbusting strategies. In cooperation with OMB, ACT-IAC conducted the first survey of government and industry acquisition professionals to assess the impact of the Mythbusting campaign on the quality of government-industry communications. The results of this survey, and recommendations for next steps, will be released at the Forum. Videos and transcripts from the Forum will be used in subsequent training materials for government procurement personnel. "Given the complexity of large procurements and the value that holding discussions can bring, the federal government must work more closely with industry to ensure that government agencies really are getting the best deals and the solutions they need," said Ben Coit, Chair of the Acquisition Management Shared Interest Group and co-author of the OMB Mythbusters Survey and Recommendations report. "The next phase of the Mythbusters campaign must focus on skills training and implementation, rather than on general communication and education, to turn these good practices into action. The Mythbusting Forum will focus on this outcome." Effective implementation of the Mythbusting program will depend upon the commitment of agency management. In order to recognize those agencies that have made significant progress towards improving government-industry communications, ACT-IAC instituted the 2013 "Mythbusting Award." The first Mythbusting awards will be presented at the ACT-IAC Mythbusting Forum to recognize agencies that have made significant advances in acquisitions processes by improving communications. The Forum is being hosted by ACT-IAC Acquisition Management Shared Interest Group. Registration for the event is open to IAC members and government participants. For more information, or to register for the Forum, please visit: www.actgov.org/sigcom/bettergovernment. About ACT-IAC - Advancing Government Through Collaboration, Education and Action ACT-IAC is recognized as the premier government IT community's public-private partnership and is an example of how government and industry work together. We are a non-profit educational organization created to advance government in serving the public through the effective application of IT resources. Our education, training, programming and collaboration opportunities enhance and advance the government IT profession. ACT-IAC's objective, vendor and technology-neutral, and ethical forum allows government and industry to collaborate and improve government through technology. Learn more about our organization and how to become a member at www.actgov.org or call (703) 208-4800.
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