Davis recommends incentives to draw more contractors to Networx
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Rep. Tom Davis said Federal Supply Service's Networx telecommunications program can generate greater industry participation making it worth their while.
Rep. Tom Davis (R- Va.) said yesterday that the Federal Supply Service's Networx telecommunications program can generate greater industry participation by making it worth their while.
Davis, chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, recommended that the General Services Administration set minimum revenue guarantees for Networx at a level high enough to encourage a broad range of contractors.
Davis also said GSA should report to Congress any agency requests for telecommunication services outside of Networx, slated for award in April 2006.
The Networx contract, which is potentially worth $20 billion over 10 years, is divided into Universal and Enterprise. FTS officials have proposed a minimum revenue guarantee of $525 million to be shared among companies that win a place on the Universal contract and $25 million for companies on the Enterprise contract.
This is considerably less than the $750 million each guaranteed to MCI Inc. and Sprint Corp. on the FTS 2001 contract, which Networx will replace.
The proposed minimum revenue guarantees are 'something we have concerns about, particularly as it relates to the Enterprise' contract, said John Brosnan, a Government Accountability Office official assigned to work on Davis' committee. 'That is probably the issue that's been brought to our attention the most since the draft RFPs were released.'
Using Networx will be not only a cost-savings measure, but also 'an enterprise vs. stovepipe issue for government,' said Davis, whose 11th congressional district in Virginia encompasses much of the state's high-tech community. Since being named chairman of the Government Reform Committee in January 2003, Davis has been a staunch advocate of improving interagency communication and lowering costs by eliminating stovepipe structures that hamstring government technology.
Davis' committee will be 'key in exercising oversight of Networx,' Brosnan said.
He added that the committee would continue holding hearings on Networx. Both industry and government officials involved in Networx have testified about the procurement in previous hearings before Davis' committee. Davis will finalize his technology management agenda within the next few weeks, Brosnan said.
Speaking at a conference on Networx, Davis offered six points supporting GSA and the governmentwide telecommunications program:
- GSA is best suited to manage the government's communications environment.
- Networx must encourage the broadest possible participation by industry.
- Minimum revenue guarantees must be set at a level that encourages a broad range of participants.
- GSA must adjust its regulations downward.
- Networx should stand as a model contract vehicle.
- GSA should report to Congress any agency requests for services outside of Networx.
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