GSA looks to bring AI to proposal reviews
The General Services Administration is looking improve its FASlane process with machine learning and distributed ledger technologies.
The General Services Administration wants to streamline the FASlane review process for new proposals by using distributed ledger technology, automated machine learning and/or artificial intelligence to review and exchange information.
According to a request for quotations, GSA seeks a design and proof of concept for intelligent automation that will reduce the amount of time humans spend reviewing new proposal documents, improve offeror experience and speed the time to award. GSA also said it will implement an electronic data interchange for offeror registration, contract maintenance, transactions, auditing and reporting.
To create at a "single source of truth," the solution must automate the process except for proposal rejection or contract award -- from the time a vendor opts into the program, through review of contractor responsibility, pricing and market research, issuance of offer letters and price negotiation. That automation requires configuring smart contracts based on multiple decision rules and workflows as well as providing interim evaluation results for new proposals.
Additionally, GSA requires that the system:
- Run on multiple cloud platforms authorized by the Federal Risk and Authorization Management program at the moderate level.
- Embrace open source and open data to better integrate disparate IT systems.
- Demonstrate potential integration with GSA Access Card PKI credentials for authentication of GSA employees and compatibility with Federal PKI Bridge.
For the distributed ledger component, the solicitation states that proposed solutions must "[a]llow for authorized nodes that will become part of the ledger network" and that the ledger must be "cryptocurrency agnostic and not monetize mining." Distributed ledgers like blockchain are best known for underpinning cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, but government agencies are exploring uses that range from archiving and encrypting government records to protecting intellectual property in the supply chain.
More information on the GSA solicitation is available here.