Understanding the solution space

Understanding what can meet the need

• Once the government understands what they need they begin exploring the solution space, and how they learn about solutions typically depends on how they identified the need.
• Recurring: If this is a recurring need then there’s a 99% chance that they will duplicate the existing solution, so there is minimal exploration of the solution space.
• New & emergency needs: If this is a new need then the government has to explore the solution space and typically they do this by:
  • Googling to learn about how other people address this need
  • Talking to industry experts (frequently these are established contractors that the government trusts)
  • Going to trade shows
  • Talking to other people within the government who have this need

Can a commercial solution meet the need

• Is there a commercial counterpart: When possible the government prefers to buy Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) products. Since COTS solutions tend to be cheaper and more convenient but the government has lots of needs that don’t have a COTS solution
• Why it matters: If this is a COTS need then the government can explore the solution space by googling, but if there if this is a government specific need then the buyers have to limit themselves to the government contracting community
• An example: Lets say the government needs to print stuff in one of their offices
  • Will commercial printers work: Well for 99% of the government the answer is yes, so the acquisition community can explore the solution space by going on Amazon or Consumer Report and learn all about different printing solutions
  • But what about the CIA? The CIA prints lots of classified documents, and for sake of this example let’s say they don’t trust commercial printers. So in this case the government can’t just use google to learn about the solution space, now they have to talk to specialists, which almost always means talking to government contractors.

Getting a rough sense for the cost

The government has a budget, and moving money within that budget can be tricky, so whether the solution will cost $10K, $10M or $10B makes a big difference in how the government can buy, and how quickly they can buy

How you can influence the solution space:

• If you know that the government is interested in solutions to a problem try to share your perspective:
  • Write a white paper
  • Talk to decision makers and influencers
  • Publish on a topic to influence the conversation
  • Write to your congressional delegation
• How to find opportunities to influence:
  • Read GAO reports about issues they found
  • Read congressional testimony about issues at agencies
  • Read budget requests, these tend to be filled with insights into what the government needs and how they are planning to address those needs

How Fedscout can help you find opportunities to influence:

Finding other opportunities to influence

• Read GAO reports about issues they found
• Read congressional testimony about issues at agencies
• Read budget requests, these tend to be filled with insights into what the government needs and how they are planning to address those needs

Rants and Reflections

My unscripted thoughts after coaching hundreds of small government contractors over the last 10 years

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Other resources

List of further reading