Enhancing Transparency and Accountability: ContractorPerformance Information for GSA eCommerce and Digital Platforms

Choosing the right contractor on GSA eCommerce and digital platforms including GSA Advantage! GSA eLibrary, and GSA eBuy can be challenging for customers. With a vast number of vendors to choose from, the decision is often influenced by factors like availability, price, and delivery times. However, once a vendor is selected, contract performance plays a critical role in determining customer satisfaction.

Recognizing this, GSA is exploring ways to increase transparency regarding contractor performance. The goal is to empower customers by providing more detailed performance data and encouraging contractors to enhance their service delivery.

Why Focus on Contractor Performance?

In any contractual relationship, performance matters. Whether it’s timely delivery, the ability to fulfill orders without cancellations, or ensuring high data quality, these factors directly impact the overall customer experience. GSA has heard from customers that issues like late deliveries or canceled orders can disrupt agency missions. To address this, GSA's Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) is considering rulemaking that would make key contractor performance metrics publicly available on GSA platforms like GSA Advantage!

This proposed initiative aims to:

●      Improve contractor performance

●      Boost competition at the order level

●      Increase transparency for buyers

●      Enhance overall customer satisfaction

What Kind of Performance Information?

FAS is seeking input on what performance metrics would be most valuable for customers when selecting a contractor. Some potential areas of focus include:

●      On-time delivery rates

●      Cancellations and backorders

●      Overall customer satisfaction ratings

●      Contract compliance

Initially, this information would be collected based on previous orders through GSA Advantage!, and various options for displaying the data are being considered. Possibilities include star ratings, percentage-based performance scores, or even color-coded labels to indicate contractor performance.

The Rulemaking Process

FAS anticipates that a draft rule on this topic may be issued for public comment in the second or third quarter of Fiscal Year 2025. In the meantime, they are actively seeking feedback from both customers and contractors to help shape the rule. This feedback will be crucial in determining not only which metrics are most important but also how they should be displayed and whether performance data should be available to all users or limited to those with specific access.

Have Your Say

FAS is asking stakeholders to provide feedback on key topics, such as:

●      What delivery performance information is most helpful when choosing a contractor?

●      Have delays or cancellations affected your agency’s ability to fulfill its mission?

●      How can FAS best evaluate and display contractor performance to improve the customer experience?

●      Should performance data be shown for all contractors, or only those meeting a certain order threshold?

Feedback can be submitted by email to VendorPerformance@gsa.gov by November 22, 2024.

This initiative represents a significant step forward in fostering accountability and improving the overall quality of services provided through GSA platforms. By actively involving stakeholders in the rulemaking process, GSA hopes to develop a system that benefits both customers and contractors, driving better performance across the board.

Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to share your thoughts to help shape the future of contractor performance transparency on GSA platforms.