GSA GSA Specialist Technology & IT Procurement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'best-in-class' (BIC) contract vehicle and why does GSA designate certain contracts with this status?
- A contract vehicle exclusively for award-winning vendors with superior past performance ratings
- A government-wide contract that meets specific criteria for management, oversight, and data sharing, recommended for use by all agencies (Correct answer)
- A contract vehicle reserved for the top 10% of GSA Schedule vendors by sales volume
- A designation for contracts that have undergone recent price benchmarking and competitive pricing verification
Correct answer: A government-wide contract that meets specific criteria for management, oversight, and data sharing, recommended for use by all agencies
BIC contract vehicles are OMB-designated vehicles that meet high standards for acquisition best practices, offer government-wide availability, and are recommended as preferred purchasing channels to reduce duplication.
Question 2: What is the primary function of GSA's Alliant 2 contract vehicle?
- To provide telecommunications services for federal agencies
- To provide comprehensive IT products and services through a government-wide acquisition contract (GWAC) (Correct answer)
- To manage federal agency cloud migration projects
- To provide cybersecurity assessment services to civilian agencies
Correct answer: To provide comprehensive IT products and services through a government-wide acquisition contract (GWAC)
Alliant 2 is a GWAC that provides federal agencies with a broad range of IT services, including emerging technologies, solutions integration, and IT support through a competitive pool of pre-vetted contractors.
Question 3: Under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, what is an 'Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity' (IDIQ) contract?
- A contract with no specified end date and unlimited funding
- A contract that provides for an indefinite quantity of supplies or services within stated limits during a fixed period (Correct answer)
- A type of cost-plus contract used for uncertain research and development work
- A contract mechanism that allows agencies to purchase any quantity of commercial items from a vendor
Correct answer: A contract that provides for an indefinite quantity of supplies or services within stated limits during a fixed period
An IDIQ contract provides for an indefinite quantity of supplies or services within set minimum and maximum limits over a fixed period, with delivery ordered through task or delivery orders.
Question 4: What is the Cloud Smart policy and how does it differ from the original 'Cloud First' policy?
- Cloud Smart requires all agencies to move to cloud immediately; Cloud First allowed phased migration
- Cloud Smart emphasizes security, procurement, and workforce as conditions for cloud adoption rather than mandating migration to cloud first regardless of readiness (Correct answer)
- Cloud Smart applies only to classified systems; Cloud First applied to unclassified systems
- Cloud Smart requires commercial cloud only; Cloud First allowed government-operated cloud
Correct answer: Cloud Smart emphasizes security, procurement, and workforce as conditions for cloud adoption rather than mandating migration to cloud first regardless of readiness
Cloud Smart replaced Cloud First with a more nuanced approach emphasizing that agencies should move to cloud when it makes sense and meet security, procurement, and workforce readiness conditions before migrating.
Question 5: What is the purpose of the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program managed through DHS and GSA?
- To provide continuous monitoring of federal contractor cybersecurity practices
- To provide federal agencies with tools and services to strengthen their cybersecurity posture through automated monitoring of network assets (Correct answer)
- To manage the government's response to major cybersecurity incidents
- To certify commercial cybersecurity products for federal agency use
Correct answer: To provide federal agencies with tools and services to strengthen their cybersecurity posture through automated monitoring of network assets
CDM provides federal civilian agencies with cybersecurity tools and services for continuous monitoring of networks, endpoints, and user activity to identify and prioritize vulnerabilities in real time.
Question 6: What does the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act) require of federal agencies in relation to IT spending?
- Agencies must publish their IT spending plans before the fiscal year begins
- Agencies must submit standardized financial data on all federal spending, including IT, to a publicly available platform (Correct answer)
- Agencies must audit all IT contracts over $1 million annually
- Agencies must report any IT procurement exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold to OMB
Correct answer: Agencies must submit standardized financial data on all federal spending, including IT, to a publicly available platform
The DATA Act requires federal agencies to report standardized financial and spending data to USASpending.gov, making all federal outlays including IT spending publicly transparent and searchable.
GSA GSA Specialist Technology & IT Procurement 2
What is a 'best-in-class' (BIC) contract vehicle and why does GSA designate certain contracts with this status?