The Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act Working Group
Value Added, Cost Effective Contracting
GSA Public Buildings Service, 1997
GSA’s Public Buildings Service (PBS) formed a 50-member working group in January 1994 comprising PBS personnel from the Regions and Central Office, NISH: Creating Employment Opportunities for People with Severe Disabilities, the NISH-associated Community Rehabilitation Program, and the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled. The working group reviewed and evaluated requirements that added value, were cost effective, and maintained quality. NISH agreed to provide services that are comparable to private sector commercial providers using less staffing, to re-examine the frequency of performing custodial tasks, to search for alternate techniques to accomplish existing work tasks more efficiently, and to work within a budget when preparing its scope of work.
The first report of the working group was issued in December 1994. The partnership improved communications, explored the pricing methodology of Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act (JWOD) contracts, improved the overall quality of contracts through measuring customer satisfaction, adapted requirements and processes to meet customer demands, and established a mechanism to resolve problems before they become conflicts. The partnership venture fostered a cooperative effort between all the entities to produce the Guide to JWOD Contracting in PBS. This initiative won the 1997 GSA Achievement Award for Real Property Innovation in the “best policy” category.
For more information, contact Gerald Zaffos at (202) 208-6091 or via e-mail at gerald.zaffos@gsa.gov
