GSA is once again making changes to a core element of its administration of Multiple Award Schedules (MAS) Contracts & the Contractor Assistance Visit (CAV). The term Contractor Assistance Visit (CAV) will no longer exist.

These CAV reviews will be called “Assessments” going forward. Not only has there been a name change but the frequency of the assessment based on various contract factors including sales volume, sales adjustments previous assessments, etc has also changed.

Traditionally, GSA contractors received two Contractor Assistance Visits (CAV) during a five-year period. For contractors who are compliant with the terms and conditions of their contract including sales reporting and Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) payment and have annual sales less than $150,000, an “Assessment” will be conducted once per five-year period, most likely in year four. For GSA contractors with annual sales greater than $150,000, an annual Assessment will be conducted. The format in which these Assessments will be conducted will be in-person or virtual.

The Assessments will still focus on the full compliance review areas experienced by GSA contractors today (Scope, IFF payments, prompt payment terms, GSA Advantage! Price Lists, Basis of Award (BOA), Discounting, etc.) However, the MAS report card will disappear by the end of FY2015 and while a report will be issued by the Industrial Operational Analyst (IOA) conducting the assessment, it will not be ratings based. The Assessment Report will be made available to the GSA Contractor and their Contracting Officer (CO).

In March 2014, the responsibilities of the IOAs changed to a more administrative support role for GSA Schedule holders. The IOAs assumed all non-contracting responsibilities regarding sales reporting and the Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) matters. The IOA assigned to your contract assists your company with all questions and transactions regarding sales and IFF. GSA now has an IOA locator posted on their Vendor Support Center website to help identify the IOA assigned to your contract.

As a result of the IOAs new roles, the frequency of Contractor Assistance Visits (CAV) will change. Traditionally, Contractors received two Contractor Assistance Visits (CAV) during a five-year period. In the near future, the frequency of the assessment will now depend on various contract factors, such as sales volume, sales adjustments, previous assessments, etc. GSA believes these changes will result in greater efficiency and effectiveness.

GSA is operating in a time of significant change, one that is being driven by the fiscal realities of government wide spending cuts. In 2013, the Federal Acquisition Services (FAS) reviewed the Supplier Management Division’s contract administration functions. As a result, an internal realignment of resources continues to evolve. The implementation of the CAV changes began in February 2015, and the General Services Administration’s (GSA) goal is to have them fully implemented by the end of FY 2015.

For more information on how ClearCoast can assist with your GSA Schedules needs, please contact us at info@clearcoastusa.com.