The press is now reporting that stimulus spending is behind schedule; what a surprise! Did anyone on the inside believe the initial hype anyway? Where is the action in federal contracting so far?

1. Engineering GSA Schedule: the Construction Management, Strategic Planning, and Acquisition Management Special Item Numbers (SINs)
2. Management Consulting GSA Schedule: multiple SINs and the Acquisition Management Support SIN in particular
3. Financial Management GSA Schedule: multiple SINs
4. Public bids designated as stimulus buys at fedbizopps.gov and state procurement web sites
5. Facilities Maintenance Schedule: multiple SINs

Why GSA Schedules? Schedules are quick and require less acquisition hours. It's about as simple as that. And politically GSA Schedules have been designated as competitive mechanisms which comply with the new administration's focus on competition and transparency. They have always been blessed in the Federal Acquisition Regulations as competitive mechanisms but it helps to know they have the administration's blessing.

And there are indications that GSA is reducing proposal evaluation times either because of the inherent bureaucratic pressure associated with stimulus funds and/ or the quest for increased industrial funding fees.