What are the guiding principles behind Competitive Sourcing?
It is the policy of the United States Government to rely on commercially available sources to provide commercial products and services. The Government is obligated to provide its services at the least cost to the taxpayer. One method of obtaining high quality and low cost is by subjecting a service to competition. Competition enhances quality, economy, and productivity. Not only does Competitive Sourcing aim to achieve higher quality and lower cost through competition, but it also offers Federal employees an opportunity to retain responsibility for providing a commercial service. Prior to the establishment of the A-76 Competitive Sourcing process, the Government was not required to offer this opportunity to its Federal employees and had every right to directly outsource its commercial services to industry sources.
