ICYMI: Road to OneGov

This episode features a panel discussion from ACT-IAC's Imagine Nation ELC event focused on GSA's One Gov initiative, aiming to modernize and centralize IT procurement across the federal government. One Gov aims to eliminate waste, ensure better value, and enhance cybersecurity by unifying the government’s IT procurement process. The session also covers practical aspects such as the role of the Multiple Award Schedule, the tiered engagement model for vendors, and the roadmap for future expansion. 

Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to never miss an episode! For more from ACT-IAC, follow us on LinkedIn or visit http://www.actiac.org.

Learn more about membership at https://www.actiac.org/join.
Donate to ACT-IAC at https://actiac.org/donate.

Intro/Outro Music: See a Brighter Day/Gloria Tells
Courtesy of Epidemic Sound

(Episodes 1-159: Intro/Outro Music: Focal Point/Young Community
Courtesy of Epidemic Sound)

Chapters

• 1:54 Overview of One Gov Initiative
• 4:12 Key Team Members and Their Roles
• 5:42 Heather Steer on One Gov Strategy
• 14:02 Multiple Award Schedule
• 19:36 Four Pillars of One Gov
• 25:06 Tiered Engagement Model
• 28:12 Introduction and Office Hours Announcement
• 29:05 Recap and Key Actions for One Gov Strategy
• 30:10 Three Core Priorities of One Gov
• 30:54 Agency Engagement and Participation
• 32:08 Sustained Collaboration and Data-Driven Approach
• 34:02 Roadmap and Future Outlook
• 37:53 Expanding One Gov Portfolio and Agency Participation
• 39:08 Maturing Data Environment and Beyond Software

Transcript

TERESA : . [00:00:00] All right. Good morning everybody. My name is Theresa Urban and I work, uh, for GDIT. And we are a proud, uh, sponsor of this event. And it's just so lovely to see so many people in attendance today. Um, today we have, I would like to introduce Kyra Stewart.

TERESA : Kyra started her. Yes. Kyra. Many, many rounds of applause are welcome. Are welcome. And, and questions and conversation for sure. Once we get to that. So, Kyra, um, started her career in the department of, of, uh, transportation. She left as the director of Innovation. Uh, she went, she left transportation to go to GSA, where she started in the TBM office.

TERESA : And she, she supported the then. President's management, um, uh, agenda. Now. She's one of the leaders of the One Gov initiative, and it's my great, and oh, you know what I forgot to mention, she was a partner. She was in [00:01:00] the partner program for Act ix, so she's been a big supporter of ours. So let's give a hand to Kyra Stewart.

KYRA : Thank you, Theresa. I gave her license to make things up and she didn't. What's wrong with Theresa? So, good morning folks. I'm glad you all joined us, uh, for our one gov discussion. Um, the director of the I-T-V-M-O, very happy to partner, um, and leading up one gov. Um, we're a small but mighty team, uh, and really excited to be here, uh, with three sessions to really introduce you to the concept of one gov.

KYRA : Um, we wanna share more about this really important pivot. The IT procurement ecosystem and the federal government that's taking place right now. So you're in the right room. Congratulations to you, uh, for choosing to be here with us, right? And so it's not a discussion, another discussion about a need for procurement reform, but really an opportunity to talk [00:02:00] about some things that are underway currently.

KYRA : Um, we are already looking at the way the government buys, manages, and secures technologies and have identified ways to do that better. So, as many of you know, I suspect one gov is GSAs, um, enterprise wide, the government being the enterprise approach to buying smarter. This strategy unites the collective buying power across government.

KYRA : So we know that when we join forces and, um, really create that centralized demand, that we're able to deliver better value for agencies, for taxpayers, and for industry. Um, this effort is really rooted in executive order. 1, 4, 2, 4, oh, write that down. There'll be a quiz later. Um, the EO is talking about the need for us to eliminate waste to save taxpayer dollars and really ensure that federal contracts are delivered in a way that optimize outcomes for [00:03:00] agencies.

KYRA : We call this buying as one, right? We act as one entity, one enterprise. We get better prices, stronger terms. And improved accountability, um, in partnering with industry, again, that really ensures the most effective outcomes. So today we'll share how wung gov has evolved from really this concept to this, this real thing, this, this baby of ours, um, that we're sharing.

KYRA : Say she's cute. The baby is very cute, and we're happy to share that, uh, with you all today. So I'm joined by three of my amazing team members who are so much smarter than me, um, to talk to you about different parts of one gov. So Heather Steer is a senior advisor with the IT vendor management office to walk us through the one gov roadmap and our strategic framework.

KYRA : Jaime Martinez. Yep. Give it up for Heather. Thank you Joel.

KYRA : [00:04:00] Jaime Martinez is a division director in GSA office of the IT category. Jaime, uh, will explain how we're structuring and negotiating these direct OEM contracts, which is really, um, a new and enhanced aspect of one Gov where we're delivering real savings and standardization. So also give it up for Jaime.

KYRA : And last, but certainly not least, BIRGIT Smeltzer, acting director of GSA office of IT products, who will share how agencies and industry can engage and take advantage of this one Gov phenomenon that is happening. So together they'll outline how this strategy turns vision into action and present opportunities, I suspect for everyone in this room.

KYRA : So we'll begin with Heather, who will explore what one gov strategy really is. I paid the people up front who keep clapping, so follow their lead. We all do. We all do. We'll start with Heather. Heather. So over to you.[00:05:00] 

HEATHER: Thanks, Kyra. So at its core, the one gov strategy is GS a's enterprise approach to modernizing how the federal government buys and manages technology. It's based on a simple idea. The government should act as one buyer when it comes to common IT needs. When we look across agencies today, we see hundreds of contracts for the same products, each with different prices, terms and levels of security and accountability.

HEATHER: That fragmentation drives up, costs slow modernization, and makes it harder to manage risks. One gov changes all of that. It unifies government buying power under one coordinated approach that delivers better pricing, stronger cybersecurity, and clearer lines of accountability with our IT partners. This strategy directly supports, as Kyra mentioned, executive order 1, 4, 2, 4 oh, which calls on all of us to eliminate [00:06:00] waste.

HEATHER: Save taxpayer dollars and ensure that federal contracts deliver commercial cost effective solutions. We launched one gov publicly in April of 2025, starting with commercial software, an area where duplication and inefficiency were most visible. That goal was to bring consistency and transparency to how agencies purchase software and cloud solutions into set a model for future categories like infrastructure, cybersecurity, and IT services.

HEATHER: Through one gov, we're uniting it, buying across agencies to reduce duplication, increased value, modernizing acquisition models to reflect how commercial IT is delivered today. Strengthening partnerships with industry to drive innovation and accountability and standardizing terms and performance expectations to improve security and mission outcomes, which is a very, very valuable and important to the federal government.

HEATHER: What makes this approach different is that it's already [00:07:00] producing results. We've established agreements with OEMs like Google, Adobe, Salesforce, and Elastic Achieving discounts as high as 70% while creating consistent terms across government. Those agreements demonstrate what's possible when we act as one government, their early proof points of how bind together rather than separately delivers tangible savings and stronger outcomes for every agency as we move forward.

HEATHER: One gov isn't just a, a contracting strategy, it's a cultural shift. It's how we think about value, transparency, and partnership. It's about building a smarter, more unified marketplace where agencies can access secure modern solutions and quickly with competence. With that foundation in mind, let's walk through how we're implementing that strategy and what that roadmap, um, to full one gov adoption looks like.

HEATHER: When we say buy is one, we're talking about more than just pooling contract. It's about [00:08:00] changing how the federal government approaches technology acquisitions from fragmentation and react reactivation to coordination, data-driven and strategic developments. For decades, agencies have negotiated separate deals for the same software, often paying different prices for identical products that fragmentation's made it difficult to compare value, manage security, or plan government-wide investments.

HEATHER: Under one gov, we act as one buyer combining demanding sh uh, com, combining demand sharing data and negotiating directly with equip, uh, original equipment manufacturers or OEMs, which means better pricing based on the government's full buying power. Consistent terms for things like cybersecurity, licensing, mobility and service performance, streamline engagement that saves time for agencies and industry alike.

HEATHER: It's a straightforward principle, but it delivers a real impact. Buying is one gives us leverage and ensures the government sets the standard, not [00:09:00] the the marketplace. It means agencies of all sizes, whether large departments or small commissions benefit equally from the same negotiated terms and transparent pricing.

HEATHER: And it strengthens accountability. When we contract directly with OEMs, there's a clear line of responsibility for service delivery, compliance, and security. No more guessing who owns what part of the contract, the accountability sits where it belongs. This shift is also about partnership. Buy is one, invites industries to align with more predictable transparency models.

HEATHER: One that rewards innovation, efficiency, and integrity in pricing. At the same time, we're ensuring that small businesses and resellers remain essential to, to the delivery process. They provide the integration, engineering, and mission support that OEMs alone can't offer. Gov clarifies roles, but keeps the ecosystem strong in its diversity.

HEATHER: Ultimately, buying is one, is, [00:10:00] uh, about trust and stewardship. It's the federal governments demonstrating that we can manage technology investments responsibly, negotiating once, buying smartly, and delivering consistent value across every agency. This is the foundation of everything that follows in our roadmap, a unifying buying strategy that supports modernization, transparency, and the mission outcomes that matter most to the federal government.

HEATHER: So how do we make buying as one real? It starts with direct contracts, establishing clear government-wide agreements directly with original equipment manufacturers who design, deliver, and support technology. We use every single day. In the old model, agencies often purchased through layers of sometimes three or four steps removed from the company, actually responsible for the software that created inefficiency, blurred accountability, and made it difficult to negotiate or enforce consistent [00:11:00] terms.

HEATHER: Under the One Gov direct contract vision, were simplifying that process. GSA negotiates directly with OEMs Under the multiple award schedule, agencies can then order from those pre-negotiated contracts with confidence and that guaranteed that they're getting the government's best value Pricing and terms.

HEATHER: This approach gives agencies several key advantages. One, it's fast, it's a faster acquisition cycle because terms and pricing are already in place. It's also a stronger buying power by combining federal demand under unified agreements that go beyond the traditional $500,000 threshold. It improves risk management with standardized language for cybersecurity performance and compliance.

HEATHER: And there's consistent and fair pricing ensuring that all agencies large and small benefit equally from the same negotiated discounts. Just as important, it provides clarity for industry. OEMs now [00:12:00] know what's expected and resellers know where they fit. Many of the these agreements still include authorized resellers as participating dealers, ensuring that small businesses remain a part of the delivery chain, handling, implementation, training, and mission support where their expertise is critical, the result is clearer, more transparent ecosystem agencies gain speed and assurance industry gains predictability and taxpayers ultimately gain value.

HEATHER: In short, the direct contract vision turns a fragmented marketing marketplace into a coordinated enter. It's how we align the government scale with the speed of the commercial IT world while holding everyone to the same high standard of accountability and performance. And this vision is happening right now.

HEATHER: We've already signed Direct one gov agreements with leading OEMs like Google, Adobe, Salesforce, and Elastic. Each of those deals reflects this model in action. [00:13:00] One contract, one set of terms, one unified government approach. That's what buying as one looks like when it becomes operational now as Jaime will outline next the shift forms.

HEATHER: The what? Shift forms the backbone of the one gov roadmap.

JAIME : Good morning, I'm JAIME Martinez and I, um, represent the multiple award schedule. Who's heard of the multiple award schedule? Okay, good. Who has a multiple award schedule? Wow, great. Yeah, so I've 14 years working with GSA and, um, being a contracting officer, and I, the best part of my job is always talking about the multiple board schedule and how companies can get on board, how they can utilize it.

JAIME : And so when I was approached to help the one Gov team talk about, Hey, can we use this as an acquisition vehicle? It's like, yeah, why not? And I think you're gonna hear some reoccurring themes, as [00:14:00] Heather was mentioning through her notes. I'm like, oh, those are some of my notes that I was gonna talk about.

JAIME : But I think that's because it's a collaborative approach between the IT VMO category management and acquisition. We are working together, we've talked about trying to build the airplane as it's taxing down the runway. And, and we've been working together to try to figure this out, what, what will work, and using our collective knowledge to synergize to create this acquisition of one Gov.

JAIME : Um, and so as Heather mentioned, the multiple words schedule, which. I love, and I'm glad you guys have heard of it, is really what we're building that backbone on. It is the foundation for the one Gov strategy. Um, it's a very powerful contracting vehicle. It gives us flexible, pre-vetted framework for buying commercial products and services.

JAIME : And we're using that to help streamline acquisitions, to unify demand, and to get better pricing directly from the OEMs. [00:15:00] So we can talk about what that means. Um, again, you're gonna hear some of these themes again, but the, the benefit of the multiple word schedule as opposed to other vehicles as it's continuous onboarding, right?

JAIME : Vendors can come on. We can onboard vendors. Not only that, but vendors can add their supplies and services as they become available. So there's not a, we've gotta wait for this new acquisition to come up to build it. You can just continually add your services and supplies. To the multiple award schedule.

JAIME : So that's one of the flexibilities of it, which makes it attractive and makes it attractive for the one gov. As new products and services become available to a modification added on. Second, it offers faster acquisition cycles. Because these contracts are pre-vetted, pre-negotiated, this GS ACOs have gone through, um, far 12 and 9.1.

JAIME : Other agencies don't have to do that. We, we streamline it for them to make it easier for them to get on those terms. [00:16:00] Pricing performance requirements have already been reviewed and, and vetted by GSA third. The mass ensures clear and consistent requirements against standardized terms, standardized conditions, a pricing structure and compliance expectations across all the contractors.

JAIME : This reduces variation amongst agencies and creates one common language for acquisition. Uh, fourth, it delivers. Larger and more predictable demand signals to the marketplace. By aggregating agency needs, uh, the market will have a clear view of what the government is looking to buy, and it encourages better pricing, stronger support, and smarter investments in public sector solutions.

JAIME : And finally, it provides a single coordinated engagement model. Instead of dozens of separate agencies negotiating or enabling one government wide conversation with GSA at the center, using the multiple award schedule, aligning terms and [00:17:00] conditions, and ensuring accountability for agencies or for industry.

JAIME : This means less redundancy, faster reward, clear expectations for agencies. It means faster access to technology, better pricing, and reduced risk. In short, the multiple award schedule becomes not just a contract vehicle. A strategic platform, one that turns one gov's vision into an operational reality. And as we continue to build out these agreements, we're seeing the benefits compound.

JAIME : More agencies are engaging with us, they're excited, they want to hear about one gov more OEMs are coming to us asking about the model and what they can do. And we're capturing these savings with government wide pricing and the multiple award schedule at its center. This is a government modernization through acquisition with Mass at its center.

JAIME : Um, lemme go to the next slide. Okay. So as we've [00:18:00] begun to socialize this, we've come up with the four pillars, and these are kind of the guiding principles that we're working towards. Each pillar represents a core principle that guides how we negotiate structure and deliver value through one go. We've mentioned direct contracts through the multiple award schedule.

JAIME : This, again, it's the backbone again. You're gonna hear these themes over and over. It may get repetitive, but we're using this as, um, the direct contract to, to manage these contracts. Uh, so agencies can order directly under pre-negotiated terms and pricing. Uh, this creates clear accountability, reduces duplication and ensures agencies always have access to the government's latest and the best pricing available.

JAIME : Next Peter is best pricing. Um, we're trying to leverage the bo the buying power of the government. Too often we've heard from smaller agencies say, why can't we get that pricing? Why [00:19:00] can't we get that pricing? Well, if you're a small agency, you know, the contractor say, we'll, negotiate it at the task order level.

JAIME : Well, it hurts the smaller agencies who, who aren't able to leverage that buying power. So the idea is, Hey, let's. Unify what the government's buying. Let's consolidate these purchases into one purchase. Let's really use, again, the buying power of the government to get the best pricing. What would we buy if we buy all as one, um, enterprise?

JAIME : And third is the full category of offerings. As we mature, we're seeking to get the complete suite of OEM solutions, not just individual SKUs, not just bundles. So that way agencies can get consistent access to the same technology portfolio, whether it's licenses, cloud services, support everything they need under the multiple word schedule, offering uni, uniform terms and pricing.

JAIME : And fourth is verifiable data. [00:20:00] It's about transparency, um, and performance. Every one gov agreement requires data sharing so that GSA. And our agencies can track usage, savings, and outcomes in real time. This, this visibility allows us to measure success, ensure compliance, and make smarter data-driven decisions about FU future acquisitions together.

JAIME : This is what makes One Gov to give us a structure and balance, efficiency, accountability, and flexibility. Ena enabling agencies to adopt at their own pace while still benefiting from the collective buying power of the federal government.

JAIME : Okay, so as we've built on the one Gov framework, one of the most important things we can show is that it's working. These just aren't plans On paper. The, the air, the airplane is starting to put pieces together [00:21:00] and take flight, and we're seeing tangible results both in savings and in stronger partnership with industry.

JAIME : This is just. A list of some of the companies that we've worked with since launching in 2025. GSA has negotiated agreements with leading OEMs that reflect exactly what one Gov was intended to do, uh, consistent pricing with the latest, with access to the latest technologies. The IT VMO website has a list of all the discounts that we've achieved, but we have discounts on Google with 71% discount on work workplace for government.

JAIME : Adobe has a discount of 70% off paperless government bundle. Salesforce. We negotiated 90% off Slack Enterprise and 65 for Slack AI and Elastic, which provides 60% off self-managed tools and 32% off for GovCloud [00:22:00] environments. So the, the it fm website has. A lot more. And as we continue to negotiate with, um, contractors, we update that website, um, with the discounts.

JAIME : Each of these deals, again represents one gov approach in action. Consistent government wide terms, predictable pricing, and a relationship with each of the contractors. And savings are only part of the story, right? They reduce duplication. It's allowing agencies to focus their contract and resources on mission specific work instead of having to go and negotiate deals over and over again.

JAIME : And thankfully, we've seen industry step up. They are engaging early, recognizing that a single government-wide agreement is faster, cleaner, and better for both sides. It it's simple takeaway. It's, uh, one gov is about delivering a better way of doing business, one that is more [00:23:00] agile. Data-driven and leverages the buying power of the government.

JAIME : And these early wins prove that this model can work. They set the stage for what's next in expanding one gov beyond software and into platforms, cybersecurity and IT services, while continuing to strengthen collaboration between agencies and industry.

JAIME : The next piece of the One Gov framework is how we focus our efforts, and this is what we're calling our tiered engagement model. The federal IT marketplace, uh, is vast and not every software provider has the same government footprint or strategic importance. And the tiered model helps us. As Kira mentioned, we are a small team.

JAIME : It helps us prioritize where we engage first, ensuring that our resources are concentrated where they can deliver the greatest impact. [00:24:00] For the enterprise value, here's, and this is how it's gonna work. Um, we've structured one gov into four tiers based on overall government spend, agency reach, and impact to federal operations.

JAIME : Tier one includes the largest OEMs with government-wide contracts and mission critical platforms. Companies like Microsoft, Adobe, and Google. These providers touch nearly every single agency and represent the greatest opportunity for standardization and savings. Tier two covers OEMs with significant multi-agency use, often focused on specialized capabilities like cybersecurity, workflow, or analytics.

JAIME : Tier three includes emerging or niche providers with a growing federal adoption. These are innovat, these are innovators who start with one or two agencies, but can scale up quickly. [00:25:00] Once they've got under the one gov model and tier four represents OEMs with a smaller government footprint. These are typically those between 10 to 50 million in total spend across five or more CFO agencies.

JAIME : So this structure helps us to engage strategically, starting with high value, high impact OEMs, while keeping a clear pathway open to new and smaller entrants. This tiered model supports data-driven, uh, data making or data-driven decision making. As we collect more information on cost, usage and performance, we can move OEMs up and down in the tiers based on measurable outcomes, keeping the strategy, strategy dynamic and accountable.

JAIME : This model gives us focus without rigidity. It leads to us to prioritize enterprise scale contracts first, while still enabling for innovation and competition from the smaller players. [00:26:00] This is how we scale it responsibly, starting where it matters most. Then expanding outward as success compounds. Up next Begi will walk through how these tiers connect directly to our one gov priorities and the actions that will take us from the strategy to full implementation across it.

BIRGIT: Thank you Jaime. Um, I do, I wanted to let those who are standing in the back know that there are seats available up here if you want to sit. Um, please do. And, uh, uh, for those of you who came in a little bit later, uh, my name is Birgit Smeltzer. I'm the acting director for the Office of IT Products within the IT category, um, at GSA and I'm part of the one Gov core team with these wonderful people and some of the folks here in the front.

BIRGIT: I will also let you know before I get started on, uh, on, on my piece of the presentation that we are hosting Office hours in [00:27:00] Chesapeake h Chesapeake, h uh, so if you have questions you don't want to, and uh, ask them in a public forum, you can come and talk with us afterwards. Um, otherwise we'll have some time for q and a afterwards.

BIRGIT: Am I on the right one? Yes. So thank you Jaime for, uh, and Heather for, um. Saying everything that I was gonna say. Appreciate that. So, so this is just a recap, um, but, uh, now that we've covered how we organize, um, our work through the tier, uh, model, let's talk about what we're prioritizing. Um, the key actions that's gonna take one gov, um, the gu gov strategy from, uh, from planning to execution.

BIRGIT: We're kind of getting there already, as you heard, um, but we've grouped our work into three core priorities and, uh, each represents a phase, um, of effort and a layer of alignment across [00:28:00] GSA agencies and industry. Um, may I ask, how many, just raise your hand. How many industry partners do we have in the room today?

BIRGIT: Wow, that's awesome. How about agency, um, customers? Any agency? Awesome. I'll be talking to You'all afterwards. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for being here. We really, really do appreciate it. This is important. Our partnership with you all are very, it's very important. I'll talk a little bit about that.

BIRGIT: So our first and foremost, uh, visible priority is establishing the direct contracts with the original manufacturing, um, manufacturers themselves. This ensures that accountability sits with the company that designs develops, uh, maintains the product, um, and not several layers behind. It's the foundation of buy as one government-wide terms, [00:29:00] transparent pricing and a single point of responsibility for support, security and performance.

BIRGIT: These, uh, direct contracts also create a baseline for everything else, consistent terms, better data and measurable cost savings. Priority number two is agency engagement. Once those contracts are in place, our next priority is driving adoption. Um, we have already started that. Um, that means working closely with agencies to ensure that they're aware of the one gov specials that are out there today.

BIRGIT: Um, the one gov, um, mission and, um, and the shift that that's happening right now from, uh, traditional purchasing to the enterprise level, uh, buying without disruption to their mission operations. Um, we have a team of subject matter experts working with agencies and industry every day, so feel free to reach out.

BIRGIT: You can reach us through the I-T-V-M-O website. [00:30:00] Um, you can also reach out research through cloud info@gsa.gov, which might might be a couple of emails that you have, um, become familiar with. Over the years. We've already seen strong participation from agencies. Um. Across the CFO ACT agencies with early adopters shaping and refining and, um, and providing some lessons learned that inform each of our new agreements and our path forward with one gov.

BIRGIT: Our third, uh, priority is one gov engagement. So the, it focuses on sustained engagement across agencies, across industry with GSA. And these are ongoing discussions with the OEMs about expanding scope, about integrating new technologies and aligning future renewals. It also means that, uh, maintaining an open dialogue with the [00:31:00] small business community and the reseller communities, um, who may be working a little different under the one gov, um, strategy, however, are still very much needed, uh, for success for the government.

BIRGIT: We're taking a disciplined data informed approach. We're concentrating resources on high value opportunities, as, as Jaime was saying, um, where the greatest impact can be realized. Government wide, these priority, the direct OEM contracts, agency engagement and sustained collaboration, or how we translate one gov, the one gov vision into measurable results.

BIRGIT: They also, what make this strategy sustainable? Each step reinforces the other stronger contracts drive greater agency participation. Greater participation drives better pricing and better pricing reinforces trust and adoption across government [00:32:00] and industry. So when we talk about one gov, we're not describing a one-time project.

BIRGIT: It's an ongoing partnership. Um, one that depends on steady collaboration, transformation. Transparency and accountability from every side, GSA industry and agencies. So thank you for being here to, to help us with that. Um, I'm gonna go into some of the things, um, that, that we're headed for, um, on our roadmap here.

BIRGIT: So in, uh, we, we began our journey in, in fiscal year 2025, um, with program initiation and launch. This phase established the foundation and defined the one gov strategy. Uh, we published guidance for agencies and industry and completed the first wave of a direct om, um, OEM negotiations. And in some case, direct contracts were [00:33:00] established with OEMs as well.

BIRGIT: Those early agreements with partners. Um. So we heard before you saw the, you saw the sheet. I think we have 15 partners now, right now that have, that are participating with agreements on one gov 15, maybe even more as of today. It keeps growing and we appreciate that. Thank you so much. Um, those early agreements were proof points that validated this model moving forward.

BIRGIT: Um, we're focusing on OEM onboarding and portfolio expanding, and we have support on for that all the way. So, um, we're looking at the priorities that, um, Jaime was describing, and then we will be, uh, and when we have teams in place that can support a, a, uh, industry getting onboarded onto the multiple award schedule if you haven't done so yet.

BIRGIT: Um, so that means continuing to negotiate with the top tier OEMs, standardizing licensing and cybersecurity terms, [00:34:00] um, this year. And, and, and also expanding a range of technology available through the One Gov framework. This year is gonna be about scaling, um, ensuring that agencies has consistent access to the products and the platform they use the most

BIRGIT: in, in a little bit of a future outlook, our focus shifts from agency alignment and adoption two, agency alignment and adoption, I should say. Um, we'll work closely with agency CIOs and acquisition executives and category managers to consolidate demand co-term renewals, and build momentum for enterprise level participation.

BIRGIT: This is where one gov moves from a series of deals to a true government-wide operating model supported by shared data tools and training and. Our end state, our mature states, um, the goal is to issue coordinated government-wide purchase orders [00:35:00] on an annual basis, leveraging aggregated demand and unified terms to drive even greater value.

BIRGIT: That model will simply, um, will simplify renewals and improve forecasting, and allow us to capture long-term savings that extend beyond just software across all four, all years. Um, the next four years, we, there's a consistent theme, and that is partnership. Our partnership with industry is extremely important.

BIRGIT: Our partnership with agencies is, uh, is also extremely important, um, for us to know what we, where we need to put focus. One gov succeeds when agency, industry and GSS GSA work together, sharing data, aligning goals, and maintaining open communication. We expect to have a mature, repeatable framework in place that can be applied to other IT categories, so potentially be beyond it delivering smarter and more secure, more cost [00:36:00] safe, cost effective solutions across the federal enterprise.

BIRGIT: And what's next? So a, a few key areas, um, will define what's next. First, the continued expansion of the one Gov portfolio. We are actively negotiating with additional OEMs to extend one gov coverage across critical categories, including collaboration, platform, cybersecurity, and infrastructure. Each new agreement strengthens the Enterprise Foundation and extends benefit to benefits to more agencies.

BIRGIT: Second. We're looking for broader agency participation. So the two agencies, um, that are in the room today, we would like to work with you on this. Um, we're working with more agencies. Uh, we, we are dealing, we're working with agencies on a daily basis. The whole team [00:37:00] is very busy working with agencies that are looking for one gov, um, specials and, and the one gov strategy.

BIRGIT: So, um, we're looking to align renewals, consolidate purchases, and fully leverage one gov pricing. The goal is to make participation the easiest and most practical option for agencies. And with clear guidance, dedicated support, and transparent data, um, we can show that that is the best option, um, the best cost savings out there.

BIRGIT: Third, we are maturing the data environment. As more contracts and agencies come online, we'll enhance how we collect. Share performance, data tracking, usage, savings, adoption trends in real time. This transparency is key, accountability and helps shape future negotiation. Fourth, we, um, are preparing for expansion beyond software.

BIRGIT: We're also exploring how the one gov model can [00:38:00] apply to other IT categories, hardware and those, those type of things. Um, such as, and cloud services platform, cybersecurity tools, and eventually other areas. Uncommon federal spend. The same principles apply bias. One, negotiate once and deliver consistent value across governments.

BIRGIT: And finally, we want to continue partnership with industry. So, um, we want to keep hearing from OEMs and resellers and small businesses about what's working and what we can do to improve. This collaboration ensures one gov remains agile, innovative, and responsive to the evolving IT marketplace. By this time next year, we expect to see even more agencies using one Gov agreements as their first choice for IT software acquisitions, saving time, strengthening, cybersecurity, and driving consistent outcome across government.[00:39:00] 

BIRGIT: So when we say what's next, the answer is simple. More momentum, more alignment, more results. One gov is no longer a vision, it's the way forward. And we'll continue to, uh, build it together as one government with one strategy, one shared goal, smarter, more secure, more effective buying for the federal enterprise.

BIRGIT: And with that, we're happy to take questions.

AUDIENCE: Uh, thanks so much for the question, uh, for taking the questions. I had a question For companies that are going through the One Gov process and pursuing getting their own schedules and being, [00:40:00] coming out, being direct OEM to government, how should they be looking at the GA that are otherwise in place where they're not in, they don't have the time to get into the pipeline for an Alliant or an Oasis or something along those lines?

AUDIENCE: How does the I-T-V-M-O see reconciling those? So 

JAIME : reconciling against using the gws first, the multiple award schedule? 

AUDIENCE: Well, if you want them to be direct primes to government, but they don't have the ability and they can go and get their own schedule evergreen, how do they. Deal with work that doesn't go, that wouldn't be suitable for schedules.

AUDIENCE: It's not purely commercial that would require a gac. 

JAIME : That's a, it's a great question. Um, yeah, like, I, I think I mentioned that this, we're still building this out and, and the, the, the idea of it, look, if it's, if it's significant purchase for across agencies, then we can transition that to the, to, to the one gov.

JAIME : The agencies are gonna come look for that through that. So maybe [00:41:00] they don't use that vehicle anymore. Maybe they come and say, Hey, look, there's an agreement now under the one gov with this company, and we want to transition our contracting over to that one gov contract. That's via the multiple award schedule,

Speaker 8: non-commercial work. Um, I, sorry. It's, it's, how would they do that for the noncommercial? I.

JAIME : They can't put a a again, I'm sorry. I don't mean, yeah, no, it's, it's good questions. And again, this, we're still wor but it, the, we're focused on the commercial items, right? So that's, that's the focus of, of this. So for the non-commercial items, and that's still another, that's the avenue for, for those s[00:42:00] 

Speaker 9: Thank you. And Jaime, maybe this, this would be a good question to ask you too. This, this is one of about 17 that I have. Okay. I'm, I'm one of those tier two OEMs and this is my favorite subject, 1, 4, 2, 4, 0 in, in answer to your quiz question. So, and this has been a. A real issue to me over the years. There are a lot of software purchases, hardware purchases, miscellaneous purchases that are not only in the areas that you talked about already, miscellaneous contracts, but they're also buried in ODCs, but large integrator contracts.

Speaker 9: I was curious about the process that you are possibly going through to try to, first of all, root those out and second of all, help the agencies that let those solution contracts, which create a form of vendor lock in, [00:43:00] but get those contracts on track to actually reclassify the services as services, the products as products, and then move those to a construct like one gun.

JAIME : Yeah, another great question. Um, well, that's, that, that's why we, we work with the IT VMO and, and I said this is a integrated approach, right? It, it can't just be acquisition, it can't just be, uh, category management. It's all three of us together working. So, you know, as the agencies come to us, um, we work with the IT VMO who understands what these agencies are buying and how, how can we help them understand how to maximize the one Gov strategy and these purchases.

JAIME : Do you wanna add anything or, 

HEATHER: so again, it's also about transparency. Um, going to the heart of the question about ODCs. So understanding what's being bought, what the real demand is, understanding the actual business requirements and how it's gonna be [00:44:00] utilized, and then making sure that we are, as the federal government.

HEATHER: Procuring those things in the appropriate manner. And it does it, it does start with a lot of market research and understanding real business requirements at an agency level. So I would expect that at some point, the buying that's done under ODCs to be looked at and scrutinized to help devise how better to buy that in a way that drives more transparency.

HEATHER: The more transparency we have across the federal government, the better we know where we're spending our dollars and where we can save more dollars.

AUDIENCE: Um, first of all, thank you for, um, for everything you do, um, 'cause this is a major lift that you guys are undertaking and I'm sure it's not easy. So I'm gonna add another, hopefully not a hard question, but a question. Um, I just wanna understand, I understand that right now we're dealing with software, hardware, and, and those type of, uh, products right now.

AUDIENCE: [00:45:00] But for. You know, integrators like ourselves that are services oriented, that have mass schedules, that have the, you know, the stars vehicles. How does that f what's the framework you guys envision for including that into the process? And then also how do we avoid the, you know, race to the bottom LPTA type of, uh, you know, that's usually, uh, many times not the best interest of the government.

BIRGIT: Thank you. Thank, thank you for that. There's definitely still room for integrator models. Um, the one gov isn't going to catch all, um, for a long time. Maybe the end goal, but not for a long time. But there's definitely still, uh, room for integrator models. Um, what, what there might be a shift in is for those types of software that we have deemed one gov software purchases that they may be procured.

BIRGIT: Separately where integrators have brought those with them, um, to the support [00:46:00] contract. But, um, agencies are still going to need integrators to get the software to work, get it established, um, in, in a way that works for the agency. So I, I wouldn't, um, I wouldn't in a worry too much about that.

Speaker 2: Good morning. And again, thank you for the work that you do. Um, maybe this is food for thought, um, but it is, um, a question when I looked at a, a few slides ago, I'm just curious, is there a nexus between your office and the FedRAMP office in terms of, I know you're all at GSA, but in terms of alignment in on what is in the schedule, and I'll be very specific.

Speaker 2: So take the one Gov initiative and take the executive order for AI and where, um. I'm seeing a bit of friction occur is as product companies, [00:47:00] as OEMs are offering, uh, AI capabilities native in their platform, there seems to be a bit of a struggle to get one those licenses added to existing vehicles so that, uh, agencies can run fast and, and implementation, but also there seems to be a little bit of a lack of alignment with the FedRAMP process and the acquisitions process.

Speaker 2: In other words, once FedRAMP certifies and authorizes, how does that feed directly into then what you're offering through mass? Does that make sense? 

BIRGIT: We're, we're working very closely with the FedRAMP program office. Um, the multiple award schedule is an open solicitation, so we are not restricting. Items added to the multiple award schedule to be FedRAMPed before, so, right.

BIRGIT: [00:48:00] That's so, so, um, so that differs a little bit from from one gov maybe, but, um, it is, so it is clear that there are items on the multiple award schedule that have not yet been FedRAMP authorized. Um, and agencies can support you going through that, or the FedRAMP program office can help you, uh, figure out how to go there.

BIRGIT: Um, as far as the time it takes to get, um, your product added to the multiple award schedule, um, I would strongly encourage you to reach out to us because we have seen very quick turnarounds on some products. And if, if the paperwork is ready, then we can get it turned around fairly quickly. Do you 

JAIME : wanna 

BIRGIT: add to that?

JAIME : I, no, I think you hit it. I mean, that's, we are working. We do have, uh, there have been certain AI companies that, Hey, look, I'm offering this now, but I'm working to get it FedRAMPed and, but it's already on schedule. And then they can just add another [00:49:00] line item that says, you know, FedRAMP authorized. But yeah.

Speaker 10: Sorry, I just wanna make sure you're done answering the previous question. Um, some kind of half answer my first, my main question, which was simply if you're a services vendor, an SI vendor, obviously not something that's directly part of this, but like how should we be helping it along? Thinking about it, if we're dealing with clients that are going on commercial versus, you know, bot building something that we would build for them, is there something we should be doing or be aware of?

Speaker 10: My second question was, is, is there a preference when some, when that agency goes to buy that commercial product for a, and I mean formal preference, like in a solicitation that they are allowed to say we are only one A CRM solution that has a one of contract. If, even if you're not doing that yet, 'cause perhaps the program's not mature enough, do you see a point in time where this becomes similar to FedRAMP, a required thing that you, you really have to ask for upfront.

HEATHER: So I'm gonna answer the first part of that. I'm gonna hand to beer. Good for the second part of that. [00:50:00] So for the first part, regarding what should you be doing now? Engaging, talking to us, making sure you visit the website on a regular basis. We're, we're posting updates on a fairly regular basis, sometimes once a day, making sure that you look at the engagement package, stay up to date on what's been released through the GSA press as well as.

HEATHER: Showing your in interest to partner. Um, there are forms on the One Gov website through the I-T-V-M-O website that allows you to submit information about your company, where you fall, what kind of company you are, if you're an integrator, if you're an OEM, what tier you think you are based on your spend across government.

HEATHER: And it allows us to have that information so that we know that you're interested and that you wanna stay up to date on what's going on. Engaging with us helps all of it, just like the transparency we're trying to, to be provided through doing this. Engaging with industry partners, whether you are an integrator or an actual OEM, is, is part of this [00:51:00] process.

HEATHER: We don't know what we don't know until we know. So helping engage is, is a big step of that. And you are boots on the ground and integrators are boots on the ground with agencies, you know, more than we do a lot of times. So engaging with us helps 

BIRGIT: not a hundred percent sure. I caught exactly what the last part of the question was.

Speaker 10: You're. You're an agency purchasing a seat, a fee. Are you allowed to require, at this point in time, where one gov becomes a requirement for that or even a preference, uh, that can be taken formally in consider election of that? 

BIRGIT: That's a goal, yes. 

Speaker 10: But not the current statement, 

BIRGIT: no. Uh, not, not today, but, uh, but that's a goal that we, that that one gov becomes the preferred option through best pricing.

Speaker 11: I'm a former I-T-V-M-O lead [00:52:00] at one of the agencies emphasis on the former. We tried to do this, um, within our agency, within our mission area. And the biggest challenge you mentioned having direct that the goal is to have direct purchase orders in the future. The biggest challenge we always ran into. The agencies have uncertain budgets, uncertain funding, and so we might need this many licenses this year and half the licenses next year, and three times the licenses that the year after that, which made planning and forecasting incredibly difficult.

Speaker 11: How are you going to handle that or do you have any thoughts on how you will handle that across the entire government? 

HEATHER: So I've actually seen this process. This will be the fourth time across the federal government, and this is the only time it's been successful. And we talked a little bit about, actually, we talked a lot about pricing.

HEATHER: Part of that is having consistent pricing. If the price is [00:53:00] $2 today and it's $2 tomorrow and it's $2 and four years, agencies will be able to budget better based on what their need is. They know what the need is, and they'll know what the price is. The other thing is we're building flexibility in, we're working with OEMs to ensure that you guys can flex up and down within your year or at annuals to accommodate for the changes of the landscape.

HEATHER: This year has been a perfect example of that and how the landscape across the federal government has changed drastically. Part of what One Gov has focused with a lot of the larger OEMs is increasing that level of flexibility for agencies. Because we're trying to save money, we're trying to reduce our overall costs, and having licenses just hanging out there for a year, waiting for somebody to use it is not a good way to spend our dollars.

HEATHER: So increasing flexibility and having consistent pricing will definitely help agencies be able to budget better [00:54:00] across the years. Neither one of you wanna add anything to that. Okay, and we have about two minutes left With that, I do wanna thank everybody for attending this morning. I also wanna encourage you, as we mentioned earlier, we're gonna have an office hour session running all day.

HEATHER: It's in Chesapeake HI will be in there after this session if I can't answer a question. And those of us that are in there can't answer the question. We're gonna take your questions down, but please feel free if you have questions that weren't answered to wander in, in your free time. Come get some good information and again, um, if we don't have an answer for you, we'll make sure we get, we'll get you an answer.

Speaker 11: Anything else? 

HEATHER: Alright. Thank you guys very much. We appreciate your time [00:55:00] [00:56:00] today.