Accenture Federal Services LLC awarded $62M task order for IT ODC support services to DOE OCIO
Contract Overview
Contract Amount: $61,975,525 ($62.0M)
Contractor: Accenture Federal Services LLC
Awarding Agency: Department of Energy
Start Date: 2019-04-05
End Date: 2022-03-06
Contract Duration: 1,066 days
Daily Burn Rate: $58.1K/day
Competition Type: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Pricing Type: TIME AND MATERIALS
Sector: IT
Official Description: BPA TASK ORDER ISSUED UNDER MASTER BPA 89303019AIM000005 FOR IT ODC PURCHASES SUPPORT SERVICES AND MATERIAL DELIVERY AND TRANSPORT FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) OFFICE OF CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER (OCIO)
Place of Performance
Location: WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA County, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 20585
Plain-Language Summary
Department of Energy obligated $62.0 million to ACCENTURE FEDERAL SERVICES LLC for work described as: BPA TASK ORDER ISSUED UNDER MASTER BPA 89303019AIM000005 FOR IT ODC PURCHASES SUPPORT SERVICES AND MATERIAL DELIVERY AND TRANSPORT FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) OFFICE OF CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER (OCIO) Key points: 1. Task order issued under a master BPA, indicating a pre-competed framework. 2. Services include IT ODC purchases, support, material delivery, and transport. 3. Contract duration of 1066 days suggests a significant, ongoing need. 4. The contract type is Time and Materials, which can pose cost control challenges. 5. No small business set-aside was utilized. 6. The award was made under full and open competition.
Value Assessment
Rating: fair
The total award amount of $61.98 million over approximately 3 years represents a substantial investment in IT support services. Benchmarking this against similar IT support contracts is challenging without more granular data on the specific services provided and the labor categories involved. The Time and Materials (T&M) contract type, while flexible, often carries a higher risk of cost overruns compared to fixed-price contracts if not managed diligently. The absence of a specific ceiling price in the provided data makes a direct value-for-money assessment difficult.
Cost Per Unit: N/A
Competition Analysis
Competition Level: full-and-open
This task order was issued under a master BPA (89303019AIM000005), which itself was likely competed. The 'FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION' designation for this task order implies that all eligible contractors under the BPA could have bid, or that the BPA itself was awarded through full and open competition. Without knowing the number of bids received specifically for this task order, it's difficult to assess the intensity of competition. However, the BPA structure generally aims to streamline procurement while maintaining competitive opportunities.
Taxpayer Impact: Full and open competition, whether at the BPA or task order level, generally benefits taxpayers by fostering a competitive environment that can lead to better pricing and service quality. It ensures a wider pool of potential contractors can offer their services, preventing potential monopolies and encouraging efficiency.
Public Impact
The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is the primary beneficiary, receiving essential IT support. Services include procurement of IT goods and services, along with material delivery and transport, crucial for departmental operations. The geographic impact is primarily within the District of Columbia, where the DOE OCIO is located. This contract supports IT professionals and potentially logistics personnel involved in delivery and transport.
Waste & Efficiency Indicators
Waste Risk Score: 50 / 10
Warning Flags
- Time and Materials contract type can lead to cost overruns if not closely monitored.
- Lack of specific performance metrics or KPIs in the provided data makes assessing service effectiveness challenging.
- The duration of the contract (1066 days) indicates a long-term reliance, requiring sustained oversight.
- Dependence on a single contractor (Accenture Federal Services LLC) for a broad range of IT support services.
- The BPA structure, while efficient, can sometimes limit the ability to re-compete specific services frequently.
Positive Signals
- Issued under a pre-competed Master BPA, suggesting a streamlined and potentially cost-effective procurement process.
- Full and open competition ensures a broad base of potential providers, promoting market-driven pricing.
- The contract addresses critical IT operational needs for a major federal agency.
- Accenture Federal Services LLC is a large, established federal IT contractor with significant experience.
- The task order covers a comprehensive set of services, indicating a holistic approach to IT support.
Sector Analysis
This contract falls within the Information Technology (IT) professional services sector, specifically focusing on IT procurement, support, and logistics. The IT services market for the federal government is substantial, with agencies like the Department of Energy requiring continuous support for their complex technological infrastructures. This contract likely represents a portion of the DOE's overall IT spending, which is benchmarked against other large federal IT procurements. The nature of the services (IT ODC purchases, support, delivery) aligns with common IT outsourcing and managed services trends within the government.
Small Business Impact
The provided data indicates that this contract was not set aside for small businesses (ss: false, sb: false). This means that the competition was open to all eligible large and small businesses under the BPA. While there's no direct small business set-aside, large prime contractors like Accenture Federal Services LLC often utilize small businesses for subcontracting. The extent to which small businesses will participate as subcontractors on this task order is not detailed here but is a common practice in federal contracting to meet small business utilization goals.
Oversight & Accountability
Oversight for this task order would primarily reside with the Department of Energy's Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) and the contracting officer. As a task order under a BPA, the underlying BPA agreement likely has its own oversight mechanisms. The Time and Materials nature of the contract necessitates close monitoring of labor hours and costs to ensure compliance and prevent overspending. Transparency is generally maintained through contract databases like FPDS, where award details are reported. Inspector General jurisdiction would apply if any fraud, waste, or abuse is suspected.
Related Government Programs
- IT Professional Services
- IT Procurement Support
- IT Managed Services
- IT Logistics and Delivery
- Department of Energy IT Spending
- Master BPA Task Orders
Risk Flags
- Potential for cost overruns due to Time and Materials contract type.
- Long contract duration requires sustained oversight.
- Lack of detailed performance metrics in provided data.
- Reliance on a single contractor for critical IT functions.
Tags
it-services, department-of-energy, occio, accenture-federal-services-llc, master-bpa, task-order, time-and-materials, full-and-open-competition, computer-systems-design, district-of-columbia, it-procurement, it-support
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this federal contract paying for?
Department of Energy awarded $62.0 million to ACCENTURE FEDERAL SERVICES LLC. BPA TASK ORDER ISSUED UNDER MASTER BPA 89303019AIM000005 FOR IT ODC PURCHASES SUPPORT SERVICES AND MATERIAL DELIVERY AND TRANSPORT FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) OFFICE OF CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER (OCIO)
Who is the contractor on this award?
The obligated recipient is ACCENTURE FEDERAL SERVICES LLC.
Which agency awarded this contract?
Awarding agency: Department of Energy (Department of Energy).
What is the total obligated amount?
The obligated amount is $62.0 million.
What is the period of performance?
Start: 2019-04-05. End: 2022-03-06.
What is the track record of Accenture Federal Services LLC in delivering similar IT support services to federal agencies?
Accenture Federal Services LLC has a substantial track record of delivering a wide range of IT services to various federal agencies, including the Department of Energy. Their experience spans IT modernization, cloud migration, cybersecurity, data analytics, and general IT support. They are a major player in the federal IT contracting space, often winning large, complex contracts. Performance on past contracts can be assessed through sources like the Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) and agency performance evaluations, though specific details for this task order's predecessor work are not provided here. Their extensive experience suggests a capacity to handle the scope of this contract, but individual task performance can vary.
How does the awarded amount of $61.98 million compare to typical IT support contracts for agencies of the DOE's size?
The $61.98 million award for IT ODC purchases, support services, and material delivery/transport is a significant sum, reflecting the critical nature of IT operations for a large federal agency like the Department of Energy. Comparing it directly to 'typical' contracts is complex due to variations in scope, duration, and service specifics. However, federal IT spending is generally in the tens to hundreds of billions annually across all agencies. For a cabinet-level department like DOE, an award in the tens of millions for a multi-year period for comprehensive IT support is within the expected range, especially considering the complexity of managing IT infrastructure, procurement, and logistics. It suggests a substantial, ongoing requirement rather than a one-off project.
What are the primary risks associated with a Time and Materials (T&M) contract of this magnitude?
The primary risk with a Time and Materials (T&M) contract of this magnitude ($61.98 million) is the potential for cost overruns. Unlike fixed-price contracts, T&M agreements pay the contractor for direct labor hours at specified hourly rates and for the actual cost of materials. If not managed rigorously, this structure can incentivize longer task durations or less efficient work, as the contractor is paid for time and resources expended. Effective oversight, clear task definitions, robust reporting requirements, and strong contract administration are crucial to mitigate these risks and ensure the government receives good value. The government must actively monitor performance and costs to prevent scope creep and ensure efficient service delivery.
What does the 'BPA TASK ORDER ISSUED UNDER MASTER BPA' structure imply for cost-effectiveness and competition?
Issuing a task order under a Master BPA (Blanket Purchase Agreement) implies a degree of pre-competition and established terms. The Master BPA itself would have undergone a competitive procurement process, establishing rates, terms, and conditions. This allows agencies to issue task orders more rapidly and efficiently for specific needs that fall within the scope of the BPA. For cost-effectiveness, it can be beneficial as rates are often negotiated upfront, potentially offering better pricing than ad-hoc procurements. However, it can also limit competition for specific task orders if the BPA was awarded to a limited number of vendors, though this task order was designated 'FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION', suggesting broad eligibility under the BPA.
How does the duration of the contract (1066 days) impact the assessment of its value and potential risks?
A contract duration of 1066 days (approximately 3 years) indicates a long-term, strategic need for the services provided. From a value perspective, it suggests stability and continuity for the DOE OCIO's IT operations, allowing the contractor to develop deeper expertise and potentially achieve economies of scale. However, a longer duration also increases the risk exposure. The longer the contract, the greater the potential for cost escalation (especially with T&M), technological obsolescence, or shifts in agency requirements. It necessitates sustained oversight and periodic reviews to ensure the contract remains aligned with evolving needs and provides continued value for taxpayer money throughout its term.
What is the significance of the NAICS code 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services) in understanding the contract's scope?
The NAICS code 541512, 'Computer Systems Design Services,' provides a key classification for the contract's primary focus. This code encompasses establishments primarily engaged in planning and designing computer systems that integrate hardware, software, and communication technologies. Services can include software engineering, network design, IT consulting, and systems integration. For this DOE contract, it signifies that the core of the work involves designing, implementing, and supporting the IT infrastructure and systems necessary for the OCIO's functions, including the procurement of necessary IT assets (ODC Purchases) and ensuring their effective operation and delivery.
Industry Classification
NAICS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services › Computer Systems Design and Related Services › Computer Systems Design Services
Product/Service Code: IT AND TELECOM - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS › ADP AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Competition & Pricing
Extent Competed: FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION
Solicitation Procedures: SUBJECT TO MULTIPLE AWARD FAIR OPPORTUNITY
Pricing Type: TIME AND MATERIALS (Y)
Evaluated Preference: NONE
Contractor Details
Parent Company: Novetta Solutions, LLC
Address: 800 N GLEBE RD STE 300, ARLINGTON, VA, 22203
Business Categories: Category Business, Corporate Entity Not Tax Exempt, Foreign Owned, Foreign-Owned and U.S.-Incorporated Business, Not Designated a Small Business, Special Designations
Financial Breakdown
Contract Ceiling: $127,618,020
Exercised Options: $77,109,395
Current Obligation: $61,975,525
Actual Outlays: $48,645,884
Contract Characteristics
Commercial Item: COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Parent Contract
Parent Award PIID: 89303019AIM000005
IDV Type: BPA
Timeline
Start Date: 2019-04-05
Current End Date: 2022-03-06
Potential End Date: 2024-03-06 00:00:00
Last Modified: 2025-05-13
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