Market Research for Effective Competition in the Federal Procurement Process.
Abstract
The Competition in Contracting Act of 1984 created a new requirement for the Federal procurement process. The requirement is to conduct market research in planning for procurements of goods and services. The nature of this requirement is not clear. The prevalent views of the requirement can be classified as the 'narrow view' and the 'broad view'. The 'narrow view' holds that the purpose of market research is merely to identify potential sources of supply. The 'broad view' is that the requirement involves understanding the marketplace and conducting the methodical research that is oftentimes necessary to develop that understanding. This thesis argues that the broad view is the more appropriate for the Federal procurement process. A definition of market research is offered as well as the five principal elements of an effective program and four possible approaches to organizing to conduct market research. A model is developed to guide the manager of in the execution of a market research program. An organizational approach for market research at a Navy Inventory Control Point is recommended. Keywords: Purchasing research; Competition; Acquisition process; Effective competition; Theses.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA192336
Entities
People
- Richard L. Steward
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School