Market Intelligence Guide

Abstract

Sound market research is the foundation of effective acquisition decisions and processes. However, this axiom appears to be undervalued in the government procurement domain. While agencies are responsible for conducting market research appropriate to the procurement situation, very little guidance is available to assist acquisition personnel in meeting the intent of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). The FAR offers little direction; Parts 10 and 12 dedicate a mere 1,477 words to the topic of market research. Existing DoD and federal agency market research guides are outdated, do not emphasize efficient outcomes, and do not address the market research needed to support strategic sourcing. The government's current approach to market research is ad hoc, inconsistent, and redundant, since information is rarely shared between buying activities. Additionally, no existing research or policy addresses how to properly organize or resource the collection and use of market research. Furthermore, specific skills for determining needed information, finding it, analyzing it, and disseminating it are not systematically taught or developed in the government's acquisition workforce. Many commercial best practices (e.g., industry analysis and a purchasing portfolio matrix) that are transferrable to the not-for-profit sector are absent. Each of these tools is essential to designing the optimal contract that reaps the most value from the exchange. This market intelligence guide is developed to address the aforementioned deficiencies in an effort to provide acquisition personnel practical guidance on conducting meaningful market research. It is targeted towards strategic sourcing and complex, high-value federal procurements.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 05, 2012
Accession Number
ADA559032

Entities

People

  • Amanda Delancey
  • Bryce Fiacco
  • Dan Finkenstadt
  • Derek Aufderheide
  • Jason Ackiss
  • John Dix
  • Michael E. Knipper
  • Mike Corrigan
  • Pavan Balaji
  • Timothy G. Hawkins

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Business Administration
  • Climate Change
  • Contracts
  • Employment
  • Environmental Protection
  • Geographic Regions
  • Government Procurement
  • Governments
  • Health Services
  • Intellectual Property
  • Management Personnel
  • Medical Personnel
  • National Governments
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Public Policy
  • Social Media

Readers

  • Economics
  • Systems Analysis and Design