The General Services Administration (GSA) has initiated the research phase for the recompete of a significant contract aimed at providing human resources support to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This move marks a pivotal moment, as it involves one of the largest acquisitions that GSA has undertaken to date. The current contract, held by Personnel Decisions Research Institutes and awarded by OPM in January 2021, has a ceiling value of $210.7 million, with OPM having obligated $125.5 million since then, according to data from Deltek.
The follow-on contract is projected to be much larger, with solicitation documents indicating a ceiling value of up to $750 million over eight years. While the request for information (RFI) does not explicitly state that the USA Hire program will remain a single award, the language used by GSA suggests this possibility. The RFI references “the contractor” and “an industry partner,” implying a continued relationship with one primary provider.
Scope and Goals of the New Contract
The new USA Hire contract is designed to support initiatives such as the Chance to Compete Act and executive orders from the Trump administration. Additionally, OPM aims to enhance its Merit Hiring Plan, which focuses on implementing more skill-based assessments in the hiring process and centralizing recruitment for federal agencies at OPM. Currently, only 20 percent of federal government hiring occurs through OPM.
As the contract will manage millions of job applicants, OPM has expressed a need for an industry partner capable of assisting the USA Hire program in delivering online assessments on a large scale. According to GSA, the selected contractor will need to provide psychometric expertise for these assessments and develop a scalable solution that can handle anticipated growth and surges in applicant volume.
Emphasis on Technology and AI
The upcoming contract is expected to incorporate advanced technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), to enhance assessment processes and overall performance. GSA has indicated that the use of AI will not only improve the efficiency of assessments but also help identify applicants who may attempt to exploit AI for unfair advantages in the hiring process.
Responses to the RFI are due by October 8, 2023, and GSA has scheduled individual meetings for potential contractors on October 22 and 23, 2023. These meetings will provide an opportunity for interested parties to discuss the requirements and expectations outlined in the RFI.
The recompete of the USA Hire contract represents a significant step forward in modernizing federal hiring practices and ensuring that the government can effectively attract and assess talent in a competitive job market.
