_posts/2016-06-21-using-plain-language-to-bridge-the-gap-between-government-and-industry.md
---
title: "Using plain language to bridge the gap between government and industry"
date: 2016-06-21
authors:
- ryan-sibley
tags:
- content design
- general services administration
- procurement
- agency work
excerpt: "Recently, we partnered with the Office of Integrated Technology Services
(ITS) here within the General Services Administration (GSA) on a
four-month effort to develop a plain language guide, informed by
research and interviews, to help technology companies interested in
doing business with the federal government better understand how to
join IT Schedule 70."
description: "Recently, we partnered with the Office of Integrated Technology Services (ITS) here within the General Services Administration (GSA) on a
four-month effort to develop a plain language guide, informed by
research and interviews, to help technology companies interested in
doing business with the federal government better understand how to
join IT Schedule 70."
image: /assets/blog/content/schedule-70.jpg
---
Much of our work with government partners to deliver better digital
services has resulted in full websites, applications, and embarking on
large-scale transformation efforts. In addition to those types of
projects, we also work on shorter, faster, smaller-scale projects
designed to show our partners different points of view and different
techniques to approach their most challenging problems.
Recently, we partnered with the Office of Integrated Technology Services
(ITS) here within the General Services Administration (GSA) on a
four-month effort to develop a plain language guide, informed by
research and interviews, to help technology companies interested in
doing business with the federal government better understand [how to
join IT Schedule 70](http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100406).
This effort is part of a series of projects GSA has undertaken under a
broader initiative called [Making It
Easier](http://gsablogs.gsa.gov/gsablog/2016/04/06/gsa-making-it-easier-for-suppliers-to-do-business-with-the-government/)
(MIE for short). The goal of MIE is to enable new and innovative
companies to do business with the government and supply small businesses
with the tools and support they need to do work with the government.
Part of the MIE strategy is to make working with GSA as flexible and
easy as possible by simplifying and streamlining processes.
Understanding IT Schedule 70
----------------------------
IT Schedule 70 is the largest multi-agency government contract vehicle
to purchase technology products and services. Private vendors apply to
GSA to be added to IT Schedule 70, then federal agencies use that list
of vendors to fulfill their technology products and services needs. It’s
a unique type of contract, in that other federal, state, and local
government agencies can order from it using a streamlined process that
typically takes far less time and effort than the award of a standard,
“bespoke,” contract between an agency and company.
As we heard during interviews with vendors, it can be challenging to
understand whether IT Schedule 70 is the right program for them.
Further, after a vendor knows that they do want to be part this
particular schedule program, it can be hard to figure out how to apply.
18F experienced these challenges firsthand as we embarked on the
[creation of the Agile BPA](https://18f.gsa.gov/2015/01/08/creating-a-federal-marketplace-for-agile-delivery-services/)
last year. The Agile BPA is a type of contract 18F is now using to
deliver great digital services to our partner agencies, and it’s based
on IT Schedule 70. When we first announced this effort, we heard from a
lot of vendors who were interested in being a part of it, but found the
process of getting on IT Schedule 70 daunting.
Both the vendors who go through the process to join IT Schedule 70 and
the GSA contracting officers who work with them acknowledge that the
process can feel muddied and difficult to navigate. Both parties also
acknowledge that the process can take a relatively long time to complete
— sometimes the better part of a year, particularly for vendors who are
newer to the federal acquisition process.
Improving the application process
---------------------------------
18F and ITS share a desire to make the user experience for vendors
applying to IT Schedule 70 smoother and more successful. The combination
of ITS’ contracting expertise and 18F’s user-centered approach were key
as we began to build on research from the Federal Acquisition Service
and the Office of Customer Experience (both offices inside GSA) as we
learned what and how to communicate with vendors who might be qualified
candidates for the IT Schedule 70 program.
We talked with vendors about their experiences with the IT Schedule 70
process, what they had the most trouble with, and what information
needed to be clarified. We also talked with contracting officers to see
where they saw the most mistakes being made as they reviewed the offers
submitted by vendors. In the end, we took all of the information we
gathered and combined it with the results of a content audit and
brainstorming sessions to write a [step by step
guide](http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100406) to what people need
to know when submitting an offer for an IT Schedule 70 contract.
[](http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100406)
This project might seem out of the norm for 18F. Maybe it doesn’t seem
high-tech enough to fit in with the kind of work we do — it’s all words
and very little code! But at 18F we do much more than just improving
tech products. We’re also here to change culture and improve the user
experience all around, and that includes improving content.
For this project, we focused on rewriting and reorganizing content and
using visual design techniques to ease the burden of reading this
text-heavy guide. Good content design doesn’t only involve words, it
also involves visual elements to help get a story or a message across,
and they’re both essential to a good user experience. Like our more
coding-heavy projects, we followed user-centered principles, including
interviews, sketching prototypes, and user feedback, from start to
finish.
More ways GSA is improving the user experience for contractors
--------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, as we mentioned, the development of this guide is one of a
number of projects currently underway at GSA to make things easier for
those interested in doing business with the federal government. Other
projects include the [IT Schedule 70 Startup Springboard](http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/125886), which
will help new vendors with innovative products qualify to get a contract
sooner than they might otherwise be able to. There is also the [Welcome
Package](http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/121922) intended to help
vendors with a newly awarded contract be successful and maintain their
award into the future.
One more effort worth noting comes out of the Presidential Innovation
Fellows program. It’s a new product called
[apps.gov](https://apps.gov/). It will help government agencies
explore and learn about cloud software that they can purchase, including
many options available through IT Schedule 70. Technology vendors can
also submit their software products to be listed on apps.gov and learn
about the various government approvals and opportunities to sell across
the federal government. It’s still an evolving tool, but the goal is to
eventually get to a fully transactional marketplace between the private
and public sectors.