The act required the Comptroller General to convene a panel of experts to study the policies and procedures governing the transfer of commercial activities for the federal government from government to contactor personnel. Steps Taken to Ensure a Representative Panel and a Fair and Balanced Process

In establishing the Panel, a number of steps were taken to ensure representation from all major stakeholders as well as to ensure a fair and balanced process. To ensure a broad array of views on the panel, we used a Federal Register notice to seek suggestions on the Panel’s composition. Principles, Findings, and Recommendations

As the Panel began its work, it recognized early on the need for a set of principles that would provide a framework for sourcing decisions. Those principles, as they were debated and fleshed out, provided an important vehicle for assessing what does or does not work in the current A-76 process, and provided a framework for identifying needed changes in the process. Savings result regardless of whether the public or the private sector wins the cost comparison. Implementation Strategy

Many of the Panel’s recommendations can be accomplished administratively under existing law, and the Panel recommends that they be implemented as soon as practical. The Panel also recognizes that some of its recommendations would require changes in statutes or regulations and that making the necessary changes could take some time. Any legislative changes should be approached in a comprehensive and considered manner rather than a piecemeal fashion in order for a reasonable balance to be achieved.
What GAO Found

The Commercial Activities Panel is a congressionally mandated panel to study, and make recommendations for improving, the policies and procedures governing the transfer of commercial activities from government to contractor personnel. The growing controversy surrounding competitions under the Office of Management and Budget's Circular A-76 to determine whether the government should obtain commercially available goods and services from the public or private sectors led to the establishment of this Panel. In establishing the Panel, several steps were taken to ensure representation from all major stakeholders as well as to ensure a fair and balanced process. To ensure a broad range of views on the Panel, a Federal Register notice was used to seek suggestions for the Panel's composition. As the Panel began its work, it recognized the need for a set of principles for sourcing decisions. These principles provide for an assessment of what does or does not work in the current A-76 process and provide a framework for identifying needed changes. Many of the Panel's recommendations can be accomplished administratively under existing law, and the Panel recommends that they be implemented as soon as practical. The Panel also recognizes that some of the recommendations would require changes in statutes or regulations that could take some time. Any legislative changes should be comprehensive and considered to achieve a reasonable balance.