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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The point is that the FFRDC is not being responsive to the stated instructions of the customer. [/quote]Does the COTR agree that the "stated instructions" in line with the SOW/IDA's tech response?
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I've seen IDA staff take the SOW way too literally, often avoiding work that isn't explicitly written down. The contract is like a straitjacket, and they struggle to pivot or adapt as the project evolves. It feels to me like they often care more about rigid compliance than actually meeting our current needs.[/quote]I'd consider talking to your COR/COTR about whether the SOW/IDA's response is too restrictive/could be updated... The FFRDC projects I worked on had SOWs/responses with a combination of tasks/subtasks that were rigid and others with generic tasking that allowed for significant FFRDC autonomy and governmental redirects during the POP.  The rigid ones tended to be things like progress reports, the latter, the real engineering work.  The latter were fairly frequently revisited.  These tasks required a close working relationship between the COR/COTR/individual Federal responsible customers and the FFRDC managers/technical leads so the Feds got what they needed and the FFRDC didn't have problems getting paid for the work we'd done when the auditors looked at it.  On that front, one key issue we had to deal with regarding the flexibility/autonomy/redirects was ensuring/showing that the FFRDC work under these tasks was autonomous enought that the services shouldn't be provided by a SETA.[/quote]

SETA work or not but their way of working is not good for my portfolio. we had a couple of meetings and they didn't listen so I issues a stop-work order and canceled the TO. [/quote]

Above is simpler and easier and more time efficient than trying to fix a vendor that is broken. [/quote]

What’s broken is the government. They cut core funding for FFRDCs, their overhead rates, refuse to increase dollar values of task orders to keep up with inflation, and increase regulatory reporting requirements over the past 2+ decades…. and then are surprised the quality and efficiency are in decline… or that places try to diversify to non-government funding streams.
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Is the real answer is to eliminate FFRDCs (and maybe UARCs) entirely?[/quote]

Ah yes, because the best way to fix a broken house is to burn the neighborhood down and hope the tent you pitch instead magically manages itself.
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