Why can not Sam.gov get to the point already? — Washington Know-how

Nick Wakeman

Why cannot Sam.gov get to the position presently?

There’s a cautionary principle in journalism termed burying the lead. A author generally gets also enamored with their own voice and the news. Why the reader should really shell out time on the tale is in the fifth, sixth or even deeper in the tale.

When that transpires, the reader has generally given up previously. I have been guilty of burying the lead and I may possibly be jeopardizing that now.

So I’ll get right to the position — Sam.gov is preposterous.

Yesterday/Monday, I wrote a story about Leidos profitable the $2.5 billion NASA State-of-the-art Enterprise Global Facts Know-how Solutions contract. NASA put the release out and I did some study on my possess to flesh it out and increase some perspective since it it a takeaway from incumbent Science Apps International Corp.

Immediately after my story was posted, I obtained an automated email from Sam.gov that there was a improve involving the deal. It is a contract I’m “following” on Sam.gov.

I clicked on the connection and go to Sam.gov. I desired to see if there was some other bit of news or a thing that I need to add to my tale.

After on the Sam.gov web page, I commence scrolling and scrolling. I used the “View Changes” functionality.

Almost nothing of great importance there, but I also see that there is nothing on the web page about Leidos. No award detect. Nada. What the heck is this warn for?

I continue to keep scrolling and scrolling earlier notices about points these types of as conferences from 10 months ago and the posting of slides from people very long back conferences. There is a part with hyperlinks to all the solicitation documents for a deal that has now now been awarded.

Then last but not least at the quite base is the information. In the heritage part of the detect in light blue form: “Award Discover.” The news is buried at the stop of a extensive webpage whole of information and facts that is relatively unhelpful at this stage.

That sends me to the Sam.gov site listing Leidos as the winner.

Why make any one perform so tough to get to the most recent data? Why did not the website link in the automated electronic mail go specifically to the notice with the award facts?

If I did not know previously that an award had been built, I most likely would have presented up, considering that there was just some minor edit in the discover. I wasn’t following the See ID for the award posting because it didn’t exist nevertheless for me to adhere to it.

Why two unique Notice ID quantities? Why not for consistency sake use the very same Notice ID (the solicitation variety) for all notices similar to a deal?

I have no concept. Appears sensible to me. But then yet again, substantially of the logic all over Sam.gov escapes me.

Posted by Nick Wakeman on Jun 29, 2021 at 1:12 PM