Developing an acquisition strategy that will lead to selection of the "right contractor" is especially important in performance-based acquisition. The contractor must understand the performance-based approach, know or develop an understanding of the agency's requirement, have a history of performing exceptionally in the field, and have the processes and resources in place to support the mission. This goes a long way to successful mission accomplishment. In fact, selecting the right contractor and developing a partnership automatically solves many potential performance issues.

Keep in mind that large businesses have not "cornered the market" on good ideas. Small firms can be nimble, quick thinking, and very dedicated to customer service. While there is a cost in proposing solutions, a small business with a good solution can win performance-based awards.

Also, do not think you are limited to companies that specialize in the federal market. Information obtained from market research sessions has shown that often commercial companies -- or commercial divisions of companies that do federal and commercial business -- have significantly more experience with performance-based service delivery methods and techniques.

While there are many aspects to crafting an acquisition strategy, among the most important for performance-based acquisition are to "compete the solution," use downselection and "due diligence," evaluate heavily on past performance information, and make a best-value source selection decision.