The Procurement Innovation Lab (PIL) is a DHS framework aimed at experimenting with innovative acquisition techniques across the DHS enterprise. The PIL provides a safe space to test new ideas, share lessons learned, and promote best practices. It fosters cultural changes that promote innovation and managed risk-taking through a continuous feedback cycle. PIL institutionalizes best practices by:
- Testing (Experimenting) - Apply innovative procurement techniques in actual projects and capture customer feedback and lessons-learned; and
- Sharing (Institutionalizing) - Share best practices and sample documents DHS-wide via webinars, intranet portal, and outreach.
The cycle of testing and feedback is continuous.
Testing
Identify procurement projects to test.
Any member of the procurement project team submits 1-pager.
PIL engages with the three procurement project leads: Contract Lead, Program Lead, Attorney Advisor Lead.
PIL Innovation Coach and three project leads conduct bi-weekly 15 minute “Sprint Chats” until complete.
After award, PIL obtains feedback from Government teams and vendors to
Sharing
PIL and Component Acquisition Innovation Advisor (AIA) enable the procurement project teams to share their lessons learned and sample documents through various PIL and agency trainings/engagements.
Procurement project team members fulfilling certain learning experiences can earn a PIL Digi-Badge to become an Innovation Practitioner, Coach or Master.
Digi-Badge holders coach other procurement teams.
Procurement team members engage and exchange innovation experiences with colleagues. | View Original
The PIL aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of procurements by:
- Lowering entry barriers for innovative, non-traditional contractors to compete for DHS business opportunities
- Shortening time-to-award; thereby delivering capability to the customer faster
- Encouraging competition by providing interested vendors with a greater understanding of the goals and objectives for each procurement; and
- Increasing the likelihood of successful outcomes by focusing on evaluation techniques to obtain the most qualified vendors.
These objectives will enhance the Department’s mission and strengthen our industry relationships while saving taxpayer dollars. Through these objectives and the PIL’s practices, the PIL is promoting a learning culture which encourages managed risk-taking to enhance acquisition support for the DHS mission.
The PIL Team acts as consultants to the Acquisition Team. It emphasizes Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 1.102-4(d) that tasks each member of the Acquisition Team to exercise personal initiative and sound business judgment in provided the best value product or service to meet the customer's needs. In the case of DHS, this means a difficult task of efficient and timely delivery of mission support, conducting business with integrity, fairness, and openness.