Contractor Strategies in a Presidential Transition

Key Takeaways:

• Contractors must prepare early on for the new administration’s agenda to identify potential new opportunities.
• Deltek outlines four main ideas to assist contractors in navigating the transition period and new administration.
• Deltek’s new report, Administration Transition, 2020-21, examines the priorities, management agenda and transition activities to help contractors engage in the process.

The United States will see a change in presidents in a few weeks, and with that will come a new set of priorities and agency leaders. With every change in administration, contractors must be prepared and adapt to potential impacts in budgets, programs and procurements.

Though the full impact of a new administration may not be felt for nearly 18 to 24 months, industry must take advantage of this transition period to strategically plan and accommodate upcoming changes.  New priorities, human capital and programs may require contractors to reassess their solutions, value propositions and sales strategies.

As such, Deltek’s new report, Administration Transition, 2020-21, aims to help industry navigate the administration transition by examining the president-elect’s priorities, leadership selection and top programs. Within the report, Deltek provides four main contractor strategies during the transition:

Support Agencies. Transition activities at agencies are under way to prepare for the incoming administration. While agency transition processes are typically done in-house, contractors may be able to assist customers with unresolved issues, assemble program justifications and highlight past achievements.

Performance, Portfolio and Offering Review. As agency managers evaluate their programs and performance, industry must do the same internally by identifying needed enhancements or improvements revealed by past or current program operations. Review of solution portfolios to align with the incoming agency platform is also essential to remain nimble to potential program changes.

Agency Analysis for Key Accounts. Retaining personnel familiar with transition and new administration activities is key to navigating agency infrastructure and applications. Knowledge of agency organization charts and the “coming and going” of federal personnel is also key in improving relationships within agencies.

After the Inauguration. Once new leadership is in place, contractors must be prepared to demonstrate their value proposition through white papers, demonstrations, and meeting with new appointees. As new leadership begin to implement policy and direction, contractors can pursue sound, policy-neutral procurements, while identifying solutions to help solve new administration problems or compliment new priorities.

While steering through transition waters and changes brought on by a new administration can be cumbersome, contractors have a unique opportunity here. This is a time to reemphasize value with customers through new relationships, helping in transition activities and seizing new opportunities aligned with new priorities and methodologies.

For additional details on the above contractor strategies and more, refer to Deltek’s latest report.