The integrated schedule lives in several places.
What it costs: Milestones slip across contractors, and the program office learns late.
Federal
Federal program management support
Program management, PMO, and governance support for federal program offices and prime contractors, scoped as fixed-price deliverables or as a workstream under a prime.
When this is the work
Signs a program office needs program management support.
Federal programs rarely fail for lack of a plan. They lose time where the plan meets execution: across contractors, in reporting, and in decisions that wait too long.
Status reporting is assembled by hand each month.
What it costs: Staff time goes to formatting instead of managing risk.
Risks and decisions are tracked informally.
What it costs: Issues reach leadership after the options have narrowed.
The statement of work is clear, but daily execution drifts from it.
What it costs: Deliverables diverge from what the contracting officer will accept.
Several contractors, no shared operating rhythm.
What it costs: Handoffs between vendors create gaps no one owns.
Performance measures exist on paper only.
What it costs: The program cannot show progress in the terms its oversight reviews require.
Policy context
Federal law already expects disciplined program management.
The Program Management Improvement Accountability Act of 2016 set government-wide expectations for program management. GAO's review of its implementation found the structure in place and the execution uneven.
2016
The Program Management Improvement Accountability Act requires government-wide program management standards and Program Management Improvement Officers at CFO Act agencies.
GAO-20-44, December 201910 of 24
CFO Act agencies had received OMB portfolio reviews when GAO assessed implementation.
GAO-20-44, December 20195 of 35
GAO high-risk areas had been covered by the required program reviews at the time of the assessment.
GAO-20-44, December 2019Program offices that meet these expectations do it with an integrated plan, a working governance rhythm, and reporting tied to outcomes.
What we deliver
What the work can include.
Work is scoped as defined deliverables with acceptance criteria, whether delivered directly to a program office or as a workstream under a prime contractor.
Integrated master schedule and plan
One schedule across contractors and government teams, with dependencies and critical path visible and owned.
PMO standup and standards
Standards, templates, and a governance rhythm sized to the program, aligned with agency program management policy.
Risk, issue, and decision management
A single register for risks, issues, and decisions, each with an owner, a date, and an escalation path.
Program and executive reporting
Monthly status, dashboards, and leadership briefings built from one source, focused on progress, risk, and decisions needed.
Requirements and deliverable management
Requirements traced from the statement of work to deliverables and acceptance criteria, so work stays in scope and deliverables are accepted.
Contractor and stakeholder coordination
A shared operating rhythm across vendors and government teams, with responsibilities and handoffs written down.
Performance measurement
Measures tied to program objectives, with baselines, targets, and reviews that show whether the program is delivering.
Transition and closeout
Transition plans, documentation, and closeout deliverables that leave the program office able to run what was built.
How to buy
Three ways to put this work on contract.
Each is scoped with defined deliverables and acceptance criteria. SAM.gov registered, UEI EL3KXJ8JBLP4, CAGE 24UV6.
- Direct task order. Fixed-price deliverables with acceptance criteria, awarded by the program office.
- Simplified acquisition. Scoped work under the simplified acquisition threshold, with a short, defined period of performance.
- Subcontract workstream. A program management workstream under a prime, with deliverables written into the teaming agreement.
How it runs
Phases and outputs.
Mobilize
Confirm scope, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and points of contact with the program office or prime.
OutputAn approved work plan and governance rhythmBaseline
Consolidate the schedule, risks, and reporting, and establish where the program actually stands.
OutputAn integrated schedule and a risk and decision registerRun
Operate the governance rhythm, produce reporting, and bring decisions forward on time.
OutputDeliverables accepted and milestones metTransition
Document the processes and hand the work to the program office or the next phase.
OutputTransition documentation and closeout
Ways to engage
Start where it makes sense.
Start here
Operating Diagnostic
Three weeks and a fixed fee. A clear account of what is slowing the work down, what it costs, and an action plan with owners.
How it works Defined engagementScoped project
A written scope, agreed deliverables, and acceptance criteria. Delivered with your team and handed over when it is running.
Discuss a project OngoingFractional leadership
Need senior ownership of this work now? Bring in a fractional PMO or transformation lead on a defined mandate, with a clear reporting line and a planned handover.
Fractional rolesQuestions
Federal program management questions.
Can you work as a subcontractor under a prime?
Yes. A program management workstream can be delivered under a prime, with deliverables, acceptance criteria, and points of contact written into the teaming agreement.
Which NAICS and PSC codes apply?
Primary NAICS 541611 (Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services), with 541618 as an additional code. Program management support typically falls under PSC R408, with R499 and R410 for related professional and program evaluation work.
Can deliverables be fixed-price?
Yes. Deliverables are defined with acceptance criteria, which suits fixed-price task orders and performance-based scopes.
What past performance can you show?
The capability statement summarizes measured results from operations, program, and governance work in legal, investment, and complex enterprise environments. Performance references are provided in proposals and on request.
Do you support work requiring a security clearance?
Tell us the clearance and access requirements at the start. We will confirm directly and early whether we can meet them, so no one's time is wasted.
Not sure this is the right starting point?
The Operating Diagnostic is a three-week, fixed-fee look at how the work actually runs. It tells you whether the fix is a process, a decision, a system, or all three, and gives you an action plan either way.