About FM QSMO

What is the FM QSMO?

The Financial Management Quality Service Management Office (FM QSMO) is a U.S. Department of the Treasury initiative and a key component to reaching goals under Treasury's 10-year Vision for the Future of Federal Financial Management.

Treasury's vision is to partner with agency leaders and provide agencies with access to innovative and proven financial management solutions and expert guidance that will advance government-wide financial management goals.

The FM QSMO focuses on brokering access to modern, standards-based solutions that will move agencies away from outdated systems, improve government operations and performance and advance government-wide financial management goals, including improved transparency and better use of data for decision making.

Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service manages a marketplace of solutions and services to help agencies meet their financial management needs and shared government-wide goals using an agile, customer-centric, collaborative approach with both federal agencies and industry.

How will the FM QSMO help and benefit agencies?

The FM QSMO seeks to engage federal agencies planning financial management improvements and systems modernizations. The goal is to understand current and future needs and connect agencies with Marketplace Catalog offerings. The FM Marketplace helps improve the efficiency and effectiveness of agency financial management programs. We can also provide access to lessons learned and leading practices from the FM community. Through continued partnerships, FM QSMO provides guidance and advice from federal providers and the Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service that support long-term planning and financial needs.

The FM QSMO can be a valued partner for agencies during the financial system modernization planning process to discuss a path toward migration to the Marketplace core financial system cloud solution and use of other Marketplace solutions and services. Agencies benefit from the FM Marketplace and partnership with the FM QSMO including having standardized processes and data, reduced operation and maintenance costs, modernized and automated processes, and improved customer satisfaction. Refer to the Marketplace Benefits and Guidance on Agency Use resource for more information on the benefits that the Marketplace provides to agencies.

What is the role of the FM QSMO?

The role of the FM QSMO is to manage a marketplace of solutions and services to respond to agency needs. We work to deliver value through partnerships, collaboration and information sharing across the financial management (FM) community.

We meet with agencies to discuss their modernization plans, share lessons learned and leading practices, and identify opportunities for how agencies can use the FM Marketplace to meet both current and long-term FM needs. We have a wide variety of tools and resources available for agencies that include a readiness assessment, a customer journey map, and Marketplace acquisition guidance.

We meet with federal and commercial providers to discuss Marketplace participation benefits and processes and share opportunities to meet customer agency needs. 

What are the FM QSMO shared goals and guiding principles?

The approach is grounded on a foundation of shared goals which are widely accepted across the financial management community:

• Standardize processes and data.
• Decrease operation and maintenance costs.
• Modernize and automate processes.
• Improve customer satisfaction.

The following principles are guiding the design of the Marketplace:

• Focus on customer experience.
• Increase the strategic value of data.
• Deliver progress using agile processes.

What are the FM QSMO objectives?

The FM QSMO focused on the following objectives:

• Offer and manage a marketplace of high-performing and standards-based solutions to respond to agency needs.
• Partner with agencies to determine strategies and solutions that will help them reach agreed-on government-wide goals.
• Guide and govern the long-term sustainability of core financial management services and solutions.
• Institute a customer and provider engagement and feedback model that allows for continuous improvement and performance management of solutions; and
• Work with customers and providers to adopt standards and comply with regulation and policy.

How are FM QSMO and the Administrative Resource Center (ARC) related?

Both the FM QSMO and the Administrative Resource Center (ARC) are organizations in Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service each having their own management structures.

• The FM QSMO manages the Marketplace Catalog and works with all providers, both commercial and federal, to ensure that solutions and services are available to federal agencies.
• ARC is a federal provider in the Marketplace Catalog that provides financial management, and other services, to federal agencies.

Who are the FM QSMO stakeholders?

The FM QSMO interacts with the following stakeholders:

• Federal Agencies
• Legacy federal shared service providers
• Industry (commercial providers of financial management solutions and services)
• Other stakeholders and partners (OMB, GSA, governance councils)
   

How does the FM QSMO partner with industry?

Partnership with industry is crucial to the success of the FM QSMO. Industry is asked to bring modern, configurable, and service-oriented solutions to government to decrease any unnecessary or duplicative footprint and the risk of operating aging technology.

Also, industry is expected to bring solutions and services that are innovative, and FM QSMO engages regularly with industry through outreach initiatives such as Program Updates, Office Hours, and other meetings. 

How does the FM QSMO partner with agencies?

The FM QSMO will continue to ask agencies what brings the most value to them through collaborative customer experience sessions as the Marketplace grows and matures. Agency customers help guide the development of the Marketplace, and their input is important to its future.

The FM Marketplace

What is the FM Marketplace Catalog?

The FM Marketplace Catalog is a resource for agencies to explore, identify, and get solutions and services that can help support financial management needs and deliver on shared government-wide goals.

Marketplace Catalog offerings include a mix of technology, advisory, and operational solutions and services provided by:

• Commercial vendors
• Federal Shared Service Providers (FSSPs), and
• Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service

What is in scope of the FM Marketplace?

The scope of the FM Marketplace includes solutions and services that support the Federal Financial Management (FFM) mission-support functional area. The Federal Integrated Business Framework (FIBF) is used to define business processes and data for each federal mission-support functional area. Refer to the Guide to the FM Marketplace for more information on the scope of the FM Marketplace.

How do agencies obtain solutions or services from commercial vendors in the Marketplace?

Agencies can directly procure commercial solutions and services using Special Item Number (SIN) 518210FM of the General Service Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), which serves as the contract vehicle for the FM Marketplace.

Agencies retain control to conduct their own acquisitions under applicable federal acquisition regulations. Before soliciting, agencies engage with the FM QSMO and submit their proposed acquisition for review.

Access the How to Obtain Solutions or Services from the FM Marketplace guide for more details and instructions.

What is the role of Federal Shared Service Providers (FSSPs) in the FM Marketplace?

Federal shared services providers (FSSPs) have both a provider and consumer role in the Marketplace. As a Marketplace provider they offer essential core accounting and financial management services to federal agencies and are open to accepting new customers. Federal providers may also consume or use the solutions and services available in the Marketplace Catalog to support their operations and systems.

Agencies engage with and enter into interagency agreements to obtain solutions or services from federal providers. The FM Marketplace Catalog includes contact information for each of the federal providers along with information about their offerings. The FM QSMO can also help connect agencies with federal providers. 

What are Bureau of the Fiscal Service Products and Services?

The Bureau of the Fiscal Service offers a variety of collections, disbursing, and reporting services to support federal financial management needs, many of which are available at no direct cost to agencies. These services help agencies focus attention and resources on core missions rather than redundant financial management tasks and promote efficiency, streamline processes, and support expansion of electronic alternatives.

Agencies can obtain or enroll in Fiscal Service products or services by contacting the respective programs. The FM Marketplace Catalog includes contact information for each Fiscal Service program. The FM QSMO can also help connect agencies to Fiscal Service programs. 

What should agencies do if they are planning a financial system modernization or new investment for a legacy core financial management system?

Agencies planning for investments in new or legacy core financial management systems should reach out to the FM QSMO at fmqsmo@fiscal.treasury.gov to help connect their needs to available Marketplace offerings and discuss options for using the Marketplace.

The FM Marketplace should be the first stop for agencies to get compliant financial management solutions and services from trusted providers. The Marketplace offers several benefits to agency customers and OMB directs agencies to engage with the FM QSMO. Review the FM Marketplace Benefits and Guidance on Agency Use resource for more information.

Does the FM QSMO work with the other designated QSMOs?

FM QSMO works closely with the other designated QSMOs, lines of business, and standards setting agencies to identify interoperability needs and areas where data and business information will need to be exchanged across systems through interfaces or integrations. The QSMOs also interact regularly to identify common processes, share best practices and techniques, and discuss approaches for supporting shared services across the broader government landscape. 

What is the impact of the FM Marketplace to small agencies being serviced by federal providers today?

Federal providers play an important role in providing financial management shared services today. Existing relationships do not need to change. Small agency prospective customers may reach out to a federal provider directly for more information or contact the FM QSMO team for information on how to navigate the Marketplace Catalog or research process.

What is the Financial Management Capability Framework (FMCF) and how does it apply to Marketplace Catalog offerings?

The Financial Management Capability Framework (FMCF) is the standards and capabilities that define baseline needs for solutions and services in the FM Marketplace Catalog, including cloud-based core financial systems (Core FS).

The FMCF includes the Federal Financial Management (FFM) business standards defined in the Federal Integrated Business Framework (FIBF) and additional capabilities that support and complement the standards. The FMCF is used as a basis for evaluating and ensuring that Marketplace services and solutions meet baseline needs. FM QSMO's goal is to standardize and streamline what is common for agencies.

The FM QSMO and the Financial Management Line of Business (FMLoB) are responsible for maintaining the FMCF and update it periodically to show changing policy or other requirements. 

Is support for legacy core financial systems available in the FM Marketplace?

Yes, support for legacy core financial systems is available in the FM Marketplace, under the FM Technology Operations Support Services subgroup/category. During the process of planning for modernizations, federal agencies will continue to need support for legacy systems. Support for legacy financial systems may include software licenses under limited circumstances, software license maintenance/support, remote hosting services, O&M, DME, and other items. Specific needs will vary based on agency circumstances (such as on-premise vs. cloud deployments, product license conditions, status of product support availability, modernization readiness/plans).

Support for legacy financial systems should correspond to agency needs related to their existing financial system deployments. It is not intended to offer agencies a path for obtaining new financial systems outside of Core FS Solutions as defined and available in the FM Marketplace.

Are agencies required to use the FM Marketplace?

The FM Marketplace should be the first stop for agencies to obtain compliant financial management solutions and services from trusted providers. The Marketplace offers several benefits to agency customers and OMB guidance directs agencies to engage with the FM QSMO to determine a path for using the Marketplace.

For investments and acquisitions related to core financial systems, agencies must prepare a business case for OMB approval if intending to proceed outside the Marketplace.

These requirements are detailed in OMB Memorandum M-19-16 and accompanying Investment Planning Guidance released by GSA’s Office of Government-wide Policy, OMB Circular A-123, Appendix D, and OMB Circular A-11. Refer to the FM Marketplace Benefits and Guidance on Agency Use resource for more information.

Commercial Vendor Participation

How do vendors become approved providers in the FM Marketplace?

Vendors interested in becoming an approved commercial provider in the FM Marketplace must apply for the FM QSMO SIN 518210FM under the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS). Vendors should review what solutions/services are in scope, prepare the necessary technical documentation, and submit offers or modification requests using GSA eOffer/eMod.

For more information about how to apply for SIN 518210FM, please refer to the FM QSMO Vendor Guidance and other resources available on the FM QSMO Resources web page.

How are vendors evaluated under the FM QSMO SIN 518210FM?

GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) evaluates the general administrative, technical, and pricing elements of vendor submissions. The FM QSMO conducts an evaluation of the technical elements of vendor submissions specific to SIN 518210FM to assess FMCF compliance. The FM QSMO conducts a technical narrative evaluation of all proposed solutions/services. For proposed Core FS Solutions, the FM QSMO also conducts an Operational Capability Demonstration (OCD) evaluation.

For more information about evaluation criteria and the evaluation process for SIN 518210FM, please refer to the FM QSMO Vendor Guidance and other resources available on the FM QSMO Resources web page.

How long does it take the FM QSMO to evaluate vendor submission packages under SIN 518210FM?

Target completion times for FM QSMO evaluation of SIN-specific technical elements vary based on the types of offerings in a vendor submission package and are as follows:

• Packages including Service Only offerings (20 business days)
• Packages including Service + Technology, or Technology offerings (40 business days)
• Packages including Core FS offerings (60 business days)

These target completion times do not include time associated with GSA’s review of vendor submission packages before they are provided to the FM QSMO for evaluation. It also does not include other GSA work associated with completing award decisions (such as negotiation of terms and conditions, price reasonableness determinations).
 

What if a vendor does not direct-sell to the Federal government? Are there still opportunities for Marketplace participation? 

Yes, vendors that do not direct-sell to federal agencies still have opportunities to participate in the FM Marketplace through a variety of relationships/models (such as partners, subcontractors, suppliers, resellers).

Can small businesses participate in the FM Marketplace?

Yes, the FM QSMO encourages small business participation in the FM Marketplace. The scope of SIN 518210FM provides many opportunities for small businesses to participate by offering specific solutions and services. Small businesses are also permitted to partner with other businesses to provide offerings under the SIN (such as teaming). Small business participation supports a diverse and inclusive Marketplace that provides greater choice and flexibility for agencies.

The application period for SIN 518210FM is continuously open to provide ongoing opportunity. For more information about how to apply to SIN 518210FM, refer to the FM QSMO Vendor Guidance and other resources available on the FM QSMO Resources web page.

Can multiple vendors offer the same or similar solutions and/or services? 

Yes, multiple vendors may offer the same or similar solutions and/or services in the FM Marketplace to promotes greater choice of providers and offerings and competition. 

Does the Marketplace have defined periods of time throughout the year for accepting vendor applications?

No, vendor and solution onboarding remain continuously open to provide ongoing opportunity to new commercial market entrants and industry innovations.

Can solutions such as budget formulation or procure-to-pay be included in vendor proposals in response to SIN 518210FM?

The scope of the FM Marketplace is centered around the Federal Financial Management (FFM) functional area, as defined in the Federal Integrated Business Framework (FIBF). However, there are many touchpoints and interdependencies between FFM and other functional areas, such as Acquisition (ACQ), Budget Formulation (BFM), and Real Property Management (RPM).

Solutions and services often provide capabilities that enable or support functions and activities across multiple functional areas (such as the Budget Setup and Maintenance (FFM.010.010) FFM activity receiving the agency spend and operating plan from the Budget Operating/Spend Plan Development (BFM.030.010) or Budget Operating/Spend Plan Monitoring and Adjustment (BFM.030.020) BFM activities). In such cases, those solutions/services may be appropriate for inclusion in the FM Marketplace/SIN; however, the FM QSMO will only evaluate them for compliance with the relevant FFM standards and capabilities defined in the FMCF.

Can vendors submit additional offerings after they have joined the Marketplace? 

Yes, vendors can submit more offerings at any time. The GSA submission process remains the same and the FM QSMO will evaluate the new offerings only. 

What must be in a vendor submission package in response to SIN 518210FM?

A complete and responsive submission package for SIN 518210FM includes the elements required by the GSA MAS solicitation and the IT Category attachment, and the SIN-specific instructions and technical elements defined by the FM QSMO. The SIN-specific submission elements are outlined in the FM QSMO Vendor Guidance and further explained in the FM QSMO Vendor Onboarding Training, both available on the FM QSMO Resources web page.

What capabilities should vendors offer in Core FS Solutions to incentivize agencies to modernize financial systems and justify the investments made to enhance their products? 

Agency decisions to modernize their financial systems may be driven by a variety of factors, including the ability to use modern technology and capabilities. One of the biggest opportunities for agencies to take advantage of modern technology is the transition to cloud-based solutions, which is a key requirement defined for Core FS solutions in the FM Marketplace. Nearly half of the identified core financial system installations across CFO Act agencies are hosted on premise.

Also, vendors are afforded broad discretion and encouraged to identify and showcase other capabilities that promote efficacy and efficiency (such as RPA, AI), reduce costs, improve useability and executing federal financial management functions, and/or otherwise appeal to agency customers.

Core FS Operational Capability Demonstrations

Which subgroups and solution/service offerings require an Operational Capability Demonstration (OCD)?

Only the Core FS Subgroup and proposed Core FS solutions under that subgroup require capability demonstrations as part of the FM QSMO evaluation process. For more information on vendor evaluations and OCDs under SIN 518210FM, refer to the FM QSMO Vendor Guidance and FM QSMO Vendor Onboarding Training on the FM QSMO Resources web page.

Where can information about the data and scenarios for the Core FS Operational Capability Demonstrations be found?

Business scenarios, FFM Business Use Cases, sample data, and correlation points are specified in the Core FS OCD Execution Plan. The Core FS OCD Execution Plan is available on the FM QSMO Resources page.

Are vendors required to execute the OCD steps in the sequence specified in the scenarios, or can they group and perform steps in a different order?

Yes, for each scenario vendors are required to show the use cases and steps in the order provided in the scenario “Demonstration” tabs of the Core FS OCD Execution Plan. The scenarios build on one another successively.

Do vendors have discretion to define the OCD budget structures? (for example, Allotments, allocations, sub-allocations, and the like.)

Yes, for purposes of the Core FS OCD, at minimum vendors are required to define budget structures at the “allocation” level. For more instructions, please refer to the Core FS OCD Execution Plan on the FM QSMO Resources page.

For each Scenario demonstrated, it requires that an opening Use Case be performed to accurately demonstrate budgeting. Does this need to be performed multiple times or can one budget scenario be demonstrated that can be used for all Scenarios?

No, it does not need to be performed multiple times. The FM QSMO would like for this to be shown and demonstrated a minimum of at least 1 time during the OCD. It is the FM QSMO’s intention to see that the Core FS can perform this function and seeing it once is sufficient.

Since outputs such as reports can be provided in advance of the OCD being performed, is it required that vendors/providers demonstrate how a report is generated live during a demonstration?

No, it is not required however FM QSMO evaluators and agency advisors would prefer to see and understand how a report gets generated. The output can be provided ahead of time, but the process of generating a report should be performed or walked through during the OCD.

Scenario S.6 requires generating the CARS Outbound File but the scenarios do not include reclassifications that would appear in the CARS file. How should vendors proceed with generating the file?

The method for generating the CARS file is left to the vendor’s discretion. Solutions are required to produce files for full CARS reporters. The FM QSMO will not validate data, as the scenarios do not tie to the CARS file; however, demonstration that a CARS file can be generated in the correct format as prescribed in the Outbound File is required.

Scenario S.6 requires generating the 1099-C report, but the scenarios do not include data that would be reported on the 1099-C. How should vendors proceed with generating the report?

The method for generating the 1099-C report is left to the vendor’s discretion. Vendors are required to explain and show the process of generating the 1099-C. The FM QSMO will not validate the data on the 1099-C as being correct, only that the format of the report is valid.

Are agencies allowed to participate in the OCDs?

Yes, federal agencies have opportunities to participate in the OCDs in either an advisory or observational capacity. Agencies interested in participating in the OCDs should contact the FM QSMO at fmqsmo@fiscal.treasury.gov for more information.

Agency Acquisition Process

How is the ordering process for FM QSMO IT SIN 518210FM different from the ordering process used today?

The FM QSMO Marketplace ordering process is based on existing and familiar GSA MAS ordering procedures.

• Agencies may engage the FM QSMO while conducting market research and planning activities to identify solutions and services from the Marketplace Catalog that meet their needs.
• Before issuing solicitations, agencies submit their proposed acquisitions for review using the FM QSMO Task Order Review Board (TORB) Intake Form and receive feedback from the FM QSMO.
• After award, agencies email a copy of the award and provider service measures to the FM QSMO at FMQSMO-Marketplace@fiscal.treasury.gov .

The FM QSMO TORB process is not intended to place more burden on agency customers nor delay agency procurement schedules. The FM QSMO is committed to expedient processing of agency requests. More information about the ordering process is available in the Agency Acquisition Guide on the FM QSMO Resources web page.

Are agencies required to engage with the FM QSMO before issuing solicitations for commercial Marketplace offerings?

Yes, agencies engage with the FM QSMO prior to issuing solicitations and submit their proposed acquisitions for review through the Task Order Review Board (TORB) process. The FM QSMO supports agencies through the acquisition process and ensures alignment with financial management standards. The FM QSMO can also provide agencies with guidance, suggestions, and examples and connect them with other agencies and helpful resources.

My agency is planning for a system modernization and is looking for a vendor that can provide an evaluation, analysis, and recommendation(s). Is that type of support available in the Marketplace? 

Yes, that type of support is available in the FM Marketplace, and there are multiple vendors featuring that type of service in the Marketplace Catalog.  

Do agencies conduct their own acquisitions using the FM QSMO SIN 518210FM?

Yes, agencies retain control to conduct their own acquisitions and directly contract with vendors pursuant to applicable federal acquisition regulation (FAR 8.4 – Federal Supply Schedules), GSA and agency ordering procedures.

Before soliciting, are agencies required to issue Requests for Information (RFIs) using GSA MRAS when conducting acquisitions under the FM QSMO SIN?

No, the FM Marketplace/SIN 518210FM in itself does not create a requirement for agencies to conduct an RFI, or to use the GSA MRAS tool for any such activities. Market research activities are left to the discretion of the agencies.

Should agencies use the FM Marketplace for expiring contracts?

Yes, for expiring contracts that provide financial management solutions and/or services agencies should plan to use the FM Marketplace for continued needs. Agencies have the ability to set up indefinite delivery, that is to say, Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) and award definite delivery contracts (delivery/task orders) using SIN 518210FM. If an agency has remaining option periods or authorities in place that allow existing contracts to be extended, then discretion is left to the agency. Launch of the FM Marketplace did not invalidate agency contracts established before to that time.

Is there a fee for agencies to use the FM Marketplace? 

No, there is no added fee to agencies for use of the FM Marketplace (SIN 518210FM) outside of the standard Industrial Funding Fee (IFF) of 0.75% included in the GSA MAS program. Agencies are not responsible for directly paying the ISS as it is built into vendor pricing and collected from the vendors by GSA.

Does the Marketplace offer best available pricing?

Yes, besides driving economies of scale through centralized federal FM spend and common solutions, agencies also benefit from the protections of the GSA price reduction clause which ensures that vendor prices are the best available/lowest offered across government.

Does the Marketplace support competition and other procurement goals?

Yes, use of the FM Marketplace aligns with and supports several other government-wide initiatives/goals such as Category Management, Small Business, Competition, and IT Modernization.

Does SIN 518210FM include specific fair opportunity requirements?

No, responsibility for satisfying overarching fair opportunity requirements or justifying exceptions thereto remains with agencies. Agencies can exercise discretion based on their specific considerations; for example, full and open competition, small business set-aside, limited sources justification (non-competitive), posting the opportunity through SAM.gov or GSA eBuy vs. directly soliciting a targeted number of vendors under the SIN.

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