Performance-Based Acquisition(PBA)
An acquisition approach that emphasizes required outcomes and performance standards rather than prescribing how work must be accomplished.
Overview
Performance-Based Acquisition (PBA) is a procurement methodology mandated by the FAR that shifts the focus from prescribing methods and processes to defining measurable outcomes. The government specifies what it needs achieved and the standards for success, leaving contractors free to propose the most effective approach. PBA supports innovation and reduces government oversight burden.
Why It Matters in GovCon
PBA fundamentally changes the proposal landscape. Instead of responding to detailed task lists, you propose solutions that achieve stated outcomes. Your technical approach and past performance demonstrating similar outcomes become the differentiators. Understanding PBA principles helps you write proposals that emphasize results over process.
Key Details
- FAR Preference: FAR Part 37 establishes PBA as the preferred approach for service contracts.
- Key Documents: Performance Work Statement (PWS), Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP), and measurable performance standards.
- Outcome-Focused: Describes the end state rather than the path to get there.
- Flexibility: Contractors have latitude to innovate within the performance framework.
Related Terms
- Performance Work Statement (PWS)
- Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP)
- Statement of Work (SOW)
- Performance-Based Incentive (PBI)
More Regulations Terms
A federal law requiring the U.S. government to prefer domestic products and materials in its procurement.
A federal law requiring contractors on federally funded construction projects to pay workers prevailing local wages.
The supplement to the FAR that contains acquisition regulations specific to the Department of Defense.
The primary set of rules governing how the federal government purchases goods and services, covering everything from competition requirements to contract administration.
A federal law that gives the public the right to request access to federal agency records, subject to exemptions.
The acquisition regulation that supplements the FAR for the Department of Homeland Security.
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