Increasing budget constraints challenge federal agencies
to find new and smarter ways to do business. In doing
so, federal agencies require support and assistance, and
the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) through its
Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) works to provide that support.
“We like to think of ourselves,” says Jim Williams, FAS
commissioner, “as the premier acquisition agency in government.”
With a budget of around $17 billion and 12,000
employees, GSA has two main components: the Public
Building Service and FAS. The Public Building Service
controls about 8,300 owned or leased federal office buildings
that account for about $500 billion in assets. FAS, led
by Jim Williams, is “the first service in the history of GSA
established in law—October 2006—and is the result of
merging the Federal Technology Service and the Federal
Supply Service.” Williams believes his organization has a
great opportunity to assist federal agencies to be more effective
and efficient in spending taxpayer dollars.