VA awards GAO High Risk Professional Support contract to Blue Water Thinking

G2X TAKE: Blue Water Thinking, a rapidly emerging service-disabled Veteran-owned small business consultancy that specializes in Healthcare, Digital Government, and Management Advisory services, was recently awarded a new 18-month GAO High Risk Professional Support Services task with Veterans Affairs. This contract, valued at $5M, was awarded as an SDVOSB sole source action.

A J&A released subsequently is available here.

Take Bytes

• GAO’s High Risk list, updated at the start of each new Congress, identifies programs and operations that are vulnerable to waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement, or in need of transformation.
• Blue Water is a known incumbent on this effort, having been awarded a 2019 contract to provide VA with professional support services to assist the High Risk List Professional Support Liaison (GOAL) Office and a 2020 contract to provide professional support services to assist the OALC Office with the implementation and continued assessment of its GAO HRL strategic direction/plan. This win is in addition to teaming with ERPi on a recent $86M VA PPMSS task award.
• Blue Water Thinking was founded by former VA Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits, Michael Cardarelli. “Michael Cardarelli was appointed Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits in the Department of Veterans Affairs on Jan. 2, 2011. In this position, he serve(d) as second in command in the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)…Prior to his appointment, he served the VA’s Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits since January 2010. Previously, he served as VA’s Deputy Chief of Staff since May 2009.” Source VA.gov. 
• Over the past year or two, the company has been building out its team, adding well-known Federal Health Industry Executive Wasfi Alnabki as its new Chief Operating Officer; recruiting longtime VA IT leader Michelle Rowe; and adding longtime VA Acquisition and Business leader Tom Leney to serve as Vice President of Corporate Development. 
• Blue Water Thinking was named to the list of NXT UP firms poised to make big waves in the Federal sector in 2020 and for years to come.

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