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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Browse through these FAQs to find answers to commonly raised questions that the Office of Acquisition IT Services (IQ) assists its customers with. If you're new to FAS-IT, we encourage you to not only browse through these questions and answers, but to also explore the relevant IT Playbook links appended to the answers.

Table of Contents:

What is Federal Acquisition Services (FAS) - IT?

The Office of Acquisition Information Technology Services (FAS-IT) is a business-focused service delivery organization. Our joint success is achieved by working in close partnership with the FAS organization which you can read more about on the FAS page on insite.gov.

What is FAS Cloud Services?

FCS enables and promotes a "ONE GSA IT" approach by bringing IT partners together to build the Cloud Ecosystem. Through FCS's Cloud Smart Journey and related processes, Application Teams, Data, Security, and IDT/Infrastructure come together to build the Cloud Ecosystem, modernizing FAS applications; and enabling application teams more time to drive business value, while realizing cost, resource, and schedule savings. Review the FCS Orientation for greater details about the FCS organization, its processes, products and services.

What is the FAS-IT Playbook?

The FAS-IT Playbook is a dynamic website that provides a central hub for current and future customers to learn about our Ecosystem Offerings, the Cloud Smart Journey, access end-user guides, trainings and seminars, case studies, architectures and other helpful FCS and FAS specific information. Consider the FAS-IT Playbook your first stop for information about FAS-IT and FAS Cloud Services.

The FAS-IT Playbook has an abundance of resources. How do I find the resources that best align to my role?

Our user journeys can help you navigate the FAS-IT Playbook. Each journey visually illustrates a specific path a user might take to quickly locate helpful content and resources, tailored to a specific role supporting the FAS-IT organization.

What is COMET?

The CIO Modernization and Enterprise Transformation (COMET) Program consists of two contracts that can support the full life-cycle of systems development for the entire portfolio of FAS business applications. COMET was developed jointly by GSA IT and FAS to ensure the acquisition strategy aligned to the FAS IT Modernization Strategy and reflected the current and future needs of the FAS business lines.

What is COMET Tech Exchange?

To engage the COMET community, FAS and FCS facilitate a monthly COMET Tech Exchange. These dialogues between GSA and the COMET community will improve GSA's ability to enhance future acquisitions and enable COMET vendors to improve their responses, creating more competition and enabling the best solutions and offerings to meet FAS mission needs.

Where do I learn about the various FCS products, services, and capabilities?

FCS offers a wide variety of products, services, and capabilities which can be tailored to your specific needs. To learn more, visit the Cloud Offerings page where you can read about our un-managed, semi-managed, and fully managed services; data capabilities; and available technologies.

I have an Initiative and/or project. Where do I start within FCS?

New customers interested in engaging with FCS will start their Cloud Smart Journey with the Cloud Advisory Working Group and the FCS Advisory team. Together, they will help understand your requirements and guide you towards the product or service to best meet your needs. To begin your journey, reach out to FCS Cloud Advocateand (fcs-advocate@gsa.gov) complete the Lean Intake Questionnaire.

Where can I find current and past examples of initiatives or projects FCS has supported?

Our Case Studies and System Modernization pages offer helpful examples and ideas as you consider starting the Cloud Smart Journey with us. Found in the Cloud Lounge, our Quarterly EcoSystem Newsletter archives also highlight these examples along with program improvements and accomplishments.

What is a Modernization Agreement and where can I see a sample?

The Modernization Agreement formally defines the relationship between the Cloud Ecosystem and each Tenant and establishes mutually accepted expectations for the partnership. The Modernization Agreement is developed during the Enablement Phase of the Cloud Smart Journey and in concert with the Cloud Advisory team. Visit the Modernization Agreement Overview for more information about the process.

For support, who do I contact and when?

Contact the FCS Cloud Advocate (fcs-advocate@gsa.gov) at any point during the Cloud Smart Journey for customer support. FCS Cloud Advocates are committed to ensuring a positive tenant experience from a business and technical perspective.

Contact Cloud Advisory (cloud.advisory@gsa.gov) at the start of the Cloud Smart Journey as they will help you select the product best suited for your needs, work with you through requirements gathering, and ensure your team is on the ideal path for your strategy and objectives.

Contact Cloud Support (fcs-support@gsa.gov) during the Adoption and Optimization phases of the Cloud Smart Journey as well as during O&M. The Cloud Support team is responsible for all Jira Service Management tickets/requests as well as the email box. They will ensure your request makes it to the correct team to resolve your issue.

Contact Cloud Operations (fcs-support@gsa.gov) for questions related to routine maintenance, unplanned outages, and off hours requests. They will keep you apprised of updates and ensure your applications are running smoothly.

How do I obtain an FCS account and a Jira Account?

All new users will be issued an FCS account and a Jira account in order to fully access the systems they will need to successfully run their applications. The FCS Cloud Support Team will perform these actions as your application goes live.

I am experiencing difficulty accessing my FCS Account. Where can I go for support?

The FCS User Login Instructions and Tips is useful if you encounter any difficulties logging in or accessing FCS Services. If you still need assistance after reviewing the tip sheet, contact fcs-support@gsa.gov.

Where do I submit a FCS Service Ticket?

Once you are notified that you have an active Jira account, you can begin submitting Jira Service Management (JSM) requests. For your convenience, you can see a list of the most common requests on the FAS-IT Playbook. You can also navigate directly to JSM and review the options there.

How quickly will my Jira Service Request be addressed?

When tickets are submitted, they go through a triage and prioritization process. The result of that initial analysis will determine the Service Level Objective (SLO) for that request. The SLOs determine prioritization based on the type of ticket, number of impacted users, and number of impacted systems. View the FCS Tenant Reference Guide to learn more.

How can I escalate a ticket when it is of an urgent nature?

We understand that sometimes a request may require additional attention. In those cases, you are welcome to send an email to fcs-support@gsa.gov. If you are still within the Onboarding and 90 day post go-live window, you can also chat directly with your assigned Cloud Support L1 engineer. Please note, it is best to add as much information as possible to your Jira tickets as that will make sure they are triaged and prioritized appropriately.

What is the difference between JSM and ServiceNow?

JSM is for use by FCS tenants only to submit requests based on their FCS products and services. ServiceNow is the ticketing and request system for GSA IT. View the FCS Tenant Reference Guide to better understand which types of requests should be submitted to each system.

How can I request a new feature, and what is involved in the process?

Tenants can request a New Feature by submitting a ticket in JSM. FCS has a process for assessing new feature requests (found in the FCS Tenant Reference Guide) and will be in touch with tenants throughout the process. Not all NFRs are accepted, which can occur for a variety of reasons and will be communicated to you directly. If an NFR is accepted, it will be placed in the receiving product team’s backlog for prioritization consideration.

What are FCS’s business hours?

Business hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Eastern Time. Support emails, chat rooms, and ticket queues are actively monitored during these times.

What are my options if I need support outside of regular business hours?

Tenants may request non-urgent support outside of regular business hours by submitting a JSM ticket. After-hours support includes weekdays between 6:00 pm and 8:00 am and weekends. FCS kindly requests 3 business days notice for these requests.

Where can I find information about Maintenance and Outages and their impact on my application?

Visit the maintenance and outages page to view the routine maintenance schedule as well as the maintenance and outage calendars. You may also refer to the Tenant Office Hours Maintenance tab for specific information around product impacts.

Where can I find information on the Root Cause Analysis for Critical Incidents?

The Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for Critical Incidents is available on the FCS Outage Calendar. The information is also shared in the incident ticket under a field called High level RCA for tenants in Jira Service Management.

Where can I find information on the Root Cause Analysis for High Incidents?

The Root Cause Analysis (RCAs) for high-level incidents are not posted on the FCS Outage Calendar. The information is only available in the ticket.

Does FCS offer training and other resources for its customers?

Yes! FCS is pleased to offer a variety of learning opportunities to its customers. Visit the FCS Cloud Lounge to view upcoming product specific live and on-demand trainings, lunch and learns, articles, and other resources.

How can I stay informed about program updates?

Visit the FCS Communications Store to subscribe to the communications you would like to receive regarding updates about the FCS Program and the FAS-IT Playbook.

Is there information for developers that will be using FCS products?

Yes! FCS has created a Developer Lounge, a page focused on equipping developers with the knowledge they need to streamline and optimize their development lifecycles while they build secure IT solutions within the GSA Cloud Ecosystem, as supported by FCS. Product specific user guides can also be found on the Product Documentation Site. Access to these links are limited to users via Virtual Desktop or GFE.

Where can I obtain information about FCS billing?

The FCS Cloud Economics page provides information about the FCS Cost Model, Maturity Model, reports, and billing. To reach out with specific cloud economics requests, you can access the Cloud Economics Service Catalog.

How do I request or renew software?

To make a request for new software or to renew software, you can access the Cloud Economics Service Catalog or navigate straight to complete this request form in Jira Service Management.

How can I access specific tools to run my application?

Citrix VDI allows users to log on to the GSA system via a web browser from a non-government computer. It provides easy access to programs that are otherwise unavailable, even with 2FA. FAS VDI (FAS Toolset Fast) provides a set of comprehensive developer, infrastructure, and data software tools you need for your day-to-day work through one simple request.