Acquisition Policy News 
Top News
- Contractors with security clearances lack path to report problems
- Proposed commission would give teeth to cost-saving ideas but some lawmakers skeptical
- Feds outside the Beltway react to furloughs
- Contracting executives guilty of 8(a) program fraud
- EPA CIO Jackson returning to private sector
- Navy strikes enterprise licensing deal with Oracle
- 29-year-old NASA engineer going where no one has gone before
- USPS reaches energy reduction goal ahead of schedule
- NOAA meteorologist helps save lives one storm at a time
- ICE Director John Morton stepping down
- NASA picks 8 new astronauts, 4 of them women
- House passes sweeping $638 billion defense bill
- NIH tops list of best companies for baby boomers
- Latest postal reform proposal OKs 5-day delivery
- IRS official contradicts claims about reviews
- House presses VA for more details after cyber attacks
- DoD maintains BRAC fight, despite opposition
DARPA aims to cut time to develop weapons by 80 percent
DoD researchers are trying to figure out a way to build big weapons systems in two years instead of 10, by following the lead of the IT industry. DARPA plans to test the concept with the Marine Corps, fulfilling their need for an amphibious combat vehicle.
What's happening in the federal market?
Host Roger Waldron will discuss a wide variety of procurement issues, with Judy Marks, CEO of Siemens Government Technologies.
December 06, 2012(Encore presentation January 10, 2012)
Tight budgets could spur agencies to be innovative, take more risks
GSA's Dave McClure said agencies have an opportunity to be creative and work more closely together to meet mission needs. Several factors can help agencies manage risk better, including support from senior managers and a more tolerant Congress.
VA, House lawmakers spar over veteran-owned contracting program
The department must decide by Dec. 15 whether or not it will follow GAO's recommendations after losing a bid protest decision. VA tries to explain why service-disabled veteran owned firms do not receive the highest priority for all contracts. Lawmakers express frustration over the agency's explanation.
What are the big procurement issues?
Host Roger Waldron will discuss the GSA schedules program and other issues with Bill Gormley, chairman of the Coalition for Government Procurement.
November 29, 2011(Encore presentation January 24, 2012)
Exclusive: Gordon stresses future continuity as he prepares to leave
OFPP Administrator Dan Gordon looks back on his tenure highlighting the successes of his office. Gordon will become the associate dean of contracts law at The George Washington University in January. He said improvements to the acquisition workforce and the implementation of strategic sourcing are among his accomplishments.
Update on GSA's SmartPay program
Host Mark Amtower is joined by David Shea, director of GSA's Office of Charge Card Management. They will discuss how agencies use the SmartPay 2 charge card program.
November 21, 2011(Encore presentation December 12, 2011)
Amendment to defense authorizations would cap contractor pay
An amendment to the 2012 Defense Authorization Bill would cap taxpayer-funded contractor compensation at $400,000. Under current executive compensation limits set in 1998, contractors can charge up to $693,951 for the salaries of their top five executives.
CFOs, CAOs get 2012 marching orders to cut service contracts
OMB details the 12 product service codes and specific steps agencies must take over the next year to cut 15 percent of their management service contracts next year. Agencies spent $44 billion on these contracts in 2011.
DCMA leads acquisition 'revolution'
The Defense Department said it intends to not just rebuild its acquisition workforce in numbers, but also make sure those employees have access to new tools that will give them the insight they need to make good decisions.
Training new acquisition leaders
Host Roger Waldron is joined by Lisa Doyle, Chancellor of the Department of Veteran Affairs Acquisition Academy. They will talk about the academy's curriculum and its vision.
November 15, 2011
Contractors and social networks
Web 2.0 guru Steve Lunceford, joins host Mark Amtower to talk about how contractors are using, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social networking tools.
November 14, 2011
Shrinking budgets remain most important acquisition issue
Jan Frye, the deputy assistant secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department's Office of Acquisition and Logistics, joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Amy Morris live from the conference to discuss the big issues in contract management.
Government contract law
Host Roger Waldron is joined by Jason Workmaster, Partner and McKenna, Long, & Aldridge LLP. They will discuss the latest news concerning the MAS program, and the mandatory disclosure rule.
November 8, 2011
OFPP Administrator Daniel Gordon leaving
The administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy will join the George Washington University Law School as an associate dean. Gordon spent two years at OFPP working on a variety of issues from improving the workforce to reducing the use of high risk contracts to advocating for more collaboration between industry and government.
Talking BRAC
Raj Kuchadkar, Deputy Director of the Howard County BRAC Office and the Base Business Initiative (BBI) program joins host Mark Amtower to talk about the BBI program as it enters Phase 3.
October 31, 2011(Encore presentation November 7, 2011)
OMB, Congress to put grant-making process under more scrutiny
Rep. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said he will hold hearings to see how to make the federal grant process more transparent. The administration merged two existing boards into a new Council on Financial Assistance Reform to improve the grant-making process. HHS awarded a $32.4 million contract for IT services for grants.gov portal.
Repeal of contractor tax withholding is sign of economic times
Scott Amey, general counsel and contracting specialist at the Project for Government Oversight, says the mood in Washington is much different from five years ago when the law was first passed.
FedRAMP cloud policy in final review
GSA's Dave McClure said a flood of documents will come as soon as OMB signs off on the cloud security guidance. McClure said among the documents will be the application for third party companies to become FedRAMP accreditors of cloud products and services.
Analysis: Repeal of tax withholding law good news for both industry, government
Alan Chvotkin is the vice president of the Professional Services Council.
