Acquisition News 
Top News
- 5 percent of federal workers to be furloughed Friday
- Congress pressures agencies to speed up office consolidations
- Katherine Archuleta chosen as next OPM director
- Data breach puts DHS workers at risk of identity theft
- DoD chooses interoperability over integration for new e-health record system
- House GOP panel moves on deep budget cuts
- OMB fuels synergy between mobile, open data
- IRS official Lerner: 'I did nothing wrong'
- Accountability breakdown leading factor in DoD sexual assaults
- OMB reworking financial system requirements
- Federal retirement funds temporarily tapped
- VanRoekel to lead OMB management team
- Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal finalists
- Thursday federal headlines - May 23, 2013
DHS improving aim to stop counterfeits at the borders
The Homeland Security Department is taking a two-pronged approach to protecting the federal supply chain. The first addresses the DHS mission cargo crossing into the U.S. The second is an interagency effort to ensure the government is working together on investigations. DHS said seizures of counterfeit goods at the border increased by 20 percent in 2011.
Is it always a good time time to sell to Uncle Sam?
The landscape of the government contracting world is changing faster than ever. Understanding what's happening now will help you understand what may be coming in the months and years ahead. Phil Kiviat, with Guerra Kiviat, a federal sales consulting firm, discusses if there's a good or bad time to sell to the government.
SSA to upgrade data network under $233M deal
The Social Security Administration awarded CenturyLink a follow-on deal under the Networx telecommunications contract.
Agencies given how-to guide for modular, agile IT contracting
Federal Chief Information Officer Steve VanRoekel and Office of Federal Procurement Policy Administrator Joe Jordan released the guidance that highlights possible risks or challenges, and offers checklists, templates and other tools to make the move to this smaller, more outcome based approach easier for agencies.
Rapid acquisition speeds capabilities to warfighters
With a $500 billion budget, the United States is the world's biggest buyer, and Defense is the biggest piece of that pie. The Rapid Acquisition Program has kicked into overdrive to help warfighters in Iraq and Afghanistan. Roy Smith, an executive vice president at ITG and a member of the executive advisory council of the National Contract Management Association, discusses how the program works and how industry views its achievements.
Air Force, DLA lead way in suspensions, debarments
In this week's edition of On DoD, we hear from two of the agencies that are using suspension and debarment aggressively. The Air Force and the Defense Logistics Agency together processed more than 800 suspensions, debarments, and proposed debarments last year. We hear from Steven Shaw, the Air Force's deputy general counsel for contractor responsibility, and Normand Lussier, DLA's associate general counsel for contracting integrity.
Agencies, vendors ramping up to fight supply chain cyber threats
The White House, Congress, DoD and many others are trying to stem the tide of counterfeit products and software with malicious code from entering federal systems. The administration soon will release recommendations for how all agencies and vendors can improve the security of their products. DoD issued a memo in March requiring changes to how services protect their supply chains.
Veteran-owned businesses question fairness of VA's contractor verification
The process to ensure veterans are receiving contracts from the VA is actually shutting out some veteran business owners. But the VA says it inherited a large responsibility quickly and has since made great strides in improving its verification program.
Vendors start to see contracts slowing down with sequestration looming
Contractors warn of possible layoffs due to potential budget cuts. Some companies are in waiting mode to see what happens with Congress over the next six months.
Better understanding of vendors' processes would go a long way
Bob Lam, a former partner with Accenture's Worldwide Public Services business practice, offers his take on how agencies could improve the acquisition process for vendors. Lam spent 30 years in the federal market. He says agencies need to better understand vendor processes and improve communication.
Suspension, debarment numbers don't tell full story
Despite mounting pressure from certain quarters of the government and Congress to more aggressively suspend and debar irresponsible contractors, some agencies only rarely, if ever, do so. Rob Burton, the former acting administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, said data on suspensions and debarments isn't always an apples-to-apples comparison.
Acquisition process not always seamless
As part of Federal News Radio's week-long multimedia special report, Inside the World's Biggest Buyer, Lee Dougherty a member of General Counsel, P.C.'s Government Contracts Practice discusses the suspension and debarment process.
Bid protesting system helps agencies police themselves
Steven Maser, a professor of public policy and administration at Willamette University, recently completed a study on the bid protest process. While he acknowledged that the number of bid protests were on the rise, he didn't necessarily think that was a bad thing for agencies and contractors.
Study ranks which contractors are doing things right
BGov Analyst Brian Friel spoke to The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp about Bloomberg Government's top 200 government contractors list.
Suspension, debarment a 'business decision' for agencies
Agencies are using suspensions and debarments more often as a way to stop or prevent doing business with contractors who lie, cheat or just do shoddy work. David Sims, chairman of the Interagency Suspension and Debarment Committee and a suspension and debarment manager at the Interior Department, gives an overview of the use of suspension and debarment governmentwide.
New OFPP administrator has sights set on workforce, 'buying smarter'
Joe Jordan has led the Office of Federal Procurement Policy for a little more than two weeks. But he's wasting no time setting priorities. Jordan spoke to In Depth with Francis Rose as part of Federal News Radio's week-long special report, Inside the World's Biggest Buyer.
List of contract vehicles quickly adds up
You have to have a very good business case if you want to add the long list of contract vehicles. Jim Williams managed a few of those vehicles as commissioner of the General Services Administration's Federal Acquisition Service. He's now a senior vice president at Daon.
Assessing acquisition rules a full-time pursuit
Rules and regulations are supposed to help the government make the smartest, fairest purchases are often complex. For Bill Woods, director of Acquisition and Sourcing Management Issues at the Government Accountability Office, federal procurement rules are a full-time pursuit.
Army plans to begin four 'utility-scale' renewable energy projects this year
The four acquisition decisions the service will make in the coming months are the first fruits of a task force the Army created to pursue large-scale solar, geothermal, wind, biomass and waste-to-energy facilities on its bases.
The who's who of federal acquisition
A look at the major acquisition professionals making a difference in government. Do you know everyone on our list?
