Acquisition News 
Top News
- IRS to pay $70M in bonuses, Grassley says
- Small companies won't feel effect of lowered contractor pay cap
- Senators push Tangherlini for assurances GSA is improving
- As VA works to eliminate one backlog, one more might emerge
- BRAC-like commission proposed to hunt down government cost savings
- Sequestration claims another conference: DHS's GFirst cyber event
- Postal Service closing Capitol Hill post offices in 'symbolic' move
- Senators seek cost cuts for F-35 fighter jet
- Fed pens new furlough song
- Web guru Dorris brings new life to government websites
- EPA CIO Jackson returning to private sector
- Navy strikes enterprise licensing deal with Oracle
- Contractors with security clearances lack path to report problems
- NSA leak case gives vendors reason to reevaluate personnel
- 8 contract executives guilty of 8(a) contracting fraud
- Whistleblower suit leads to $12M false claims settlement by SAIC
Bid protests
Anne Perry and Jonathan Aronie, partners at Sheppard Mullin, will answer questions about the bid protest process.
April 17, 2012(Encore presentation May 22, 2012)
What are the big federal news stories?
Federal News Radio hosts Tom Temin and Francis Rose join host Mark Amtower to discuss some of the top issues affecting federal workers.
April 16, 2012.
Air Force lifts suspension on Booz Allen's San Antonio office
The Air Force lifted a suspension on Booz Allen Hamilton's office in San Antonio, Texas, after Booz Allen took responsibility for the improper disclosure of sensitive information on a pending contract.
GAO: Lack of guidance stymies efforts to review DoD service contracts
In 2008, Congress mandated the Pentagon to keep an inventory of service contracts and review it annually to make sure government work wasn't being improperly outsourced. But the Government Accountability Office, in a recent report, found a lack of guidance from the top has led to challenges in implementing that requirement.
Packard becomes DISA's new deputy for procurement
Douglas Packard comes to the job from the Army's Mission and Installation Contracting Command in Fort Eustis, Va.
Liability and contracting
McKenna Long & Aldridge Partner Jason Workmaster and David Dowd, partner at Mayer Brown will discuss what contractors can do to avoid liability issues.
April 10, 2012
New DISA procurement official named
Douglas Packard has been appointed to the Senior Executive Service for the Defense Department and will serve as the no. 2 official for procurement at the Defense Information Systems Agency.
White House touts success of agency 'challenges'
Increasingly, agencies are using a tool at their disposal. Instead of issuing RFP's, they're issuing challenges. And according to a new report from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, agencies that have jumped on the challenge bandwagon have begun to "reap the rewards of well-designed prizes integrated into a broader innovation strategy."
The current state of contracting
Host Mark Amtower talks about the big contracting issues with Northrup Grumman's Ed Swallow and Dan Mintz from PowerTek Corporation.
April 9, 2012(Encore presentation April 23, 2012)
DoD awarding vet-owned contracts to ineligible firms, IG finds
Devon Hewitt, a partner at Protorae Law and a member of the American Legion's Small Business Task Force, summarizes the findings of the DoD IG report on contracting with service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.
Analysis: Further actions against GSA commissioners remain a possibility
Although scandal rocked the General Services Administration's leadership this last week, it remains unclear whether the four regional commissioners out on leave would face criminal prosecution.
GAO examines DoD's audit stance, weapons portfolio
Asif Khan, the director of financial management and assurance at GAO, and Mike Sullivan, the director of Acquisition and Sourcing Management Issues, joined Pentagon Solutions with Francis Rose to discuss two recent GAO report.
Arma, Thales awarded deployed equipment contracts
U.S. Special Forces Command awarded two big contracts to Arma Global Corporation and Thales Communications.
What's new at the U.S. Postal Service?
Bill Doucette, head of Federal Sector Sales at the U.S. Postal Service, joins host Roger Waldron to talk about some of the agency's programs and services.
April 3, 2012
Ship competition may offer Navy a buying model for the future
Lockheed Martin and Austal are currently building 55 Littoral Combat Ships for the Navy. Kevin Brancato, a defense analyst for BGov and author of the report, "'Real Competition' for The Littoral Combat Ship," discusses how the Navy's competition between the two contractors may serve as a model for future acquisitions.
Media use by feds
Market Connections President Lisa Dezzutti joins host Mark Amtower to discuss how federal agencies are using traditional and social media in their marketing efforts.
April 2, 2012
F-35 cost estimates increase in defense acquistion cost report
The Defense Department estimates its major acquisition programs are costing $1.6 trillion, slightly less than previously estimates.
Controlling contract costs spurs more questions, few answers
A Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee subcommittee heard testimony Thursday on a seemingly simple subject: Is it cheaper for the federal government to employ its own workforce or hire contractors? But industry groups representing government contractors say the question is often more complicated than it might seem.
FAA awards cyber contract to lock down personally identifiable information
The Federal Aviation Administration has chosen cybersecurity firm Lunarline to lock down personally identifiable information in its systems. The company says it'll help the agency prevent unauthorized access and disclosure of such material.
OFPP readying round 2 of Mythbusters
Acting administrator Lesley Field said this version will focus on trying to dispel myths commonly held by industry. Agencies also posted their vendor communications plans on FedBizOpps.gov as part of the initial Mythbusters campaign.
