OFPP News 
Top News
- Congress pressures agencies to consolidate office space
- 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 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
Budget cutbacks signaling a return to commercial purchases?
For a long time your agency has been limiting its horizons for saving money. Some good, old-fashioned money management philosophies could go a long way toward helping your agency cut costs.
Analysis: New 'inherently governmental' rules
Angela Styles, Partner at the law firm Crowell & Moring, and Al Burman, former OFPP Administrator, discuss the OFPP definitions published today in the Federal Register.
Monday morning federal headlines - Sept. 12
On today's Federal Drive: The House attempts to stave off a shutdown by passing a stopgap bill early and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy issues final guidance on "inherently governmental" positions.
A breakdown of 'inherently governmental'
The Office of Federal Procurement Policy makes eight changes to how agencies decide what work must be done by federal employees.
OFPP to issue final guidance on 'inherently governmental'
The new policy letter will lay out eight changes to how agencies previously defined and managed inherently governmental work. Among the changes are a new list of jobs that must be done by federal employees and a checklist to determine which jobs are inherently government and which are closely associated or critical functions.
Pentagon, WH assure progress in wartime contracting
The Obama administration and the Defense Department said Wednesday they are making progress in reforming contracting in overseas contingency operations. An independent commission found the government has lost up to $60 billion to waste and fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan.
GSA tries to dispel myths on green purchasing rule
Houston Taylor, the General Services Administration's assistant commissioner for acquisition management, said vendors will not be kicked off the schedule for not supplying environmentally friendly products and services. He also attempted to clear up confusion over other parts of the interim rule requiring agencies to make ensure 95 percent of their purchases meet green standards.
All things acquisition
Host Mark Amtower will talk government acquistion with Jaime Gracia, President and CEO of Seville Government Consulting, and Federal News Radio Executive Editor Jason Miller.
August 29, 2011(Encore presentation September 12, 2011)
Acquisition workforce showing signs of change
OFPP administrator Dan Gordon said the morale of contracting officers and other acquisition workers is improving. OPM issued a new IT program and project management competency guidance.
OFPP's Gordon not stymied by bumps in the road to acquisition reform
Despite pushback on some issues by industry, Dan Gordon listens to input from all sides as the Office of Federal Procurement Policy continues to follow its own path to reform the acquisition process. The OFPP administrator said his office is close to issuing new guidance around business cases for multiple award contracts and a final rule redefining inherently governmental jobs.
Agencies slowly moving to fixed-price contracts
A new report from OFPP finds agencies spent a billion dollars less on time-and-materials and labor hours type contracts in 2010. Still, OFPP found an overall increase in cost-reimbursement type contracts. Agencies have a goal to reduce by 10 percent these types of contracts, which the administration calls risky.
Agencies must cut service contracting by 15 percent
OMB will tell agencies to focus on management support service contracts and reduce spending by $6 billion. OMB said contracting for management support services grew at a faster rate than other types of contracting. The initiative is part of the administration's Campaign to Cut Waste.
Playing by the rules gets more challenging
No time like the present? NO! says the Council of Defense and Space Industry Associations. We get details from one of the member companies, TechAmerica's Trey Hodgkins.
Acquisition gets a double dose of expertise
FAI, DAU teaming together to provide contracting officers and others training and tools.
OFPP wants agencies to certify contracting data quality
Office of Federal Procurement Policy Administrator Dan Gordon issued a memo asking for agencies to improve their internal controls for collecting and submitting acquisition data. The Federal Procurement Data System has had data quality issues for more than a decade.
Analysis: OFPP interagency contracting rule is 'long overdue'
Bob Suda, the president of Suda and Associates, explains what the final guidance means for agencies and contractors.
OFPP promises to tame interagency contracts
OFPP administrator Dan Gordon told a Senate committee that a new rule to add more oversight to multi-agency contracts should be out soon. Agencies wanting to develop new multiple award contracts will have to justify them before going forward. OFPP is also trying to use strategic sourcing to take advantage of the government's buying power.
Acquisition feds recalled from retirement
Agencies asked 125 annuitants for help last year with Army leading the way, bringing 44 retired federal workers back to help with acquisition processes.
Bill would reform A-76 outsourcing process
Sen. Mikulski and Rep. Sarbanes introduce legislation to change the way agencies outsource jobs and determine what are inherently governmental functions.
Hearing offers little clarity to campaign disclosure proposal
Republican House lawmakers are frustrated and concerned over the draft Executive Order requiring contractors to make campaign contributions public. OFPP's Dan Gordon declines to answer specific questions about the proposal, but said transparency is key to ensuring trust in the procurement system.
