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GSA's strategy for OASIS leaving vendors discontented

At an industry sponsored event, GSA tried to clarify its plans for the multi-billion dollar governmentwide contract, which will let agencies buy complex services from one place. Questions about how OASIS fits with the administration's strategic sourcing initiative and the expectation for price standardization were among the biggest areas of concern from companies.

Tags: acquisition , contracting , industry , GSA , Jim Ghiloni , Leah Trudeau , Stan Soloway , Trey Hodgkins , TechAmerica , OASIS , professional services , Jason Miller

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Federal Drive Interviews -- Jan. 29, 2013

Alan Paller of the SANS Institute talks about DoD's new initiative to hire 4,000 more people for its Cyber Command. Paul Terry of Blackboard, Inc., discusses how his company is helping GSA with its travel planning. Devon Hewitt, a partner at Protorae Law, weighs in on a recent contract award protest affecting people with disabilities. Capt. Paul Hammer of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, talks about the latest efforts at his center. Robin Lineberger of Deloitte LLP fills us in about the Professional Services Council's new commission that's focusing on efficient and innovative acquisition issues.

Tags: Alan Paller , SANS Institute , U.S. Cyber Command , cybersecurity , Cybersecurity Update , Paul Terry , GSA , Blackboard , Devon Hewitt , Protorae Law , DoD , DoD Report , Army , accessibility , Paul Hammer , Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological He , mental illness , Walter Reed Army Medical Center , Robin Lineberger , Deloitte , acquisition , Federal Drive

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Federal acquisition leaders distressed over workforce, budget cuts

Latest edition of a biennial survey, sponsored by a contracting industry group, finds acquisition leaders have the same challenges they had a decade ago. But they fear tighter budgets will reverse progress toward improving the government's acquisition workforce.

Tags: acquisition , contracting , industry , acquisition workforce , Army Contracting Command , Camille Nichols , Grant Thornton , Stan Soloway , Alan Chvotkin , Phil Kangas , Jared Serbu

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Pay gap between feds, contractors widens

The gap between government and contractor pay has continued to widen, according to a recent survey from the Human Resource Association of the National Capital Area and the Professional Services Council.

Tags: Alan Chvotkin , pay and benefits , In Depth , contracting , industry , Jack Moore

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Former OFPP officials say government in state of 'paralysis'

Former officials from the Office of Federal Procurement Policy say agencies need to get out of the ditch they have dug for themselves by taking multiple-award contracts the wrong way.

Tags: industry , acquisition , contracts , GAO , MAC , best practices , Rob Burton , Venable , Allan Burman , Deidre Lee , Stan Soloway , Keith BieryGolick

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EXCLUSIVE: DHS directorate withdraws controversial vendor checklist

The National Protection and Programs Directorate said it would not put a contractor communication guidance in place that would have required agency leaders to answer 15 questions before meeting with companies. Industry experts said the draft guidance would have had a chilling effect on agency-contractor communication.

Tags: industry , acquisition , DHS , Mythbusters , Trey Hodgkins , TechAmerica , Alan Chvotkin , Industry-agency communication , Scott Amey , POGO , Jason Miller

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House drops DoD request to change definition of commercial products

The Pentagon says the way it buys certain commercial products has been abused for more than a decade. The Defense Department asked Congress to include new rules for buying commercial-of-a-type products, which are commercial in nature, but the military is the only or largest customer by far. Industry was pleased to see the House Armed Services Committee not include the change in the Defense authorization bill.

Tags: DoD , Better buying power , Shay Assad , commercial-of-a-type , commercial products , acquisition , contracting , industry , Congress , Alan Chvotkin , PSC , Jared Serbu

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CIO Council prepares new talent pool for IT hiring

The Chief Information Officers Council soon will allow agencies to hire technology fellows under a new initiative to help the government compete with the private sector for IT talent. The Technology Fellows Program, part of the 25 Point Plan to Reform Federal IT Management, will give agencies fast-track hiring authority.

Tags: workforce , technology , Technology Fellows Program , Presidential Management Fellows Program , hiring , Steven VanRoekel , Alan Chvotkin , Ruben Gomez

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Bill aims to overhaul wartime contracting

New legislation aims to implement some recommendations of the Commission on Wartime Contracting. Includes provisions that would automatically suspend contractors accused of wrongdoing in overseas contingency scenarios.

Tags: DoD , Congress , Senate , Commission on Waretime Contracting , acquistion , industry , contingency contracting , State Department , USAID , Claire McCaskill , James Webb , suspension and debarment , past performance , Stan Soloway , Frank Kendall , Jared Serbu

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DoD fortifying cyber buying strategy

Frank Kendall, DoD's acting acquisition chief, said the first version fell flat due to "interest groups" weakening it. He said Congress required the strategy to detail how the military will buy offensive and defensive cyber capabilities. It's part of a broader effort to fix the Pentagon's acquisition process.

Tags: acquisition , DoD , acquisition workforce , acquisition policy , industry , Better Buying Power initiative , performance management , Alan Chvotkin , cybersecurity , CSIS , Jason Miller , Frank Kendall

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