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USPS countersues Northrop Grumman for contract overruns

Nearly six months ago, Northrop Grumman filed a $179 million lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service, alleging the agency delayed and disrupted its work on a multimillion-dollar contract to create and install high-tech mail sorters. Now, USPS has countered those claims, alleging the company actually owes it millions of dollars because the contract ran over schedule, according to documents obtained by Federal News Radio.

Tags: USPS , contracting , acquisition , lawsuit , Northrop Grumman , Jack Moore ,

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Postmaster General urges quick action in lame duck session

Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe says his number one priority is seeing legislation passed in the upcoming lame-duck session of Congress that will help the U.S. Postal Service get out of debt. In an exclusive interview with Federal News Radio, Donahoe details the latest on the agency's financial situation, buyouts, the consolidation of mail processing centers, and its plan to cut window hours at half of its post offices across the country.

Tags: USPS , budget , retirement , POSTPlan , Metro Post , Congress , buyouts , Patrick Donahoe , postal reform , mail processing centers , Julia Ziegler

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Agencies initiate IT cut-and-invest strategy

Agencies have identified 98 opportunities where they can save real money by consolidating IT systems or by implementing better buying processes. In an exclusive interview, federal CIO Steven VanRoekel said most fall in the commodity IT areas of email, servers and other areas where agencies tend to spend a lot of money for IT.

Tags: technology , management , Steven VanRoekel , OMB , PortfolioStat , budget , IT consolidation , Jason Miller ,

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DHS realigns cyber office into five divisions

Homeland Security Department Secretary Janet Napolitano approved the reorganization plan earlier this week. The newly aligned Office of Cybersecurity and Communications expands from three divisions and creates a new performance-management office.

Tags: management , DHS , cybersecurity , Janet Napolitano , Mike Locatis , Jason Miller ,

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Major rewrite makes MSPB's regs more consistent, viable and transparent

The Merit Systems Protection Board completed the first major rewrite of its regulations in more than 30 years. Susan Grundmann, the MSPB chairwoman, said the changes fall into four categories. The board is giving its users six weeks to transition to the new rules.

Tags: workforce , management , MSPB , Susan Grundmann , Federal Register , regulations , Jason Miller ,

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DoD carries weight of governmentwide small business goal

As the biggest spender in the federal government, the Defense Department has the greatest potential to award contracts to small businesses. But the nature and breadth of defense contracts can leave out small firms. In part one of Federal News Radio's special report, The Small Business Dilemma, we examine how the Pentagon is taking steps to make it easier for small firms to do business with the department.

Tags: DoD , acquisition , contracting , Alice Williams , Army Contracting Command , Sean Crean , Navy , Naval Supply Systems Command , set-asides , Mitch Free , Connecting to American Manufacturing , MFG.com , Small Business Dilemma , small business , Jolie Lee ,

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HUBZone program in transition after losing 30 percent of firms

Federal agencies already have had a hard time meeting their goal to award 3 percent of contract dollars to small businesses located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone). But the 2010 Census wiped out more than 30 percent of the HUBZone companies certified by the Small Business Administration — leaving agencies searching for new firms and decertified firms trying to figure out what's next.

Tags: HUBZone , contracting , David Spinazzolo , Metropolitan Laboratories , Mark Crowley , HUBZone Contractors National Council , John Shoraka , SBA , set-asides , Jolie Lee , small business , Small Business Dilemma ,

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EPA, USDA break through small business contracting barriers

The federal government as a whole has consistently missed its goal to award 23 percent of its contract dollars to small businesses. But the government also has examples of agencies bucking that trend. In part two of our special report, The Small Business Dilemma, Federal News Radio speaks with several agencies' about how they're succeeding in the small business contracting arena.

Tags: contracting , acquisition , small business , SBA , Jeanette Brown , EPA , Dot Harris , Energy , Joe Ware , USDA , Small Business Dilemma , Jolie Lee , best practices

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Acquisition executives figuring out how to deal with budget woes

A Federal News Radio exclusive survey of chief acquisition officers and senior procurement executives showed most are not preparing for budget cuts or sequestration. These acquisition executives also say they are protecting money for training acquisition workers. OFPP Administrator Joe Jordan said his office is helping agencies make better decisions about how and where to spend money.

Tags: acquisition , contracting , industry , Joe Jordan , In Depth with Francis Rose , Mythbusters , bid protest , suspension and debarment , Chief Acquisition Officer , OFPP , acquisition workforce training , budget , Jason Miller ,

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Tangherlini sought details of GSA IG's investigation tactics

The acting administrator of GSA said he met with IG Brian Miller and David Shea after accusations the IG investigator's tactics were overly aggressive in looking into the recent SmartPay Conference. Tangherlini also expects to receive suggestions on how the CIO reorganization would work, and how to go forward with the reduction of FAS fees in the coming weeks.

Tags: management , GSA , Brian Miller , Dan Tangherlini , reorganization , Casey Coleman , Shakeup at GSA , Smart Pay Conference , oversight , Jason Miller ,

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