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New Trick of Trade: Managing Demand as Procurement Strategy Cuts Travel Costs (1/8/2009) . Taking a different approach to travel management, some companies are managing not just the cost, but also the demand for travel. “Demand management” advocates advance strategies to convince employees to rethink how and why they travel, and to consider alternatives if they must.

OMB Reviews Agencies’ Use of Reverse Auctions for Procurement (12/11/2008) . The Office of Management and Budget is reviewing how the government uses reverse auctions to buy things. Reverse auctions are real-time, online procurement competitions where sellers can submit multiple bids to government buyers and the lowest bidder wins.

Clinton Asks Homeland Security IG to Probe Contract Bonus Payments (12/5/2008) . Recent reports have led a key U.S. senator to request an investigation into the Homeland Security Department’s efforts to link contract award fees to performance.

Military brass: Acquisition Rules Can’t Keep Up With IT Needs (9/4/2008) . Cumbersome acquisition rules designed more for building weapons systems and computing platforms are posing a growing obstacle to rapidly evolving information technology networks, members of a panel of generals said at the LandWarNet conference here this week.

New Direction Charted for Wartime Contracting (1/31/2008) . he cost of the war in Iraq has ballooned, in part, because of the dearth of trained acquisition professionals assigned to the theater and the failure of federal agencies to establish a uniform set of procurement policy guidelines, a pair of government watchdogs testified.

Agencies Report More Improper Payments, Take Steps to Address Them (1/30/2008) . Major federal agencies reported about $55 billion in erroneous payments for fiscal 2007, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Concerns Raised Over Marketing-Procurement Relationship (1/30/2008) . Procurement professionals are playing a bigger role in centralised meetings, which is leaving some buyers uneasy with the relationship says a new report.

Defense Bill Includes Chief Management Officer for Pentagon (1/30/2008) . The Defense Department will have to add a senior management position under the fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill passed in January by the House and Senate.

US Cannot Manage Contractors In Wars, Officials Testify on Hill (1/30/2008) . With even more U.S. contractors now in Iraq and Afghanistan than U.S. military personnel, government officials told Congress yesterday that the Bush administration is not prepared to manage the contractors’ critical involvement in the American war effort.

GAO: Plan needed to Implement Acquisition Panel’s Recommendations (1/28/2008) . The Office of Federal Procurement Policy needs to develop a strategy to implement and oversee recommended improvements to federal acquisition practices, according to a Government Accountability Office report released in January 2008.

Inquiry Grows in Contract Scandal (1/28/2008) . Law-enforcement authorities are widening their probe into a $130 million federal contracting scam that has led to convictions against a General Services Administration procurement official and two former executives of a prominent security company.

Proposed SBA Rule Limits Federal Contracting Opportunities for Women-Owned Businesses (1/25/2008) . The Women Presidents’ Organization has responded against the enactment of the new proposed rule from the Small Business Administration that limits contracting opportunities for women-owned small businesses.

Watchdog: Halt Arms-Related China Sales (1/25/2008) . An American group called on Washington Thursday to suspend a new program to approve Chinese buyers of technology with possible military uses, saying two of the five companies cleared so far pose a risk of weapons proliferation.

SBA Chief: Tougher Times Ahead for Agency Contracting Scores (1/25/2008) . Federal agencies will find out late in spring 2008 how well they contracted with small businesses in fiscal 2007, and receiving good grades is getting tougher, the Small Business Administration’s top official said.

Defense and the Future of Contracting (1/24/2008) . The Defense Authorization bill approved by the House on January 15, 2008, includes several sections that could have a substantial impact on federal contracting practices.

A Toast to Lee’s Service (1/24/2008) . Earlier this month, Deidre Lee announced that she will retire in March after 30 years of government service.

GSA Watchdog Finds Himself on Other Side of Misconduct Investigation (1/23/2008) . During 2007, the GSA’s IG has made headlines by raising allegations against agency administrator Lurita Doan. However, a former high-ranking IG official now alleges that it is the inspector general and his top deputies that have abused their authority and misused agency resources in retaliation against whistleblowers and other career employees who disagreed with their decisions.

SBA Defends Contracting Plan (1/23/2008) . A controversial program allowing federal agencies to set aside contracts for some women-owned small firms will help the government meet its annual contracting goals for the first time in over a decade, the head of the Small Business Administration said this week.

Procurement and Sourcing News: Understanding the Sourcing Grid (1/22/2008) . The simplest tools and frameworks are often the best, and for procurement professionals, the “Sourcing Grid” offered by Dr. Ed Marien, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin, offers an excellent model for thinking about the right approach to procuring specific goods and services.

A Mission to Rebuild Reputations (1/22/2008) . The pledges made by the military and one of its biggest contractors were unusually earnest. The Air Force and Boeing would be open about their relationships, overhaul their ethics reviews and tighten their internal controls. And they promised to give taxpayers the best deals possible.

Pentagon Takes Another Hit for Interagency Contracting Practices (1/21/2008) . Government auditors have taken another swipe at the Defense Department’s interagency contracting procedures, concluding that many of the Pentagon’s purchases through the Veterans Affairs Department in fiscal 2006 “were either hastily planned or improperly administered.”

DHS Promotes Essig to Chief Procurement Officer (1/18/2008) . Tom Essig will replace Elaine Duke as chief procurement officer at the Homeland Security Department, officials announced.

Air Force Delays Changes in Procurement Operations (1/18/2008) . Tom Wells, chief of contracting for the U.S. Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), told local business leaders in Albuquerque Friday that the Air Force will delay plans to consolidate its procurement operations.

Pentagon Expected to Offer Few Changes in Fiscal 2009 Budget Plan  (1/18/2008) . The Pentagon’s fiscal 2009 budget request marks Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ first real chance to set military spending priorities, but analysts do not expect to see a major shake-up in the department’s longstanding plans for high-priced weapons systems.

Elections, GSA Contracts, Deadlines and Congressional Oversight Shape the Future (1/18/2008) . Another year has dawned, and 2008 promises the usual doses of action and uncertainty, with the November elections adding an extra twist.

http://federaltimes.com/index.php?S=3306319 (1/18/2008) . When it comes to getting their piece of the federal pie, the biggest contractors face far less competition than most. Last year, the top 10 contractors received at least one-third of their contract dollars through no-bid contracts, according to federal figures.

GAO: Corps Met Contracting Standards for Troubled Katrina Pump Contract (1/15/2008) . Despite its limited market research, the Army Corps of Engineers adhered to federal rules when it awarded a $33 million pump contract to a politically connected manufacturer after Hurricane Katrina, the Government Accountability Office said Thursday.

Fay Ott to Head SBA’s Office of Government Contracting and Business Development (1/15/2008) . Fay Ott will be SBA’s associate administrator for the Office of Government Contracting and Business Development (GCBD), effective January 7, 2008.

Bush Defense Authorization Veto Could Derail Contracting Reforms (1/14/2008) . President Bush’s decision not to sign the sweeping fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill into law could threaten numerous reforms of the defense contracting process that lawmakers across Capitol Hill sought to impose.

Navigating Contract Work (1/14/2008) . Classes help small businesses learn how to work with feds—Through federal government contracting, many small companies in the area are experiencing noticeable business growth.

What’s Left for Government to Do? (1/10/2008) . Outsourcing champion Stephen Goldsmith examines the question of whether governments really have ‘inherent’ or ‘core’ functions.

Bush Defense Authorization Veto Could Derail Contracting Reforms (1/8/2008) . President Bush’s decision not to sign the sweeping fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill into law could threaten numerous reforms of the defense contracting process that lawmakers across Capitol Hill sought to impose.

Acquisition official: DOD, Industry Must Communicate (1/8/2008) . Defense Department contracting officers need to talk more often to industry to improve the process of awarding contracts, a new memo states.

GAO: Corps Met Contracting Standards for Troubled Katrina Pump Contract (1/8/2008) . Despite its limited market research, the Army Corps of Engineers adhered to federal rules when it awarded a $33 million pump contract to a politically connected manufacturer after Hurricane Katrina, the Government Accountability Office said Thursday.

Regional Centers Made for Contracting Duties (1/7/2008) . The latest wave of Air Force consolidation and downsizing is the merger of contracting operations. With the start of 2008, the Air Force opened a regional acquisition center at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, to handle many contracting duties for bases in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

Air Force Contacting—Class Deviation from FAR Parts 45 and 52 (1/4/2008) . OSD has issued a Class Deviation to FAR Parts 45 and 52. This class deviation deletes the definition of “plant equipment” which now is simply considered personal property. This class deviation is mandatory on all solicitations issued after January 1, 2008, where “real property” is addressed.

Air Force Instructed to Justify Boeing Deal (1/4/2008) . The U.S. Air Force must provide a better explanation for why it gave the Boeing Company a $1.1 billion contract to maintain KC-135 tanker aircraft, the Government Accountability Office said, upholding part of a protest from rival bidder Pemco Aviation Group Inc.

Shifting From Tanks to Technology (1/4/2008) . For government contractors, 2007 wasn’t pretty: They had to contend with tighter budgets and increased oversight from a new Democratic congress, as well as polarizing controversies surrounding the conduct of contractors in Iraq.

Government Auditing Standards Implementation Tool Issued (1/4/2008) . The U.S. Government Accountability Office has issued a guidance document, Government Auditing Standards: Implementation Tool—Professional Requirements Tool for Use in Implementing Requirements Identified by *Must* and *Should* in the July 2007 Revision of Government Auditing Standards.

Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Assistance Procedures (1/2/2008) . The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) proposes to amend its regulations governing small business contracting procedures to add a new part that would implement procedures to increase procurement opportunities for women-owned small business concerns, as authorized under the Small Business Act.

Air Force May Delay Contract Award for Refueling Tankers (1/1/2008) . A senior Air Force official Thursday left open the possibility that the much-anticipated contract award for a fleet of aerial refueling tankers could slip beyond late February.

Coast Guard Acquisition Chief: Deepwater Is Back on Course (12/28/2007) . Eight months after taking control of its troubled fleetwide modernization program from Integrated Coast Guard Systems, the Coast Guard is claiming significant progress in putting the $24 billion acquisition program, known as Deepwater, back on course.

Congress Quietly Revises ’Buy America’ Rule for Defense Materials (12/28/2007) . Much to the surprise of the Defense Department’s legion of industry suppliers, Congress last week approved legislation that would give them some relief from heartburn-inducing restrictions regulating the amount of domestic metal content in the U.S. military’s weapons systems.

Bill Would End TSA’s Exemptions to Contracting Rules (12/27/2007) . The Transportation Security Administration may soon have to play by the same contracting rules as everyone else. A provision in the omnibus spending bill that passed the Senate on Tuesday ends six years of special treatment the agency has enjoyed since it was created after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Congress Quietly Revises ’Buy America’ Rule for Defense Materials (12/24/2007) . Organizations seeking to improve corporate performance often look to Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services to streamline business processes and improve operational performance.

Contractor Trade Groups to Merge (12/19/2007) . The two largest trade groups representing federal contractors have joined forces, creating a powerful new advocacy organization for companies that work for the federal government.

Air Force Contracting: Open Communication with Industry (12/19/2007) . This memo emphasizes open communication with industry early in our acquisitions and highlights the importance of robust mid-term briefings and debriefings to industry.

Chinese Government Boosts Online Purchasing (12/19/2007) . The volume of purchases made online by State ministries and commissions is expected to grow significantly from the end of this month, with the further development of a Web-based bidding system, a senior official has said.

Morocco Seeks Dubai Expertise to Develop E-government Portal (12/19/2007) . The Dubai Government has been invited by the Kingdom of Morocco to offer technical expertise and strategic support to develop the North African country’s e-procurement portal.

Web Site on Federal Grants, Loans and Contracts Debuts (12/19/2007) . The Office of Management and Budget rolled out a new Web site Thursday that will provide information on all major federal grants, loans and contracts. The new site, dubbed USASpending.gov, is dedicated to improving transparency by providing the public with information on all major federal transactions.

Intelligence Contract Recompete Could Be Lucrative for Several Firms (12/14/2007) . The recompete of a lucrative Air Force intelligence contract could benefit multiple vendors and force a wide-open competition for information technology equipment and services, according to a new report issued by INPUT, an industry consulting firm.

OMB Spells Out Best Practices for Incentive Contracts (12/12/2007) . The government’s chief procurement official has directed agency acquisition heads to review and update their use of incentive fee contracts to guarantee that the contracts are tied to well-defined and measurable performance results.

What’s New in Air Force Contracting—Indirect Cost Limitation for Basic Research Awards (12/12/2007) . This memo implements section 8115 of the FY08 DoD appropriations act, which limits indirect cost reimbursement under DoD Basic Research (6.1) awards, such as grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts.

Army to Hire More Contracting Staff (12/12/2007) . The Army will establish a top-level command and hire 1,400 new acquisition personnel to improve its contracting operations, senior service officials said Thursday, a move that follows heavy criticism over the way supplies and equipment are purchased for combat forces.

Army Officials Pledge to Beef Up Contracting Workforce (12/12/2007) . The Army is planning to reorganize its procurement leadership structure and increase its contracting workforce by 1,400 over the next two to three years, Army officials said Thursday.

GAO Validates Use of No-cost Contract (12/11/2007) . Federal agencies can sign no-cost contracts for conference planning services in cases when the contractor recoups its costs by charging fees to exhibitors, sponsors and attendees, under a legal opinion announced Monday by the Government Accountability Office.

Defense Has New Acquisition, Tech Chief (12/11/2007) . John J. Young Jr. started work as the under secretary of Defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, last week, following confirmation by the Senate Nov. 16.

OMB Sets Standards for Contracting Officials (12/7/2007) . The Office of Management and Budget has instituted new competency and training requirements for contracting officer technical representatives, those acquisition employees who assist with contract administration and support acquisition management.

Rule Requires Contractors To Set, Follow Codes of Ethics (12/6/2007) . In an effort to turn the page on a number of recent high-profile procurement scandals, federal officials now are mandating tougher ethical standards from firms that do business with the government.

Procurement Chief to Leave Job (12/6/2007) . Claude Bolton, the U.S. Army assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology, submitted his resignation Nov. 30, officials in Bolton’s Pentagon office said.

New Education Mandate for Certain Contracting Staff (12/5/2007) . The Office of Management and Budget added a new educational requirement for procurement officials who oversee federal contracts: All contracting officer technical representatives (COTRs) must receive 40 hours of training in contract management, source selection, market research and ethics to earn their certifications.

Probes Focus on HUD Chief’s Role in Contracting Decisions (12/3/2007) . By all accounts, Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson is a tough, hands-on manager who gets what he wants; yet when it comes to dealing with contracts at HUD, Jackson insists he never gets involved. However, his record as secretary, and as deputy secretary before that, suggests otherwise.

Wilkinson leaves GSA (12/3/2007) . The General Services Administration’s chief acquisition officer Molly Wilkinson has resigned after a short seven-and-a-half month stint, government and industry sources say.

Defense Bill Proves Lucrative for Biggest Firms (12/3/2007) . There's an old theory in Washington that since the competitive bidding process tends to favor the largest contractors, congressionally appropriated earmarks are necessary to allow smaller firms access to the federal procurement market. But the premise of that argument may be somewhat overstated.

Procurement Chief Chides IGs (12/3/2007) . The Office of Management and Budget’s Paul Denett said some agency inspectors general are emboldened now more than in the past, often to the point of essentially directing agencies’ programs.

Real-Time Buying (11/30/2007) . For more than a decade, experts have speculated about the savings and efficiencies that could be realized if agencies set up procurement shops on the Web.

Congress Gives Defense Millions to Shore Up Acquisition Oversight (11/28/2007) . Concerned about the increasing number of Defense Department projects being managed by contractors, Congress has earmarked $48 million to increase Pentagon staffing to better oversee projects.

What’s New in Air Force Contracting—Small Business Subcontracting Plans (11/28/2007) . This memo reiterates the guidance for complying with small business subcontracting plan requirements. In particular, when there are no subcontracting opportunities specified in the subcontracting plan, a determination must be approved at one level above the contracting officer.

DHS Erred in $475 Million Contract Given to Native Firm (11/28/2007) . The Department of Homeland Security improperly awarded a half-billion-dollar, no-bid contract in 2003 to a little-known company to maintain thousands of X-ray, radiation and other screening machines at U.S. border checkpoints, incorrectly designating the firm a disadvantaged small business, according to a report by the department’s inspector general.

Air Force Contracting—Reporting Government Property in the Possession of a Contractor (11/26/2007) . DoD implemented an interim DFARS clause (252.211-2007) and issued a guidebook for instructions on the reporting of government property in the possession of DoD contractors.

Contracting, Contract Concurrence, and Contract Oversight for Iraq and Afghanistan (11/26/2007) . The policy memoranda referenced in the link above apply to all contracts that relate to the delivery of supplies and services (including engineering and construction) in or to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Gates: Contracting Needs Will Be Met (11/26/2007) . Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday the Pentagon will act on recommendations from a panel that said the Army needs 2,000 more military and civilian workers to better manage contracts after years of waste, fraud and abuse.

Procurement Officials Were Well-prepared to Award Wildfire Contracts (11/26/2007) . Federal procurement officers were better prepared to respond to the recent California wildfires because of the government’s expanded breadth of prepositioned contracts for emergency supplies and services, officials said this week.

OFPP Redefines Acquisition Workforce—Again (11/20/2007) . Procurement officials continue to expand the definition of who is included in the federal acquisition workforce as they introduce new policies on training.

House Approves Contracting Bill (11/19/2007) . House lawmakers on Tuesday approved a bill aimed at boosting small-business contracting opportunities with the federal government.

Army Accepts Gansler Commission Report on Contracting; Commits to Action (11/19/2007) . Secretary of the Army Pete Geren accepted Nov. 1 the report of an independent commission citing structural weaknesses and organizational shortcomings in the U.S. Army’s acquisition and contracting system used to support expeditionary operations.

Performance-based Contracts Found To Be Risky for Industry (11/5/2007) . A research firm has concluded that performance-based acquisition—touted by the Bush administration as its preferred contracting model—may prove too risky and expensive for many potential vendors.

Daley Slams City’s Low Minority Contract Numbers (11/5/2007) . Mayor Daley said Monday it’s “unacceptable” that only eight percent of city contracts are awarded to African-Americans, but it won’t change until more blacks become general contractors.

Kelman: Inconvenient Truths (11/5/2007) . Getting a demoralized contracting community back on track is possible with good leadership. Without leaders at the top who champion the modern management ideas of results, innovation, and employee empowerment, getting out of our funk will be difficult.

Panel Backs Bill to Boost Contract Opportunities for Veterans (11/2/2007) . The House Small Business Committee approved a bill on Thursday designed to increase opportunities for veterans to have a larger role in procurement of federal contracts.

Bush: Provisions in Small-biz Bill ’Constitutionally Suspect’ (11/2/2007) . President Bush opposes new legislation that would update contracting programs for small-business contractors because some provisions raise constitutional concerns.

Women Go Back to Court Over Contracting Program (11/2/2007) . Last year federal agencies awarded 3.4 percent of their contracting dollars to women-owned businesses, far short of the government’s goal of 5 percent.

GSA Issues Strongly Worded Response to Senator’s Criticisms (10/31/2007) . General Services Administration chief Lurita Doan has fired back in unusually strong terms at Senate Finance ranking member Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who on Wednesday accused Doan of improperly meddling in GSA contract negotiations and fabricating allegations against the agency’s inspector general.

Interagency Contract Use Expected to Decline (10/30/2007) . The use of interagency contracting vehicles may decline in the coming months as many large federal agencies, including the Defense Department, look inward for their major procurement needs, several top acquisition executives said earlier this week.

Management Chief to Fill in as DHS Deputy Secretary (10/30/2007) . President Bush on Thursday tapped the Homeland Security Department’s management chief to act as deputy secretary after Michael Jackson vacates the job next week.

Contracting Officers Need Training in Critical Areas (10/25/2007) . Many government contracting officers say they or others in their organization lack training in critical contracting areas, according to a new workforce report.

Cash and a Cruise Traded for Contracts (10/22/2007) . The former owner and chief executive of a Silver Spring company admitted in federal court yesterday that he bribed a government contracting official with cash and paid for her passage on a Caribbean cruise in exchange for contracts to provide security at federal buildings in Maryland and California worth more than $130 million.

House Backs Expansion of Law Governing Wartime Contractors (10/22/2007) . The House on Thursday passed legislation aimed at ensuring that all security contractors working overseas in places like Iraq and Afghanistan can be held legally accountable for missteps.

US Navy’s Top Acquisition Official Steps Down (10/22/2007) . Dr. Delores Etter, the U.S. Navy’s senior acquisition official, submitted her resignation on October 5, 2007. Dr. Etter has made a significant but under-appreciated contribution via the mainstreaming of “open architecture” ship electronics into current and future combatant classes.

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=38214&dcn=e_gvet (10/12/2007) . In an effort to reduce costs and eliminate redundancy, an Army command is preparing to consolidate thousands of environmental support services contracts into three enterprisewide contract vehicles.

Panelists Say Bias a Barrier for Minority-Owned Contractors (10/10/2007) . Discrimination permeates the federal marketplace, playing a role in preventing small, minority-owned firms from securing an adequate number of agency contracts, a panel of small business advocates told lawmakers Wednesday afternoon.

Pending Procurement Reform Provisions Concern Industry (10/10/2007) . Industry representatives on Monday expressed concern that provisions tacked on to pending appropriations and authorization bills could put an unfair burden on companies wanting to do business with the federal government.

Between the Lines (10/9/2007) . In an uneventful Senate hearing last month on ways to strengthen competition and accountability in federal contracting, Comptroller General David M. Walker told the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that “we need to re-look at when and under what circumstances is it appropriate to be contracting, and when is it not.”

Recruiting Remains a Key Concern for Acquisition Chiefs (10/5/2007) . No matter which party wins control of the White House, within 18 months, a new group of top procurement executives will be setting contracting policies come 2009, and they could be radically different from those of the current administration.

Lawmakers Appalled by Scale of Contract Fraud in Iraq (10/4/2007) . Members of the House Armed Services Committee said they were saddened and appalled at the number of military officers and civilian officials implicated in as much as $6 billion in contract fraud in Iraq and by the mismanagement that left 190,000 weapons intended for Iraqi security forces unaccounted for.

Pentagon Resuming Command From Private Contractors (10/4/2007) . In recent years, when the Pentagon started complex new projects, it often hired giant defense contractors to manage the jobs. Now, after a high-profile stumble on one of these contracts and growing debate in Congress about conflicts of interest, the Pentagon appears poised to pull these big management jobs back in-house—if it can.

Contractors Aim at Defense Bill’s Acquisition Changes (10/2/2007) . While debate over the Senate’s defense authorization bill will focus largely on Iraq, government contractors are quietly opposing acquisition reforms included in the measure.

Aerospace Team Urges Tanker Performance Over Content (9/27/2007) . CongressDaily The American-European aerospace team seeking to win the massive Air Force airborne tanker contract and the lawmaker whose district would benefit from it argued Tuesday that aircraft performance, not domestic content, should be the deciding factor.

GSA: Politics to Blame for Collapse of Sun Contract (9/24/2007) . Politics is to blame for the collapse last week of Sun Microsystems’ contract with the General Services Administration, agency officials said.

Petrillo: Wrong Lessons Learned (9/24/2007) . Procurement rules are back in play now that we have different parties controlling Congress and the White House. And with the changeover, we hear a chorus of voices rising to defend the so-called procurement reforms of the 1990s.

The World Bank Opens e-Forum for International Procurement Dialog (9/24/2007) . The World Bank has deployed a public electronic forum designed to promote constructive dialog with stakeholders as the bank moves forward in defining a methodology for piloting the use of country systems.

Pilot Program to Gather Subcontracting Data Moves Forward (9/21/2007) . Federal acquisition executives have finalized details of a pilot program that will require contractors to report specific information about their subcontractors.

McNally Selected to Lead NASA Procurement Office (9/21/2007) . Bill McNally begins his new duties next week as assistant administrator for Procurement at NASA Headquarters in Washington. McNally succeeds Tom Luedtke, who now serves as the agency’s associate administrator for Institutions and Management.

Contractors Take On Expanded Role in Drug War (9/19/2007) . Late last month, the Pentagon tapped five major defense contractors to provide wide-ranging support in global counter-narcotics operations.

Dems Writing Stopgap Spending Measure to Last Into November (9/18/2007) . House and Senate Democrats are closing in on the parameters of a continuing resolution lasting no longer than Nov. 16, possibly carrying clean, short-term extensions of expiring agriculture and children’s health insurance programs but not additional Iraq war funding, aides said Tuesday.

Technology Spending Increasingly Pushed to End of Fiscal Year (9/18/2007) . Agencies are spending increasingly large chunks of their information technology budgets in the fourth quarter, and the trend could change the way agencies and contractors do business, according to a recent market research report.

Procurement Agency to Take Telework Lead (9/17/2007) . Managers at the General Services Administration, the government’s buying arm, must get 50 percent of their eligible employees to telework by the end of 2010, GSA Administrator Lurita Doan announced Wednesday.

GSA to Transfer 250 Acquisition Employees (9/14/2007) . In response to an anticipated $50 million loss this fiscal year in a business line offering contracting support, the General Services Administration announced Friday that it will transfer about 250 employees out of the unit.

Doan Snubs Grassley’s Call to Cancel Sun Contract (9/14/2007) . Lurita Doan, head of the General Services Administration, has rebuffed a senator’s call to cancel a Sun Microsystems’ contract claiming she doesn’t interfere with the contracting process.

As Federal Contracts Grow, Medium-Size Firms Can’t Keep Up (9/13/2007) . For many years, the middle tier of companies in the $200 billion federal services industry was regarded as a source of innovation and productivity. Now, despite a six-year boom in government contracting, the next generation of mid-size players is seeing its share of federal dollars erode.

GSA, Defense Implement Acquisition Agreement (9/13/2007) . The General Services Administration and its biggest customer, the Defense Department, have begun implementing all of the action items outlined in a memorandum of agreement signed last December to shore up the two agencies’ acquisition policies.

Head of Army Contracting Review Seeks to Avoid Pointing Fingers (9/13/2007) . The leader of a recently announced commission on in-theater Army contracting said Tuesday that the investigation will be forward-looking, not a “witch hunt” for existing problems.

Open Senate Race Could Reshape Contracting Oversight in House (9/13/2007) . Virginia Republican Rep. Tom Davis’ likely candidacy to succeed retiring Sen. John Warner could leave federal contractors without a strong advocate in the House.

GAO Urges Air Force to Again Reopen Helicopter Contract (9/13/2007) . The Air Force’s $15 billion program to replace its aging fleet of search and rescue helicopters has been thrown into flux—again—after the Government Accountability Office concluded that the service should allow two losing bidders to revise their proposals.

Contracting Offices Face Increased Oversight (9/7/2007) . After spending much of 2005 on the defensive in the wake of countless contracting scandals spurred by Hurricane Katrina, acquisition offices at civilian federal agencies had hoped for a more low-key, back-to-basics year. It didn’t go quite as planned.

Army Takes Further Action to Fight Fraud (9/7/2007) . The Secretary of the Army has established two efforts to broaden the Army’s ongoing efforts to ensure policies and procedures are in place for all contracting operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait and better prepare the Army for acquisition and logistical support of combat operations in the future.

Politics, War Drawdown Will Determine Defense Spending (9/6/2007) . Two questions will determine future defense spending. First, will the new Democratic majority in Congress put the brakes on what have been record levels? Second, what will happen to spending if, as seems likely, a drawdown in Iraq begins in 2008?

Procurement Spending Continues Upward Climb (9/5/2007) . Right now, the federal government has a couple of big priorities—fighting a war overseas and ensuring the health of citizens here at home—that have one thing in common: they cost a whole lot of money.

What Is The Meaning Of Competition? (9/4/2007) . Officials in the DHS Office of Counternarcotics took a procurement shortcut outlined by a consultant who was eventually hired last year. The consultant and his subcontractors were colleagues at the consulting firm where the government official leading the effort worked before joining the office.

Defense Procurement Director Promotes Balanced Acquisition (8/31/2007) . The Defense Department’s top acquisition executive shared his views with contract specialists regarding strategic sourcing designed to maximize efficiency in how the federal government procures goods and services on August 16 at Brooks City-Base.

Air Force Contracting: AFFARS Changes (8/31/2007) . This AFAC provides revised guidance and procedures when purchasing restricted food, clothing, fabric, and specialty metals; provides new policy and procedures on major system acquisition as commercial items; clarifies clearance requirements for task orders for services; and makes miscellaneous other changes and revisions.

FAA Administrator to Head Trade Group When Term Expires (8/31/2007) .

Watchdog Urges Defense Agency to Better Control Interagency Buys (8/31/2007) . Inadequate internal procedures have prevented the Missile Defense Agency from guaranteeing that purchases made in conjunction with other agencies are in the government’s best interest and fully compliant with federal regulations, according to a new report by the Defense Department inspector general.

Defense Says Bye Bye to EDI (8/30/2007) . The Defense Department plans to stop using commercial electronic data interchange (EDI) systems to process payments and instead will require contactors to use the Department’s Web-based Wide Area Workflow—Receipt and Acceptance system.

GSA Starts Second Phase of Contract Streamlining Program (8/28/2007) . The General Services Administration has started the second phase of an initiative to speed up the process of awarding schedule contracts, tripling the scope of the program and allowing for electronic submission of offers.

Overhaul by SBA to Help Fix System on Procurements (8/27/2007) . Small Business Administration chief Steven Preston yesterday announced reforms aimed at cleaning up a broken system for keeping track of government procurements that has allowed federal agencies to classify billions in contracts to some of the world’s largest companies as going to small businesses.

GAO Introduces Web Site Redesign (8/24/2007) . GAO today unveils a new look for its home page at www.gao.gov. The redesigned Web site looks neater and is better organized, and the agency has added a number of features that make the site easier to navigate.

Agencies Fall Short of Small Business Contracting Goals (8/23/2007) . The government as a whole and more than two thirds of agencies failed to meet small business contracting goals last year, according to figures released by the head of the Small Business Administration Friday.

Air Force Plans Huge Follow-on Contract for Intelligence IT (8/23/2007) . The intelligence community’s voracious appetite for information technology has prompted the Air Fore to kick off a massive, accelerated procurement for IT equipment, software and services to support intelligence activities and agencies throughout the federal government.

What’s Brewin’: Clear as Mud (8/23/2007) . The Defense Department spent well over $400 billion in 2006 and likely will again in 2007. The department has asked for another $481.4 billion for fiscal 2008. It’s getting harder to figure exactly what a lot of that money buys.

Lawmakers Ask Agencies to Draw in More Minority-owned Ad Firms (8/21/2007) . Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the Defense and Treasury secretaries late Monday, calling on them to award more advertising contracts to small, disadvantaged and minority-owned businesses.

Air Force Contracting—Requirement for Electronic Submission of Payment Requests (8/20/2007) . This memo notifies contractors that, beginning October 1, 2007, any invoices not received electronically by the DFAS Columbus and Limestone offices will be rejected...

Bill to Target Waste in Contracting Moves to Senate Floor (8/20/2007) . The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved a bill Wednesday aimed at increasing competition and reducing waste in government contracting.

Doan Testifies Before US House Small Business Committee (8/20/2007) . U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Lurita Doan today testified before the U.S. House Small Business Committee regarding the GSA commitment to creating small and disadvantaged businesses opportunities to succeed.

OPM Details Plans to Revamp Financial Systems (8/20/2007) . The Office of Personnel Management has laid out its plans to replace its two accounting and single procurement systems under its Financial Systems Modernization.

Senate Committee Passes Procurement Reform Bill (8/20/2007) . A Senate committee on Wednesday gave unanimous approval to a bill that would empower government contracting officers to dictate contract terms—such as price, scope and timeline—when they are in lengthy disputes with companies.

DHS Says Spending Provision Could Hurt Small Business Contracting  (8/20/2007) . A provision in a House spending bill could hamper the Homeland Security Department’s efforts to do business with small companies, an agency official said Thursday.

House Committee Votes to Give IGs Fixed Terms (8/20/2007) . The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved legislation designed to better insulate government inspector generals from political retribution by giving them fixed seven-year terms.

Report Says Defense Weighed Audit Findings on Questioned Contract Payments (8/20/2007) . The Government Accountability Office is set to release a report finding that the Pentagon considered the recommendations of its auditing arm before deciding to pay millions of dollars in questioned costs to KBR, the contractor charged with importing fuel and rebuilding the oil infrastructure of Iraq.

Research Firm Lowers Expectations for GSA Tech Services Contract (8/20/2007) . The General Services Administration's recently awarded governmentwide information technology services contract may not bring in as much business as expected, according to a new report from a market research firm.

Eliminating the Risk: DoD, GSA Address Interagency Purchasing (8/15/2007) . The Defense Department’s procurement policy chief has embarked on a whistle-stop tour of sorts to spread a simple message to Defense contracting shops.

Air Force Contracting—Small Business Size Rerepresentation (8/14/2007) . August 2007 memorandum on contract policy regarding the OUSD (AT&L)/DPAP Policy Memo issued 18 July 2007.

Danger Is Added Challenge for Contractors in Iraq (8/13/2007) . When Iraqi courts needed to secure and expand judicial facilities, they turned to U.S. contracting officers at the Joint Contracting Command in Iraq to get the job done.

Agencies Struggle to Meet Goals on Opening Work to Contractors (8/13/2007) . Agencies are struggling to make progress on President Bush’s initiative to open federal jobs to bids from contractors, according to a new quarterly score card released by the Office of Management and Budget Monday.

GSA Lets 29 Firms in on Massive Tech Services Contract (8/13/2007) . The General Services Administration on Tuesday announced the 29 firms it has selected to compete for orders under Alliant, a $50 billion governmentwide information technology services contract.

Air Force Contracting—Small Business Size Rerepresentation (8/13/2007) . August 2007 memorandum on contract policy regarding the OUSD (AT&L)/DPAP Policy Memo issued 18 July 2007.

Lawmaker: Commitment Crucial to Meeting Set-aside Goals (8/6/2007) . What does the Army have that few other agencies have when it comes to veteran-owned small businesses? Commitment, one lawmaker says.

Senators Seek to Hold TSA to Standard Acquisition Rules (8/6/2007) . An amendment to the fiscal 2008 Homeland Security appropriations bill introduced in the Senate would require the Transportation Security Administration to adhere to the same procurement regulations as other federal agencies.

Senators Seek to Hold TSA to Standard Acquisition Rules (8/2/2007) . An amendment to the fiscal 2008 Homeland Security appropriations bill introduced in the Senate would require the Transportation Security Administration to adhere to the same procurement regulations as other federal agencies.

Lawmakers Want Database for Contractor Accountability (8/1/2007) . To improve accountability in government procurement, two Democratic lawmakers are promoting the creation of a centralized database that tracks contractor performance and fraud governmentwide.

Protests Could Put Brakes on New Iraq Logistics Contract (8/1/2007) . Faced with the prospect of missing out on the Army’s most lucrative logistics contract in Iraq, a pair of teams of defense contractors is challenging the service’s decision to award the work to three rival companies.

Senators Consider Steps to Enforce Small Business Goals  (8/1/2007) . Senators and witnesses at a Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee hearing Wednesday cited a lack of enforcement as one reason federal agencies may not be giving enough contracts to small firms.

Pentagon Approves Disputed Iraq Costs (7/27/2007) . The Pentagon approves disputed costs on Iraq contracts at a much higher rate than on military contracts as a whole, Defense Department records show.

OFPP Reviewing Acquisition Workforce’s Skills Gaps (7/24/2007) . The Office of Federal Procurement Policy is reviewing more than 6,000 responses from contracting officers about the community’s skill gaps.

Senate Contracting Reform Bill Wins Support  (7/24/2007) . Government and private sector officials expressed measured support Tuesday for a Senate bill that would overhaul the federal acquisition process.

Official: Vets Getting More Contracts, But Not Enough (7/20/2007) . Fiscal 2006 contracting data shows that agencies have sent more contracting dollars to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses than in past years, but they’re still falling short of the mark, an SBA official told a House subcommittee July 12.

Denett: Award Contracts to Vet-owned Businesses (7/19/2007) . Paul Denett, administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, said driving government contracts to veteran-owned small businesses is one of his priorities and should be a priority of agencies as well.

SBA Takes Aim at Big Firms on Contractor List (7/18/2007) . The Small Business Administration has unveiled its latest effort to get serious about being small, sending letters last week to as many as 1,000 prime contractors asking them to identify by Sept. 30 any small-business contracts they or their subsidiaries and divisions hold.

Senator McCaskill, Ex-auditor, to Shine Brighter Light on Iraq Defense Contracts (7/18/2007) . Freshman Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), a former prosecutor and Missouri state auditor, is planning to offer several amendments to the defense authorization bill in an effort to curb contracting mismanagement and abuse in Iraq.

Senator Criticizes GSA Plans to Cut Office Supply Program (7/18/2007) . The chairman of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee early this week urged the General Services Administration to hold off on eliminating part of a purchasing program that has high participation from small businesses.

OFPP Tells Agencies: Be Prepared (7/17/2007) . What would happen if half of your agency’s workforce called in sick because of a viral outbreak? What if the crisis lasted for weeks? Paul Denett recently posed those questions to a roomful of federal contracting officers.

Government Short of Contracting Officers (7/16/2007) . For a year, the workload just kept growing, to the point it became nearly impossible. Cathy Martindale, a government contracting officer, darted between meetings about three Coast Guard ship programs, negotiating prices for proposed changes and monitoring contractors’ compliance with their deals.

SBA Cleaning Big Business Out of Small-Business Database (7/13/2007) . Having been stung in the past by charges that big businesses were appearing as small ones in federal contracts, the U.S. Small Business Administration has instituted new rules requiring small business contractors to affirm that they are indeed small.

Costs Skyrocket As DHS Runs Up No-Bid Contracts (7/12/2007) . $2 Million Security Project Balloons to $124 Million. The project started in 2003 with a $2 million contract to help the new Department of Homeland Security quickly get an intelligence operation up and running.

Dollars, Not Sense—Part II (7/12/2007) . Last year, Rep. Henry A. Waxman released the first comprehensive assessment of government contracting under the Bush Administration.

DoD Increasingly Relies on Risky Time-and-materials Contracts, GAO Says (7/12/2007) . Flexibility, not suitability, has been driving the Defense Department’s increasing use of time-and-materials contracts, a new study shows.

GSA: Oversight Will Not be Outsourced (7/10/2007) . The General Services Administration wants to offer agencies more contract support services, not overstep bounds by outsourcing oversight, officials said today.

Denett: Experienced Tech Representatives Better for Contracts (7/6/2007) . Agencies should better train their contracting officers’ technical representatives (COTRs) so they can be up to speed on the job and benefit the team when a contract is awarded.

Coast Guard Extends Fleet Upgrade Contract (7/6/2007) . The Coast Guard has announced that an embattled industry team will be allowed to continue doing work on its fleet modernization program for up to 43 more months, but a key House lawmaker declared Tuesday the move has “no relevance” because legislation is moving through Congress to restructure the program.

GAO Urges External Reviews of Homeland Security Acquisition (7/3/2007) . The Homeland Security Department could strengthen its problem-ridden contract system by improving interagency communication and inviting external reviews, according to a report released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office.

Group Argues for Shielding Contractors’ Revenue, Employee Counts (7/3/2007) . The Professional Services Council, an Arlington, Va., group representing government service contractors, has requested that key data related to company size be withheld from the public.

No to ’Contractors Overseeing Contractors’ (6/29/2007) . A top House lawmaker is calling for the General Services Administration to halt plans to sell contract support services—where contractors help with agencies’ contracting workloads—on GSA schedules.

Air Force Officials Seek Debarment of Body Armor Maker (6/28/2007) . Contracting officials at Air Force Materiel Command have taken the unusual step of recommending that the Air Force prohibit Pinnacle Armor Inc., from signing new contracts with the U.S. government.

Official Says GovWorks Can Handle Loss of Defense Business (6/20/2007) . Officials with GovWorks, a fee-funded Interior Department contracting operation, said it can withstand the loss of much of its business in the face of a Defense Department suspension of large purchases. “Can it survive? Yes,” said Doug Bourgeois, director of Interior’s National Business Center, parent of GovWorks.

This CIA Mission—Better Contract-Workforce Management—Isn’t Classified (6/18/2007) . The CIA is taking on a project that many federal agencies avoid: sorting out which jobs must be performed by government employees and which jobs are appropriate for contract workers.

DoD Official: Changes Likely in Services Contracting (6/15/2007) . Pentagon officials expect to have to change the ways they pay private outfits for niche functions, says one senior official. “It looks as thought Congress will pass some significant changes by the end of this year,” Bill Greenwalt, deputy undersecretary of defense for industrial policy, said June 6.

OFPP Asks Agencies to Increase, Improve Procurement Bids (6/13/2007) . The Office of Federal Procurement Policy last week took the first step toward implementing some of the Services Acquisition Reform Act panel recommendations.

Size of Contracting Workforce Holds Steady (6/13/2007) . The federal acquisition workforce grew almost imperceptibly during the past year, far short of the contracting growth rate, according to new government data. Office of Personnel Management data analyzed by the Federal Acquisition Institute showed that the number of procurement professionals in government rose just less than 1 percent in fiscal 2006, to 59,997 from 59,477 in fiscal 2005.

At the GSA, Working Hard for Taxpayers (6/11/2007) . By leaving out key facts, a recent article about the General Services Administration’s relationship with Sun Microsystems doesn’t convey the truth [“Changes Spurred Buying, Abuses; Taxpayers Overcharged Millions in Sun Deal, Auditor Says,” front page, May 23].

House Armed Services Committee (Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee) (6/11/2007) . Meeting on Navy Boat Barriers Procurement Location: 2212 Rayburn House Office Building. 2:30 p.m. (June 6, 2007) Contact: 202-225-4151 recorded schedule 202-225-2675

OMB Orders Agencies to Report on Competition for Contracts (6/11/2007) . The Office of Management and Budget is shining a light on competition in contracting, with a new directive that agencies review their procedures and report back on how to maximize the use of competitive practices.

Panel Backs Whistleblower Rights for Defense Contractors (6/8/2007) . A Senate panel last week approved a provision that would enhance whistleblower protections for Defense Department contract employees who report potential waste, fraud or abuse. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved the language as an amendment to the fiscal 2008 Defense authorization bill, during a closed markup session that ended Thursday.

GAO: Navy Needs More Contracting Discipline (6/7/2007) . Poor contracting practices and lenient oversight, combined with an unqualified contractor, contributed to ongoing problems with a Navy vessel that continues to have reliability and performance problems 10 years after its scheduled completion date, auditors found in a new report.

McCain Seeks Limits on Pentagon’s Use of Multiyear Contracts (6/6/2007) . Senate Armed Services ranking member John McCain, R-Ariz., is angling to insert language into his committee’s markup of the fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill that would place new restrictions on the Pentagon’s use of multiyear contracts to buy major weapons systems.

SBA Study Shows Perils of Analyzing Small Business Contracts (6/6/2007) . Federal small business contracting is never as simple as it seems. That was the lesson the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy learned with the publication of a new report on how small firms fare in outsourcing contests.

Defense Purchases of Services Rise Sharply (6/5/2007) . Rapid growth over the past five years in service contract costs could reflect overpayments by the Defense Department, according to the Government Accountability Office. But the advantages of freeing up uniformed personnel for combat duty and the difficulty of calculating what it would cost to do the work in-house argue against more closely analyzing the issue, auditors concluded.

FEMA Gives Lawmakers List of Nearly 4,000 Sole-source Contracts (6/5/2007) . The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded nearly 4,000 no-bid contracts, prompting House appropriators to seek explanations and to write legislation that would require competition for most contracts in the future.

Procurement Chief Nominee Long on Experience (6/4/2007) . Washington, D.C.—Mayor Adrian Fenty on Thursday nominated a contracting expert with nearly 30 years’ experience in the public and private sectors to run the D.C. Office on Contracting and Procurement, one of the District’s most criticized agencies.

Link Between Procurement and Finance Key to Improving Business Performance (6/1/2007) . The battle to control costs is about more than saving money. It’s about improving performance. And leading finance organizations recognize that in order to succeed, they must enlist a new ally: procurement.

Need Help With Your Contracting Workload? Hire a Contractor (5/31/2007) . Federal procurement staffs will soon get additional help handling their growing procurement workloads—from contractors. By next month, agencies will be able to hire companies holding General Services Administration federal supply schedule contracts to perform acquisition support services, such as write statements of work, define selection criteria, review offers and write task order awards.

Commentary: Navy Competitive Sourcing Fosters Innovation (5/31/2007) . The Navy has embarked on a bold work-force-shaping strategy that embraces competition as a means to improve services and reduce cost. The plan calls for completing competitions that include more than 25,000 military and civilian billets within the next five years.

GSA to Retool E-contracting (5/31/2007) . After seeing little growth in electronic contracting offers and modifications, the General Services Administration has gone back to the drawing board. A new analysis of its eOffer and eMod programs revealed poorly designed applications and resistance to using e-tools.

Study Complicates Debate on Women’s Procurement Set-aside (5/29/2007) . An independent study gauging whether women-owned businesses are neglected in federal contracting found a wide variation in levels of representation, depending on the measure used.

Lawmaker Wants to Fence Off Money for Contract Oversight (5/29/2007) . One percent of federal procurement spending should be set aside for contract management and oversight, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said Monday.

Bill Would Bar Contractors From Running Defense Programs  (5/29/2007) . Concerned the Defense Department is ceding too much program management to contractors, the House Armed Services Committee has included language in the fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill that would curb the military’s growing reliance on major defense firms to execute large, complex acquisition programs.

Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee (5/29/2007) . Full committee hearing on “Minority Entrepreneurship: Assessing the Effectiveness of SBA’s Programs for the Minority Business Community.” Location: 428-A Russell Senate Office Building, 10:00am, May 22, 2007 Contact: 202-224-5175

Managing the IRS Purse (5/23/2007) . The Internal Revenue Service purchased about $450 million in goods and services in 1990 when David A. Grant joined the agency. Today, it spends about $1.8 billion a year. Grant was a contracting officer then; he is now the director of IRS procurement. His time at the IRS has been shaped, to a large degree, by the agency’s quest to upgrade its technology, especially tax-processing and record-keeping systems.

Report Shows U.S. Lags in Urban Infrastructure (5/22/2007) . A report co-published by the Urban Land Institute and Ernst & Young, offering a comprehensive look at the status of current and planned infrastructure investment worldwide, was released this week at ULI’s Spring Council Forum in Chicago.

Waxman Singles Out Alaska Native Corporations for Procurement System Abuses (5/22/2007) . Alaska native corporations’ abuses of the preference they are given in federal contracting awards are examples of procurement problems targeted by two House-passed bills, a top House Democrat said Monday.

Report: Navy Outsourcing Decision Leads to Higher Costs (5/21/2007) . A Navy contract awarded two years ago with a creative performance-based pricing structure was poorly written and implemented, leading the government to pay too much for services and potentially making the contract more expensive than if the work had stayed in-house, according to a recent audit report.

Employment Trumps Privatisation in Iraq Economic Plan (5/21/2007) . The UN-brokered economic compact signed this week with great fanfare aims to create a liberal free market in Iraq, but U.S. officials admit that for now this approach will take a back seat to more statist job creation schemes.

Administration Opposes Hike in Small Business Contracting Goals (5/21/2007) . The White House opposes a bill that would boost small business contracting and impose stricter standards on the combination of small orders into mega-contracts, an administration official said Tuesday. The official also said that while the administration opposes the Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act (H.R. 1873), it has not threatened a veto should the measure reach President Bush’s desk.

A Return to Competitive Contracting (5/21/2007) . “Follow the money” was the advice that “Deep Throat” gave Bob Woodward 34 years ago when he was trying to unravel the Watergate Scandal. That would also be good advice for the new Congress in its effort to reclaim its responsibility to conduct effective oversight.

Update on Iraq Contracting Problems Alarms Lawmakers (5/21/2007) . House appropriators on Thursday voiced dismay at the depth of contracting problems in Iraq, vowing to work with other congressional committees to fix a system that has resulted in billions of reconstruction dollars wasted.

With More Contractors in Work Force, Acquisition is Every Manager’s Job (5/11/2007) . At the National Park Service’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, contractors, volunteers from nonprofits and other nongovernmental employees do three-quarters of the work. NPS employees who used to interpret the park for visitors are instead managing vendors and overseeing volunteers.

Job Competitions Fall Short of Target (5/11/2007) . The Bush administration fell far short of a plan to open more than 26,000 jobs to public-private competition in fiscal 2006, actually announcing contests that covered fewer than 10,000 positions, according to figures released Thursday by the Office of Management and Budget.

Panel Softens Anti-Contract Bundling Language (5/11/2007) . The Bush administration fell far short of a plan to open more than 26,000 jobs to public-private competition in fiscal 2006, actually announcing contests that covered fewer than 10,000 positions, according to figures released Thursday by the Office of Management and Budget.

Comment Period Extended for Contractor Code of Ethics Rule (5/10/2007) . The comment period for FAR Proposed Rule 2006-007, Contractor Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, has been extended to May 23, 2007.
Commercial

Boeing Wichita Officials Say Contract Would Add Thousands of Jobs (8/22/2008) . Winning a multibillion-dollar tanker refueling contract from the Air Force would bring substantially more jobs to the Wichita area than the originial projection of 800 to 1,000, Boeing Co. officials said.
State and Local

Great Neck UFSD to Improve Procurement Procedures (1/30/2008) . After an audit by NY the State Comptroller’s office found that the Great Neck Union Free School District awarded $1.3 million in contracts to five vendors without adhering to competitive bidding requirements, school district officials agreed to improve its procurement procedures when awarding future contracts.

A Contracting Process Flawed From the Beginning (1/25/2008) . Kansas City officials had a simple task in early 2005: Set up a fair, competitive process to select a vendor to provide and manage the city’s office equipment.

Kansas City Audit Blisters Buying Process (1/22/2008) . The Kansas City auditor issued a blistering report today over the contracting process the city used in selecting a vendor for its copiers and document management program.

Executives Hail Procurement Changes in Maryland (1/18/2008) . Executives with small companies in Montgomery County, Maryland, are ecstatic about changes unveiled this week that officials say will make the county’s procurement process more accessible.

Daley Appoints New Cabinet Member (1/7/2008) . The man who delivered record levels of minority participation on the $254 million Kennedy-King College project has landed on one of City Hall’s hottest seats—chief procurement officer.

KC Construction Supplier Settles Charges Under Minority Contracting Program (1/7/2008) . A Kansas City construction-materials supplier has agreed to pay $176,000 to settle charges that it and four other companies made false claims under the federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program.

South Florida RTA Receives Procurement Honors (1/4/2008) . The National Purchasing Institute recently presented the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) with the 2007 Achievement in Excellence in Procurement Award, which recognizes organizations that obtain a high score on innovation, professionalism, productivity, and leadership in public procurement measures.

Construction News from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania (12/24/2007) . On November 21 the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ruled to reinstate the Mandate Waiver Program in which Pennsylvania school boards may apply for a waiver of the multi-prime contracting in construction of public schools.

NORESCO Pre-Approved for Energy Savings Projects in Colorado (12/24/2007) . The state of Colorado has selected NORESCO as one of eleven pre-approved energy services companies to deliver energy savings projects to state and local facilities.

CGI Recognized for Innovation in Government for eVA Procurement (12/18/2007) . CGI Group Inc. announced today that CGI and the Commonwealth of Virginia received the Innovation in Government award from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) for the eVA e-procurement program.

St. Paul Contracting Audit Finds Much Room for Improvement (12/18/2007) . The recently released audit and performance review of contracting practices in St. Paul, Minnesota, found a general “lack of monitoring and enforcement” of its civil rights and equal opportunity laws.

Column: Changes In Wisconsin’s Contracting Bring Big Tax Savings (12/17/2007) . Reforming how the state contracts for public services is paying dividends for taxpayers.