Wednesday night brought 14 inches of snow—significantly more than predicted! (Gee, how did that happen?) I spent Thursday morning shoveling the driveway and sidewalk. Everything is closed. The streets are not plowed. It is Washington, DC. Enough already! It is time for Olde Man Winter to retire! And with the venting done, let’s turn toRead… Read more »
Before tackling the comment of the week there are some updates I’d like to share with you. First, it is an exciting time with the launch of my new Federal Times Blog! The first blog posting appeared last week and can be found here. I encourage all Friday Flash readers to follow this new blogRead… Read more »
Here in DC it has been cold and snowy—and parents across the region are wondering if school is going to last through July 4th given all the cancellations. It seems that everyone in DC has lost productive time due to our winter weather. The Coalition is no exception. Our “Fundamentals of Ethics and Compliance” webinarRead… Read more »
The latest developments under the Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative (FSSI) include a move away from the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program. The Office Supply 3 (OS3) FSSI procurement would establish a new set of indefinite quantity-indefinite delivery (IDIQ) contracts for office supply companies. The new IDIQ contracts, although separate from the MAS program, wouldRead… Read more »
This week’s comment was to focus on five steps to improve requirements development and procurement outcomes for the American people. It will have to wait till December. A recent article in Federal Times entitled “GSA exploring cost-reimbursable option to Supply Schedule” has drawn me back, like a moth to a flame, to other direct costsRead… Read more »
Earlier this week the Government Accountability Office (GAO) testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee regarding “Leveraging Best Practices to Help Ensure Successful Major Acquisitions.” The testimony can be found here. The focus of the testimony was a presentation of nine common “critical success factors” that GAO identified in examining seven successful federalRead… Read more »
As you know, the GSA Multiple Award Schedule program and the IT GWACs (GSA, NASA and NIH) are strategic platforms that leverage the government’s acquisition resources through streamlined competitions for customer agency requirements. In essence, GSA is a federal procurement market marker. GSA is not a government-wide requirements holder. What does that mean? Well, atRead… Read more »
The Coalition was privileged to host speakers from across the federal enterprise at the Fall Training Conference this week for a discussion of key procurement issues, challenges and opportunities of the “New Federal Market.” Much of the discussion during both the morning plenary sessions and the afternoon breakout sessions was focused on strategies for achievingRead… Read more »
The questions regarding Healthcare.gov and the role the federal procurement system leads this week’s “FAR and Beyond” blog back to one of the Thirteen Thoughts for 2013: Requirements development –the blocking and tackling of federal procurement! Just as blocking and tackling are the fundamental keys to winning football, sound requirements development is the key toRead… Read more »
Legal Corner Another Possible Blow for Contractors – -Implications of the Failure to Raise the Debt Ceiling By: Elizabeth Ferrell, Partner, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, Thomas Lemmer, Partner, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, and Tyson Bareis, Associate, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP With the recent shutdown caused by failure to enact a Continuing ResolutionRead… Read more »