“Certain planned procurements may be cancelled and certain existing contracts may be stopped, reduced in scope, terminated or partially terminated.” Nick Nayak, chief procurement officer at the Department of Homeland Security, has advised contractors of these potential actions in the event of a government shutdown in a letter posted Thursday on FedBizOpps. DHS will notRead… Read more »
by Steve Charles, Co-founder and Executive Vice President With the Washington Nationals now eliminated for sure from this season’s baseball playoffs, Washington the city and the market can focus fully on handicapping the possibility of a government shutdown next week. Just in case, the White House issued a memo this month on agency operations duringRead… Read more »
I’ve been researching how the US Federal budget sequester continues to impact Federal programs and projects (1). In interviews with Federal contractors I’ve heard repeatedly how sequester-driven budget reductions continue a trend to forcing quality levels and rates downward. These impacts are in addition to outright cancellations and delays in Federal project work. Especially worrisomeRead… Read more »
What metrics define a successful procurement? Is it the time it takes to go from an RFP to a new contract? Is it the number of disputes on a particular contract? The metrics around procurement are murky at best. But the National Association of State Chief Information Officers is trying to clear up some ofRead… Read more »
by Steve Charles, Co-founder and Executive Vice President Your customers need your help. Not just your products and the requirements those will fulfill, but your personal help to get fully justified purchase requests to contracting shops who can issue the order before the end of the fiscal year. I spoke on a panel discussion lastRead… Read more »
By Patricia Miller, Senior Acquisition Analyst Recently I wrote an article about the significant role that Contracting Officer’s Representatives (CORs) play in the acquisition process flow. In “Do COR’s Matter in Your Agency? Why they Should,” I advocated the importance of reassuring CORs that they are a valuable force within acquisition teams. This blog generatedRead… Read more »
Interested in actionable information about the GSA market and customer base? On July 31, 2013, key officials from GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) will join the Coalition to discuss GSA’s marketing message and initiatives designed to increase market share. GSA Administrator, Dan Tangherlini, has set an agency goal of having a 17% share of theRead… Read more »
When it comes down to it acquisition should be every bargain shoppers dream job. Think about it, you get to research, locate and buy the best goods and services for the federal government at the best price. But it isn’t that simple. The Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), the timetable and options are very limiting toRead… Read more »
by Steve Charles, Co-founder and Executive Vice President As it does every year, Congress passes procurement law changes in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This year is no different. So what’s in store for 2014? It’s too early to say with certainty, because while the House has passed its version, the Senate is stillRead… Read more »
Here are some stats: there are 28 million corporations in America. 60% are small businesses. Women own 30% of small businesses. That number has grown exponentially in the past few years, to become the fasting growing segment in the corporate world. One of the keys to that growing number is getting women owned businesses involvedRead… Read more »