Acquisition

Federal IT execs share approaches to working with industry

Senior federal information technology officials today discussed making government data available and working with industry during an event hosted by the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association’s Bethesda Chapter.

Acquisition

Another suggestion for better contracts

Good ideas for improving government contracting need effective oversight to succeed, writes Richard D. Lieberman.

Acquisition

Boosting the role of the CAO

The chief acquisition offier's role is a strategic function and not secondary to the roles of his or her C-level counterparts, writes Ron Falcone.

Acquisition

Simplifying contract terms for commercial items means walking a fine line

Contract language that is intended to simplify business for contractors requires careful analysis, writes Joseph Petrillo, a lawyer at Washington law firm Petrillo and Powell.

Acquisition

Army applies boot camp approach to acquisition workforce

The program aims to train new contracting professionals to take on work with minimal oversight, writes Harry Hallock, executive director of the Army’s TACOM Contracting Center in Warren, Mich.

Acquisition

Three ways to revitalize the use of past-performance data

Blogger Steve Kelman suggests three simple steps to make past-performance data a more valuable criterion in source selections.

Acquisition

OFPP's Frontline Forum is back

Blogger Steve Kelman is pleased to see that OFPP's Dan Gordon has revived the practice of meeting with contracting professionals from across the government.

Acquisition

HUD CIO seeks help with IT investment system

The Housing and Urban Development Department asks small-business contractors to bid on supporting HUD's IT Investment Management system.

Acquisition

Here's the pitch: An acquisition workforce reality show

As with all things in our culture, if we really want the world of acquisition training to be better known and understood, we need to create a reality show for it.

Acquisition

Is open source the cure for what ails VA's e-records?

An industry group convened by VA CIO Roger Baker is advising that VistA move to an open source platform and phase out MUMPS.

Acquisition

VA exceeds contracting goals for veteran-owned businesses, GAO says

The Veterans Affairs Department surpassed its goals for contracting with companies owned by veterans during the last three years, GAO reports.

Acquisition

Inherently governmental job proposal blurs a blurry world

The new phrases “closely associated with inherently governmental function” and “critical function,” are causing the most concern, panelists say.

Acquisition

GSA wants $24.9M for acquisition workforce

GSA Administrator Martha Johnson says she wants to build up the acquisition workforce and modernize information systems.

Acquisition

EPA hit for delays on evaluating contractors

EPA's contracting officers were roughly four months late turning in their contractor performance evaluations, a new report says.

Acquisition

Peace Corps to assemble database of former volunteers

The Peace Corps wants help collecting the current e-mail addresses of about 200,000 former volunteers.

Acquisition

Outsourcing has gone too far, official says

The government is outsourcing an unprecedented amount of work, and the Obama administration wants more work in federal employees' hands, an official says.

Acquisition

Obama moves on small-business contracting

The president has created task forces to focus on small-business contracting problems and opportunities for companies owned by service-disabled veterans.

Acquisition

GSA's top financial officer named governmentwide policy office chief

GSA's CFO becomes associate administrator for the agency's Office of Governmentwide Policy.

Acquisition

HUBZone program could shrink soon

Officials plan to finalize several revisions to SBA's HUBZone program as early as June, a report states.

Acquisition

GAO: Acquisition workforce plans need better definition of workforce

Federal procurement policy officials took a step toward building up the federal acquisition workforce through agencies’ development plans, although the plans have their faults, according to a new report.