People
Companies tasked with checking employees' conflicts of interest
Contractors would have to keep tabs on their employees who are working in agencies' acquisition offices.
People
New rule targets award fees
A new rule could discourage contractors from competing for award-fee contracts by raising their level of risk, experts say.
Acquisition
Contractor database hit from both sides
Did the federal acquisition councils go too far or not far enough in designing a new database for contractors’ past performance and legal compliance? That depends on whom you ask.
Acquisition
Acquisition workforce has OFPP nominee's attention
Federal spending has increased by 163 percent since fiscal 2000, while the number of contracting officers hasn’t kept pace.
Acquisition
Gordon reiterates Obama's push for transparency
The clock is ticking while the Senate considers Daniel Gordon, President Barack Obama's nominee to be administrator for the Office of Federal Procurement Policy. While Obama took several months to choose Gordon and the confirmation process is still ongoing, the administration has been dealing with a range of acquisition challenges and reform efforts.
Acquisition
A new way to assess contractors
The Obama administration is giving agencies a new, standardized way to assess contractors’ work on award-fee or cost-reimbursement contracts.
Cybersecurity
Coast Guard takes charge as integrator lead in procurements
Although the House voted last month to ban using lead systems integrators for Coast Guard procurements, the service is still using that structure temporarily on two major acquisitions, its procurement chief says.
People
Federal procurement nominee outlines agenda
Gordon tells a Senate committee he would emphasize the acquisition workforce.
People
New contractor database draws fire
Industry and good-government groups criticize a new database that would be used to judge contractors before making awards.
People
Some IT projects may have $2 billion in overruns, GAO says
The GAO found $2 billion in cost overruns compared with original estimates for 16 major IT projects.
Digital Government
Networx transition woes: Dual contracts or dueling contracts?
In part two of our look at Networx transition woes, we look at Enterprise and Universal, once thought to be complementary contracts, increasing are seen as interchangeable.
Digital Government
Transition Woes: Networx structure remains a sticking point
In part one of our look at Networx transition woes, we look at how reality hasn't lived up to the original vision for Networx and the question of why not restructure it into a single vehicle.
Acquisition
Fixed-price contracts increase under stimulus law
The proportion of fixed-price contracts is increasing in the contracts funded under the economic stimulus law, a new report says.
Acquisition
Insourcing can create synergy between missions and personnel
Insourcing is one tool agencies can use to build a strong organization that has its main missions in mind, experts say.
Digital Government
Defense contract auditors caught in crossfire
The Defense Contract Audit Agency has risen to a new level of infamy. The GAO and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee say it is not up to the job of auditing federal contractors. Meanwhile, the industry is complaining about the exact opposite.
People
GSA starts training to end misuse of schedules contracts
Task orders have become the primary means that agencies use to buy things, but procurement officers don't always understand the regulations, officials say.
Acquisition
OMB urges performance-based management
Agencies should use performance-based management systems to improve acquisitions practices, according to an OMB memo.
Acquisition
Twenty must-follow contracts
A ranking of the largest and most important contracts set to be released in the coming year.
Acquisition
Federal cost-reimbursement contract overview is a mess, GAO says
It is hard to get a handle on federal cost-reimbursement contracts because of missing documentation and incomplete accounting, says a new GAO report
People