Department of Labor Files Suit Against Google
CBS News reports that the Department of Labor (DoL) has filed a suit in the Office of Administrative Law Judges to bar Google from doing business with the federal government unless it turns over confidential information about thousands of its employees. According to the suit, Google has refused to provide DoL with employee compensation information to ensure the company isn’t discriminating against workers based on gender or race.
OMB Director Urges Continued Procurement Reforms
In his exit memo, outgoing Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shaun Donovan wrote it’s critical for the Trump administration to continue work on information technology (IT) modernization and shared services, along with improving procurement processes. Donovan recommended that the next OMB director “continue to aggressively advance tech procurement reform and hiring/workforce reform.” Donovan also urged continuing a number of OMB programs introduced, including the category management initiative.
Changing Protest Policy May Impact Contracting
Paul Khoury, a partner at the law firm of Wiley Rein, notes that while the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act restored the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) ability to hear protests of task orders on civilian indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts over $10 million, it also allows GAO to hear protests of task orders against defense IDIQs over $25 million. Khoury said the change might mean the Department of Defense (DoD) might use a DoD IDIQ instead of a civilian vehicle, to help avoid more protests.
In an effort to improve its communication with industry, the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) held its first industry town hall in Pittsburgh, PA. The format of the event was new for DCMA Pittsburgh, with a discussion about the defense contracting process, several panels, and then a general Q&A session with industry. “A feedback card provided in the package indicated the event was a success,” said John Brinker, DCMA’s Quality Assurance Group manager. “A hundred percent of the attendees indicated they would like to have another meeting using this same format, and 100 percent concluded that the event was an overall success.”
IG: Energy Contractors May Be Performing “Inherently Governmental” Work
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Acting Inspector General Rickey Hass said in an audit that DOE’s Bonneville Power Administration—which has a larger contractor workforce than federal workforce—was at “risk that contract workers were inappropriately performing inherently governmental and critical work that should be reserved for federal employees.” The report also noted that poor oversight and maintenance at DOE had created prohibited personal services contracts.
Even as federal lawmakers tussle over the nondiscrimination vs. religious liberty argument, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed an executive order today prohibiting all state contractors with the executive branch from discriminating based on sexual orientation or gender identity. “As my first act as Governor, I signed Executive Order 1 to ban discrimination in the state workforce based on sexual orientation, take divisive social issue battles off the table and help build an open and welcoming economy,””Governor McAuliffe said at the signing. “Starting today, the Commonwealth of Virginia will not do business with entities that discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”
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