CIO Says “Four Horsemen of Federal IT” Create Obstacles
The General Services Administration (GSA) has renamed its Office of Integrated Technology Service to the Office of Information Technology Category (ITC), to better reflect the agency’s focus on category management. In a new blog post, ITC Assistant Commissioner Mary Davie said the rebranding is to focus the agency more on providing acquisition expertise to agencies. “Helping agencies find the best solutions using our technological and acquisition expertise regardless of where they reside, rather than advocating for any specific GSA contract solution,” wrote Davie. “Yes, you read this correctly. Our ITC experts will recommend a non-GSA contract if it’s the best-fit solution for an agency.)”
New Administration Should Embrace “Share-in-Savings”
The Governing Institute and KPMG have created a new handbook full of advice from modernization experts on how the public sector can apply lessons from the private sector to improve its procurement performance. Much of the paper looks at the drawbacks of the legacy technology system public procurement organizations across the country use, and how contemporary solutions can help drive value. The handbook is available after free registration.
Hiring Freeze Impacts Defense Plans
The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council has proposed a new rule to “promote the acquisition of sustainable products, services, and construction methods in order to reduce energy and water consumption, reliance on natural resources, and enhance pollution prevention.” The rule asks agencies to ensure “that environmental performance and sustainability factors are included to the maximum extent practicable for all applicable procurements.” It implements the Planning for Federal Sustainability in the Next Decade executive order signed by President Barack Obama in 2015, and the bio-based product acquisition provisions the 2014 Farm Bill.