All Learning Content
Open Contracting Innovation Award Goes to Telus from The Sinar Project for Putting Transparency in Government Contracting
Oct 27, 2017
Back in June we reported on the Open Contracting Innovation Challenge – a competition run by the Open Contracting Partnership and the Open Data Institute to recognise ground-breaking data-driven ideas for improving public procurement. Open contracting is about using open data in public...
GSA RFI Explores DUNS Number Replacement
Oct 27, 2017
The General Services Administration (GSA) issued a request for information on the future of entity identification and validation services that could replace the expiring contract with Dun & Bradstreet, which expires next year. The government’s use of Dun & Bradstreet’s DUNS number as their...
SmallGovCon Week In Review: October 23-27, 2017
Oct 27, 2017
After a 30-degree shift in temperatures here in Lawrence overnight, I think it is safe to say fall has officially arrived. The kids and I will be adding some extra layers while we go trick-or-treating on Tuesday evening.
Candy is on the agenda next week, but today’s treat is the...
Better Public Building Award for New Scotland Yard
Oct 26, 2017
The new headquarters of the UK Metropolitan Police has won a Better Public Building Award, made by the Prime Minister. The award is for publicly funded building projects which offer value for money. It moved into the new headquarters in late 2016, having previously occupied the same building...
Promoting the Public Procurement Function
Oct 26, 2017
Promoting the Procurement Function may be a new concept for some in the Public Procurement profession; however, all public procurement personnel have been and will continue to be involved in “promoting” the procurement function. Some may be aware of their promotional and marketing activities...
Number Of UK Suspicious Transactions on the Rise
Oct 26, 2017
Alex Hamilton, senior reporter at IBS Intelligence, writes that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK’s financial watchdog, has revealed a rise in the number of suspicious transactions reported to it this year. 3,730 such transactions were filed to the FCA in the first nine months of...
Defence Single-Source Procurement – NAO Report
Oct 26, 2017
The UK National Audit Office published a report recently looking at the work of the Single Source Regulation Office and how the Ministry of Defence manages single-source contracts generally. It is another interesting report from NAO, highlighting the need for good contract management. It finds that...
NAO on Commercial & Contract Management – “Plan for Uncertainties”
Oct 26, 2017
At the end of last year, the UK’s National Audit Office issued a very useful document titled “Commercial and contract management: insights and emerging best practice”. We did provide an initial overview of it here, and now we are into a more detailed review of its content and findings. For...
Why State and Local Governments Need Certified Procurement Professionals
Oct 25, 2017
With State and Local Government spending exceeding $2.8 trillion dollars; there are over a trillion reasons for State and Local Governments to have Certified Public Procurement Professionals. As both state and local government spending continues to rise, the need for procurement reform has risen to...
Government Contractor Cybersecurity: Q&A with the Director of the Kansas SBDC Cybersecurity Center
Oct 25, 2017
Whether you are an active small business federal contractor, or an entrepreneur still getting your business off the ground, you are going to need a cybersecurity plan. Many DoD contractors, in particular, face a pending deadline to comply with NIST 800-171, as mandated by DFARS 252.204-7012....
Vendors Finishing Up Prototypes for U.S.-Mexico Border Wall
Oct 25, 2017
The last two of eight prototypes for President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall took shape last week at a construction site in San Diego. Bidding guidelines call for the prototypes to stand between 18-30 feet high, be able to withstand at least an hour of punishment from various tools, should...
GAO: Protest of Proposed Corrective Action Premature
Oct 25, 2017
When an agency takes corrective action in response to a bid protest, the agency voluntarily agrees to do something (such as re-evaluate proposals, re-open discussions, or even cancel a solicitation) to address the alleged problems identified in the protest. Corrective actions are quite common: in...
