All Learning Content
GSA Adjusts Purchasing Rules In Wake of Harvey
Sep 7, 2017
The General Services Administration (GSA) is easing purchasing rules to assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The micro-purchase threshold is now $20,000, the simplified acquisition threshold has been raised to $750,000, or $13 million for commercial items, and the simplified lease...
Strategies for Procurement Success
Sep 7, 2017
Government Technology provides examples on how to find procurement success at federal and local levels by examining models that other jurisdictions have explored. Taking direction from industry leaders, this article describes a current state where agencies are historically reluctant to adopt...
NAO on Commercial & Contract Management – Know What Suppliers Are Doing
Sep 7, 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...
Guidance on Ethical Sourcing Across the Construction Sector
Sep 7, 2017
The Global Slavery Index estimates there are 45.8 million people still exposed to modern slavery. The construction sector is one of the areas where the problem is at its highest. Building Research Establishment (BRE) and Loughborough University have published the Action Programme on Responsible...
New International Standard for Responsible Procurement – LUPC First to Get Assessed
Sep 6, 2017
A new International Standard for sustainable procurement best practice – ISO 20400 – was launched in April, which replaces the 2010 British Standard BS 8903. Since 2013, experts and industry bodies from more than 40 nations, including Europe, USA, Canada, Central and South America, Australia,...
VA Withdraws Proposed SDVOSB Regulatory Overhaul
Sep 6, 2017
The VA has officially withdrawn its November 2015 proposal to overhaul its SDVOSB and VOSB regulations.
The VA’s action isn’t surprising, given that the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act requires the VA to work with the SBA to prepare a consolidated set of SDVOSB regulations, which...
New Legislation Could Privatize How Government Buys Everyday Supplies
Sep 6, 2017
Legislation passed by the House of Representatives contains language that would allow government agencies to buy directly from commercially run online marketplaces, significantly altering the way commercial companies sell everyday products and services to the U.S. military and federal agencies. The...
Crown Commercial Service Has Ambitious Plans for All Public Sector Buying
Sep 5, 2017
The UK’s Crown Commercial Service (CCS) buys common goods and services for much of the UK central government, and its deals are also widely used amongst the wider public sector (health, local government etc).
CCS and its predecessor organisations have not exactly been at the forefront of...
4 Vendors Chosen to Build Border Wall Prototypes
Sep 5, 2017
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) selected four companies to build prototypes of a concrete-based wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Vendors selected include Cadelle Construction LLC, from Alabama; Fisher Industries, from Arizona; Texas Sterling Construction Co., from Texas; and W.G. Yates &...
White House Releases Plans for IT Modernization
Sep 5, 2017
A new IT modernization plan from the White House’s American Technology Council looks to leverage commercial cloud and industry best practices to improve government tech. The plan calls for federal agencies to detail in-process and planned cloud migration projects, and specifically asks the...
SDVOSB vs. AbilityOne: Major Court Ruling Stayed Pending Appeal
Sep 5, 2017
In May 2017, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (VOSBs) lodged another big win in their battle to enforce the statutory preferences for veteran-owned companies: the Court of Federal Claims held that the VA cannot buy products or services...
Circular Procurement Best Practice Report – Helps Organisations Identify Needs and Ask Different Questions
Sep 1, 2017
SPP Regions is a consortia of partners forming a regional procurement network across Europe. It is made up of municipalities working together on sustainable public procurement (SPP) and public procurement of innovation (PPI). The network collaborates on eco-innovative solutions and tenders, in...
