The Case for Plain Language Contracts
May 17, 2018
We read with interest ‘The Case for Plain-Language Contracts’ in the Harvard Business Review by Shawn Burton – and thanks to Hal Good for highlighting it on LinkedIn. In it the author lays down plainly and simply why out-dated, ‘jargonese’-style contracts are – or should be – a thing...
UK Government Renationalises East Coast Mainline Railway
May 17, 2018
UK Transport secretary informed Parliament this week that he will terminate the Virgin Trains East Coast contract and bring the line back under government control. Renationalisation of the line has been under consideration for some time, and an option of a not-for-profit deal with existing...
VA Suspends SDVOSB/VOSB Applications Effective May 21
May 14, 2018
On May 21, 2018, the VA will suspend SDVOSB and VOSB applications for “approximately thirty (30)” days while the VA transitions to a new VIP interface.
According to a notice posted on the VA OSDBU website, the suspension will affect “both new applications and applications for...
Public Spend Forum’s Public Procurement Weekly Roundup: Updates on JEDI cloud solicitation, NDAA, and more
May 11, 2018
FITARA Scorecard expectations, what to watch in Defense Policy Bill debate, more on the JEDI cloud solicitation. This is Public Spend Forum’s Weekly Roundup for May 11, 2018.
What to Expect on the Next FITARA Scorecard
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) releases an IT report card twice...
Competition for Tech Firms with Innovative Ideas to Improve Public Services and Win Public Contracts
May 11, 2018
The UK government has announced a competition for tech firms to come up with innovations that will improve public services, writes Computer Weekly, encouraging better use of technology in the public sector, and connecting tech suppliers to potential customers in government. The competition is for...
Funding Boost for UK Regional Transport
May 11, 2018
The UK Secretary for Transport has announced a £2 million funding boost to improve customer journeys and connectivity in the South East of England. The Department for Transport says the plans will allow people in Kent, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire to influence investment decisions at...
Accenture to Boost Public Sector Reach Through Certus
May 11, 2018
CRN writes that IT services giant Accenture has completed its acquisition of Guildford-based (England) Oracle partner Certus Solutions in a move which it claims will boost its public sector credentials. Certus is an Oracle Platinum partner with a track record of selling into the government and...
Public Sector Contracts Should Be Awarded to Social Business not to Lowest Bidder – Call for Action
May 11, 2018
A paper just published by the Social Market Foundation think-tank, features Phillip Ullmann, Chief Energiser of Cordant Group, calling for a government overhaul of public service contracts which should be awarded on the basis of “social value” and not just financial cost. ‘Public sector...
Quarterly Spend Data for UK’s Digital Marketplace Published – SME Spending Hits Target
May 11, 2018
The UK Government’s Digital Marketplace is where public sector buyers go to find technology or people to deliver digital projects. Each month suppliers provide their invoiced sales figures to the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and the total value of sales are updated quarterly. Latest figures...
EcoProcura 2018 Launches Registration and Extends Call for Contributions
May 9, 2018
Registration is now open for the EcoProcura 2018 conference on sustainable, circular, and innovation procurement, taking place from 3-5 October in Nijmegen (Netherlands). EcoProcura 2018, marking 20 years of the conference series, will bring together over 400 procurers, policy makers, businesses,...
GovFlex Helps Government Contracting With Changes in Talent Acquisition
May 9, 2018
The revolution in talent acquisition has led to new companies harnessing technology to find qualified talent within the govcon marketplace. One example, GovFlex, is getting ready to roll out v2.0 this month. The company was founded in 2014 as an online service connecting both government agencies...
How Smart Operations Can Strengthen Federal Procurement
May 9, 2018
Federal Times
There is a great need for effective procurement as a means to improve levels of education, infrastructure, public safety, and more. Yet expectations for public sector procurement continue to rise as budgets shrink and the “do more with less” mantra prevails. For leaders seeking a...
Sponsored
Perspectives and Insights
I have been interested in the question of getting successful commercial companies, especially tech companies, to sell to the government from the time I was …
The Contractor Accountability and Transparency Act of 2017 (S. 651), introduced by Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., is yet another example of a …
Think you know all about public sector owned professional buying organisations (PBOs) and what they do? Here are ten interesting facts that might just surprise …
Policies and Regulations
It’s no surprise President Trump has been systematically dismantling President Obama’s executive orders, since taking office. Obama himself knew it was a possibility: Frustrated by …
Past performance is an important step in being successful as a federal government contractor. Once firms get into the mid-tier range, they normally have amassed …
A few months back, we published several articles about the very interesting – and somewhat shocking – court case around the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning …