FedRAMP Fulfilling Its Promise
Jul 12, 2017
Recent metrics show the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) has indeed accelerated its rate of review for authorizing cloud computing service applications. In the five years since its inception, FedRAMP has doubled the number of authorized cloud service providers on an...
GSA and VA Partnering to Improve Opportunities for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
Jul 12, 2017
The General Services Administration (GSA), along with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is making it easier for agencies to find veteran-owned vendors on acquisition supply schedules. A memorandum signed on July 10 allows verified vendors clearer designations on the GSA’s VA Advantage...
NDAA Amendments to Watch
Jul 12, 2017
Representatives submitted their amendments for the House defense authorization bill and Federal News Radio compiled a list of four amendments to keep an eye on this week. They include improving cyber retention within the military, ensuring cybersecurity for federal employees, making the...
Defense Rules Extending to Civilian Agencies?
Jul 12, 2017
A bipartisan bill, “Promoting Value Based Procurement Act,” would extend Defense Department rules to civilian agencies. “Price should not be the sole deciding factor when the federal government is purchasing complex, innovative information technology, and engineering systems, where the least...
Artificial Intelligence from SparkCognition That Teaches Itself
Jul 11, 2017
An artificial intelligence (AI) startup, SparkCognition, has dozens of aviation-industry customers and is now looking to work with the U.S. military. The Austin, Texas-based startup says their AIs can teach themselves enough about a field to assess situations and offer solutions. SparkCognition,...
Charlotte Promoting More Inclusive Procurement Through City Accelerator Program
Jul 11, 2017
The Charlotte Business INClusion office, which promotes diverse economic development throughout North Carolina’s largest city, applied for a spot in the New York City-based nonprofit Living Cities’ accelerator focusing on inclusive economic opportunity through procurement. “We know that...
DHS OIG Finds Issues with PALM
Jul 11, 2017
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spent over $24 million on a cloud-based personnel management system, but a recent report suggests it doesn’t deliver the savings or functionality that was initially promised. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) found those savings didn’t materialize...
Department of Veterans Affairs Makes List of Firings, Suspensions Public
Jul 10, 2017
In a move that will surely send shockwaves across the DC metro region and beyond, the Department of Veterans Affairs released an “adverse action report” detailing the job roles and locations for hundreds of personnel changes. VA said the move was in the spirit of transparency; federal unions...
Nevada’s Largest City Going ‘Smart’
Jul 7, 2017
City hall leaders are looking to improve how Las Vegas gathers and analyzes information using the Internet of Things. The city is about two months into its pilot of Cisco’s Smart+Connected Digital Platform, with sensors at 20 intersections downtown and a plan to scale the network throughout the...
Joint European PPI Group for Buying High-Performance Computing
Jul 7, 2017
Within the Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions for High-Performance Computing (PPI4HPC) project, a group of leading European supercomputing centers have formed a buyers’ group to execute a joint PPI for the first time for high-performance computing. For the first time, Barcelona...
Update on EU Trade Deal With Japan
Jul 7, 2017
After four years of talks, Tokyo is to open up to agricultural goods, and Brussels to Japanese cars. The trade deal, presented to Brussels this week “in principle,” will scrap 99 percent of tariffs that have impeded exports by Japan’s carmakers to the EU and EU farmers will benefit from...
HCA’s Efforts to Investigate Bid Rigging Extended to Smaller Amounts Which Affect SMEs
Jul 7, 2017
Hungarian authorities and the administration are stepping up efforts to fight bid rigging in public procurement. The Hungarian Competition Authority (HCA) is one authority, in particular, that is fighting anti-competitive behavior in public procurement. In Hungary bid rigging in public procurement...
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 …