As I was teaching our IDIQs and Task Orders course on Monday, we were reviewing the best practices for a quick and efficient proposal development process. One practice was conducting a proper kickoff meeting. After attending many proposal kickoffs (some of which included a proper breakfast and a long PowerPoint), and then watching a proposalRead… Read more »
The Plain Writing Act of 2010 called on federal agencies to simplify the language used in issuing rules and regulations. As a part of the Open Government movement, federal agencies were to use plain, common English in official correspondence rather than writing in government-speak – a language commonly known for using a dozen words whereRead… Read more »
Forty years ago, Congress passed a law to make government agencies more accountable and transparent in how they sought advice from industry and the public. It was called the Federal Advisory Committee Act. But over the years, the way the law was implemented led to less citizen involvement and reluctance by agencies from seeking advice.Read… Read more »
A new year always brings about the opportunity to reflect — look back at the challenges and accomplishments of the past year — as well as make plans for what we’d like to see happen in the coming months. Certainly, last year was a busy and tumultuous time in government, which AOL Government chronicled inRead… Read more »
We’re running a poll to find out what America thinks was the most significant government-related news story of 2011. Was it the economy and the Federal budget? The assassination of Osama bin Laden? The end of the war in Iraq? or one of the other important events from the year? Vote today for the TopRead… Read more »
Healthcare is a major budget item for government at all levels.There are now many high quality, free and open source Health IT systems that community hospitals and clinics should consider using as an alternative to more expensive commercial systems. This could save state & local governments ‘big’ bucks. Check out the most popular ‘open source’Read… Read more »
We are in the process of transitioning from the Industrial Age of the past century into the Information Age of the 21st century. Many acknowledge this but don’t really grasp what it means. We are moving from the ‘closed’ protective systems that worked well in the Industrial Age to the new, more effective ‘open’ systemsRead… Read more »
I have explained to you what a contractor teaming agreement is and how it is used in an earlier post here. Now I want to provide a few tips on specific elements that you must have in your agreement. A CTA is a valid contract that is meant to define the duties that are toRead… Read more »
Partnering in the federal government can be done in different ways. Since we have briefly touched on Contractor Teaming Agreements, or CTA’s in past posts I want to talk about subcontractor agreements. Normally vendors with little to none government experience obtain sub agreements. A sub agreement is also a great way for contractors who doRead… Read more »
It seems that the tides have turned in the Government contracting world firmly in the direction of IDIQs and GSA/VA schedules. If you are the Government, it is hard to imagine why it would not be the case. Instead of a lengthy 12-18 months procurement process, the Government can award a contract in two toRead… Read more »