This piece was originally published for Bloomberg Government on 03/11/2011. The Obama White House announced plans in December to transform the way federal information technology projects are managed and executed. Its 25-point implementation instructions to federal agencies include many good ideas, from the adoption of light technologies and shared services to aligning the budget andRead… Read more »
As part of an effort to reform the federal acquisition process for technology, US Federal CIO, Vivek Kundra, unveiled an ambitious 25-point plan for addressing many of the issues that plaque the way the government purchases technology in hopes of delivering more value to the taxpayer. Part of the implementation plan was to counter theRead… Read more »
Mythbusters are in Government — and it’s not just a TV show! I had the pleasure of joining colleagues and friends at the AFFIRM luncheon today where we heard Daniel Gordon, Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Office of Management and Budget candidly talk about his priorities and a few myths they are trying toRead… Read more »
Two opposing views have emerged this week regarding communications with industry. According to Sen McCaskill (D-MO), chairwoman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s Contracting Oversight Subcommittee, the current relationship has apparently clouded the judgment of contracting officials to the point where objectivity has been compromised in contract award decisions. During a recentRead… Read more »
As the lame duck session of the 111th Congress comes to a close, some in the acquisition community are left to wonder what lays ahead for the acquisition reform initiatives of the Obama Administration. According to many experts, the shift in political power may not make much difference for the IT and procurement communities. IRead… Read more »
From The Acquisition Corner As reported by Federal News Radio, The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) is pursuing several short-term initiatives to reign in the proliferation of multiple award contracts (MACs). “Progress has been made in improving some aspects of interagency acquisition,” said Jeff Zients, acting director of the Office of Management and BudgetRead… Read more »
From The Acquisition Corner Under guidance from the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), expected later this summer, agencies will need to develop a business case before launching a multi-agency contract (MAC). According to the preliminary guidance, the business cases will require agencies to address the government’s ability to leverage its buying power with theRead… Read more »
From The Acquisition Corner The insourcing debate seems to have heated up this month, as competing forces are all at play and all are trying to be satisfied. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) continues to provide guidance on inherently governmental functions, public comments continue on the proposed rules, and groups to help smallRead… Read more »
Why has it been so difficult to execute performance-based contracting? Certainly the complexities of modern-day service contracting play a part, but as Steve Kelman, former administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy points out, it has been a frustrating and slow moving initiative making little headway in proper execution of these methods. …There isRead… Read more »
From The Acquisition Corner This week saw the launch of the Better Buy Project, a joint project of the National Academy of Public Administration and the American Council for Technology-Industry Advisory Council in conjunction with the General Services Administration. According to the website: …The acquisition process represents one of the most important areas of collaborationRead… Read more »