Acquisition

Procurement reform fever to die down in 2010

The contracting memo influenced much of the procurement policy guidance in 2009, but experts say its effects will be subtle this year.

Acquisition

GSA chief of staff Germain steps aside

Danielle Germain, chief of staff at the General Services Administration since June, is leaving due to the time it's taken to get a permanent administrator in place.

Acquisition

Senate bill would expand access to GSA schedules for states

States and local governments may get access to the General Services Administration’s schedules program so they can get ready for an oncoming disaster, according to a new bill.

Acquisition

GSA awards SmartBUY contracts for geospatial tools

A new purchase award through the GSA’s SmartBUY program will give federal, state and local government agencies access to a suite of geospatial software tools.

Acquisition

Agencies spending stimulus bucks through no-bid contracts, GAO finds

SBA, HUD and NASA awarded 35 percent or more of their stimulus law contracts noncompetitively, according to a new GAO report.

Acquisition

GAO ruling draws line on small-biz set-asides

The ruling eases the burden on certain types of small firms awarded work under contracts in which they were given "preference."

Acquisition

Gordon confirmed as OFPP chief

Gordon will be one of the key players in Obama’s plan to reform government contracting.

Acquisition

DOD to scrutinize contractors' support services

DOD will revise how its managers review contractors’ services that support work that is set aside for only government employees to perform.

Acquisition

Bill would jail crooks who wrongly get set-aside contracts

The House bill would also require establishing a database of businesses owned by service-disabled veterans and develop criteria to enter the program.

Acquisition

Fake firms rip off SBA set-aside program for $100M

Agencies that award contracts to service-disabled veterans don’t check on whether a company is eligible for the special set-aside and millions are lost, GAO official says.

Acquisition

Gordon gets Senate panel's nod for OFPP

Senate Governmental Affairs Committee chairman seems confident about Daniel Gordon getting the Senate’s approval to the the administator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.

Acquisition

A new way to assess contractors

The Obama administration is giving agencies a new, standardized way to assess contractors’ work on award-fee or cost-reimbursement contracts.

Acquisition

Gordon reiterates Obama's push for transparency

The clock is ticking while the Senate considers Daniel Gordon, President Barack Obama's nominee to be administrator for the Office of Federal Procurement Policy. While Obama took several months to choose Gordon and the confirmation process is still ongoing, the administration has been dealing with a range of acquisition challenges and reform efforts.

Acquisition

Acquisition workforce has OFPP nominee's attention

Federal spending has increased by 163 percent since fiscal 2000, while the number of contracting officers hasn’t kept pace.

Acquisition

Contractor database hit from both sides

Did the federal acquisition councils go too far or not far enough in designing a new database for contractors’ past performance and legal compliance? That depends on whom you ask.

Acquisition

Fixed-price contracts increase under stimulus law

The proportion of fixed-price contracts is increasing in the contracts funded under the economic stimulus law, a new report says.

Acquisition

Insourcing can create synergy between missions and personnel

Insourcing is one tool agencies can use to build a strong organization that has its main missions in mind, experts say.

Acquisition

OMB urges performance-based management

Agencies should use performance-based management systems to improve acquisitions practices, according to an OMB memo.

Acquisition

Twenty must-follow contracts

A ranking of the largest and most important contracts set to be released in the coming year.

Acquisition

Federal cost-reimbursement contract overview is a mess, GAO says

It is hard to get a handle on federal cost-reimbursement contracts because of missing documentation and incomplete accounting, says a new GAO report