Acquisition

FLRA puts SSA judges' contract on hold

The reversal pauses of the implementation of a new contract while a lawsuit against a subcomponent of the Federal Labor Relations Authority plays out.

Modernization

Pentagon's AI chief: lack of enterprise cloud 'has slowed us down'

The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center has been hampered by enterprise cloud program delays, but is pivoting with the Air Force's help.

Acquisition

NITAAC says it can fill in for STARS

The National Institutes of Health's governmentwide contracts can pick up the slack for GSA's STARS II 8(a) small business set aside contract’s early cut off.

Modernization

In COVID relief, lawmakers look to help states with legacy IT

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is urging House leaders to include funding for states to modernize their technology infrastructure with an eye to a cloud-first approach, shared services that deliver functionality to cities and towns and some oversight of state technology plans as a condition of receiving funding.

Acquisition

DIU chief: Earnings focus thwarts innovation

The head of DOD's Defense Innovation Unit suggested that any technology race with China commands a dramatic shift in U.S. market strategies.

Acquisition

Infrastructure readiness lags behind VA health record plans

The first go-live date for the Cerner health record at a VA facility was delayed first because of readiness problems and then because of COVID-19 pandemic, but an oversight report indicates that infrastructure woes plagued the project almost from the beginning.

Acquisition

Cyber and other transaction agreements

Other transaction agreements will be subject to the Defense Department’s unified cybersecurity standard, according to Katie Arrington, DOD’s chief information security officer for acquisition.

Acquisition

HASC chairman: DOD doesn't need more stimulus money

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the House Armed Services Committee chairman, said the Defense Department doesn't need any more money from a future coronavirus stimulus bill.

Acquisition

Paycheck protection, other pandemic response to garner 'flash' oversight

Agency inspectors general told Congress that the $2.2 trillion in spending to speed recovery and heal economic damage caused by the pandemic would be subject to quick oversight.

Modernization

Big changes on GSA's IT category team

Bill Zielinski, who had been the face of the agency's next-generation, $50 billion telecommunications contract, is leaving to become a municipal CIO.

Modernization

Navy CIO: Future networks hinge on flexible acquisitions now

Navy CIO Aaron Weis wants to rebuild the service's network architecture to look and function more like industry, but acquisition culture and structure slow progress.

Acquisition

OMB follows DOD with guidance on paying idled contractors

The White House instructs federal agencies to leverage relief for contractors in the CARES Act where appropriate.

Acquisition

FAA asks employees to round up N95 masks, other PPE

The Federal Aviation Administration put out an email blast to employees at field offices and airport facilities on April 8 looking for medical supplies to share out to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Acquisition

GAO: Agencies are missing EIS targets

Federal agencies are slow to adopt the governmentwide $50 billion next generation telecommunications contract vehicle, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

Acquisition

Legacy systems crumble under high demand

Unemployment insurance and other social safety net IT systems around the county are crumbling under the stress of millions of users seeking to apply for benefits in the wake of unprecedented unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Acquisition

DHS contractors subject to new COVID-19 screening procedures

The new restrictions come as federal agencies and industry grapple with how best to collaborate on projects under quarantines and social distancing guidelines designed to limit in-person gatherings.

Acquisition

National Labs turn to 3D printing for medical supplies

National labs look to 3D printing to ease COVID medical supply chain squeeze, but reports shows need remains stark.

Acquisition

Pandemic delays GSA's e-commerce plans 

With COVID-19 support response prioritized, the General Services Administration puts a hold on its e-commerce portal proof of concept contract.

Acquisition

Even when government gets it right, it gets no credit -- a ventilator story

Steve Kelman spotlights a story of smart acquisition hidden behind a doom-and-gloom headline.

Acquisition

Supply chain jolts linked to coronavirus hit federal IT

A governmentwide federal contract vehicle joined large commercial suppliers in voicing concern over COVID-19's impact on IT supply chains.