Acquisition
VA launches probe of reverse auctions
Did official sidestep best practices by ordering a halt?
Acquisition
VA halts reverse auctions, citing 'violations' of contract hierarchy
Order comes despite more than $7 million in savings.
Cybersecurity
Apparent disconnect on contractor lawsuit is business as usual
Continuing business, accolades for contractors accused of violations is common, experts say.
Digital Government
Like DOD, defense contracting must shrink
As DOD spending wanes, money for contracting will too, and industry must prepare.
Acquisition
What's the most valuable small-business category?
Survey charts various small-biz set-aside categories to find the most valuable.
Modernization
Army defends progress in acquisition reform
Army officials say acquisition reform efforts are already yielding dividends, particularly in fielding networked capabilities.
Digital Government
Coast Guard commandant celebrates contractor while DOJ lawsuit is pending
The Coast Guard's highest-ranking official joined with other officials in a ceremony for Bollinger Shipyards last weekend even though the Justice Department is currently in court accusing Bollinger of making false statements.
Acquisition
Should contractors keep the right to respond to past-performance reviews?
Steve Kelman considers a proposal to disallow contractor responses to past-performance reviews.
Acquisition
IG: DOD errs in verifying small businesses' status
More than 30 contracts that should have gone to companies owned by service-disabled veterans might not have, IG finds.
Acquisition
Administration tunes up contracting rules
Rule revisions tackle small business, cost-reimbursement contracts, multiple-award contracts, and small companies owned by women.
Acquisition
Bill would stifle contractors' responses to past-performance reviews
Proposed legislation would forbid companies from challenging assessments or even correcting errors, critics say.
Cybersecurity
DHS cannot keep track of all its acquisitions, IG testifies
Despite some improvements, the Homeland Security Department is still having trouble keeping a central record of its $13 billion in annual procurements, according to testimony at a House subcommittee hearing.
Acquisition
How OMB's guidance fails to prevent duplication at federal agencies
Efforts to prevent the proliferation of overlapping programs have fallen short.
Acquisition
GSA holds too much fee money, GAO says
GSA’s Schedules program averaged an excess of $62.2 million in revenue over program costs, before contributions to reserves, each fiscal year.
Acquisition
How to nip those protests in the bud
Better communication and transparency in the procurement process could head off a lot of protests.
Acquisition
Survey says, contracting officers bow to auditors
Contractors are frustrated by the unwillingness of contracting officers to assert their decision-making authority.
Acquisition
Renfro named director of GSA's GWACs
Renfro has a long history in federal procurement, making her a match for the open director position.
People
Federal contract spending remained flat in 2011
OMB is optimistic that agency efforts to curb spending are the start of a trend, official writes.
Acquisition
Bill could turn contractors into lobbyists
If the Senate's STOCK Act becomes law, the rules under which agencies talk to contractors could be in for some significant changes.
Cybersecurity