Acquisition
Technical knowledge and government IT professionals: An oxymoron?
Do government IT pros have the expertise to know a good technical idea when the see it? And, even more importantly, can they distinguish between suggestions that are self-serving from those that are in an agency's interest?
Acquisition
More debate about pre-RFP talks between government, industry
Blogger Steve Kelman responds to comments he received on a recent blog post about the sensitive nature of government-industry communications.
Acquisition
More guidance coming on time-and-materials contracting
Contracting officers have been confused about how time-and-materials contracts work and how to justify them.
Acquisition
DOD dropped the ball on workforce reviews, GAO says
DOD officials might have lost an opportunity to build for the future, GAO officials wrote in a letter to congressional committees.
Acquisition
SSA's tracking of computer buys is a mess, IG says in report
It's not possible to know if the Social Security Administration overpaid or underpaid for some computers because the recordkeeping is so poor, according to a new report.
People
Say goodbye to the era of the grand design
The Obama administration wants to break agencies of the habit of overly ambitious, unmanageable programs.
Acquisition
DOD aims for acquisition overhaul
Defense Secretary Robert Gates' plans call for increased vendor competition, better contracts and a reinforced acquisition workforce.
People
DOD drives deeper wedge between feds and contractors
A new Defense Department rule that requires service contractors to identify themselves as such could exacerbate existing tensions in the federal workplace.
People
Improving federal IT acquisitions
Blogger Steve Kelman contends vendors should make experts available to provide comments or suggestions on technical or contracting strategy issues during the contract bidding process.
People
IT spending: When bad news is good news
Improved access to federal spending data bodes well for IT decision-making, writes FCW columnist Chris Bronk.
People
Inherently governmental remains inherently confusing
Ongoing debates about what government work is inherently government reminds FCW cartoonist and blogger John Klossner of a game he played (but not very well) as kid.
People
DOD's IG returns fire following scathing Senate report
Defense Department Inspector General Gordon Heddell responds to a report issued by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) that blames the IG's office for overlooking fraud and straying from its core mission.
People
Fiscal year-end spending: Does 'use it or lose it' still rule?
Since 2001, the Office of Management has championed a number of ideas or programs intended to bring order to federal IT spending. But has it really made a difference?
Digital Government
How good is your emissions reporting? GSA wants to know.
GSA finds it feasible for companies to report their emissions data in a voluntary system and is moving ahead with the idea.
Cybersecurity
GSA may recompete HSPD-12 contract
Violations of procurement policies revealed in an IG report could lead to a new competition for a services contract at GSA.
People
Senators press OMB nominee on contracting reforms
Senators questioned Obama's nominee for OMB director during his confirmation hearing, getting insights on how he would run the agency.
Digital Government
Small businesses could suffer if fed contracting goes in-house
If agencies bring contracting work in-house, small companies believe they will bear the brunt of it, and officials want agencies to remember that.
Acquisition
House passes bill to keep GSA skeds open to state, local agencies
The House backs programs that open schedules contracts to state and local governments in case of emergencies.
Digital Government
New DOD acquisition strategy sparks debate
DOD's leaders want to revamp the Pentagon's acquisition processes, but analyst say much of the guidance isn't new but actually familiar regulations that have failed to be properly implemented in the past.
Acquisition