Acquisition

Senators to DOD: Use more of your own employees

Lawmakers urge DOD to avoid placing caps on department employees that contractors don't have to also abide by.

Acquisition

VA resumes reverse auctions, but questions linger

Updated guidelines on reverse auctions require contracting officers to show how they benefit the agency's bottom line.

Acquisition

Industry wants agencies in control, not mandates

Industry groups want agencies to have discretion and the authority to manage its acquisition as it sees best.

Digital Government

Looking for lessons from the GSA conference spending debacle

In the wake of the scandal, agencies are concerned that all training and networking events will be trimmed.

Acquisition

GSA's defenders line up

Rep. Jeff Denham's call to dismantle GSA meets skepticism and opposition in the acquisition community.

Acquisition

Issa warns against 'gimmicks' at technology field hearings

Two senior Democratic members of the House committee ask for field hearing to look at IT, acquisition priorities, but Rep. Darrell Issa has strong words for them.

People

PSC: New research center isn't CMS' only option

As the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid updates to meet the new health-care law, one industry group says officials have more options that launching a research center.

Acquisition

Contracting bill would settle debate over including political donations in bids

A House committee approves a bill that would ban agencies from requiring political contribution infromation in contract bids.

People

House tightens controls on conference spending

The DATA Act digs deep into agencies’ conference spending with quarterly reports.

Digital Government

Republicans, Obama in stalemate on avoiding automatic spending cuts

The Obama administration has given a framework to avoid the looming sequestration, but House Republicans say the proposals won't pass in either chamber. What now?

Acquisition

OFPP nominee could be in for a long wait

Obama's nominee for OFPP administration gets a hearing, but experts say getting the actual confirmation vote is too tough to call.

Acquisition

Agencies to pay more toward contractor exec salaries

Obama administration fails in its effort to reduce contractor executive compensation in contracts.

Acquisition

GSA's Oracle cancellation still a mystery

When parties can’t agree on aspects of a contract, experts say call it a day.

Acquisition

Congress steps up efforts to control conference costs

Following GSA scandal, lawmakers continue proposals to bat down overspending by agenices on conferences.

Acquisition

GSA kills Oracle contract

GSA cancels Oracle's Schedule 70 contract for IT services, but offers few details on why.

People

More senators take aim at conference spending

Several senators are advocating for reforms to agencies' annual spending on conferences, including proving that the conference advanced the ageny's mission.

Acquisition

Sole-source justifications for small-business contracts made permanent

Agencies have been under an interim rule requiring them to justify many small-business sole-source awards. Now the rule has become final.

Acquisition

Meet the evangelists of interacting in gov 2.0 style

In an emerging 2.0 government, two officials at GSA took a chance on a new way to get government and industry to interact.

Digital Government

Senator wants approvals for conference spending

Under a forthcoming bill, a senior agency official would have to give approval for any conference costing more than $200,000.

People

GSA takes budget control from regions

GSA's regions no longer have authority over their budgets, part of the battered agency's effort to recover from its recent scandal.