In Depth Show Blog – July 30, 2013

Joe Jordan, the administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, joins In Depth for a deep-dive, hour-long conversation on some of the hottest topics in federal acquisition, including strategic sourcing and the Mythbusters guidance on communication between vendors and government.

Big federal contractors are doing OK as sequestration starts to impact the contracting community. Their earnings and revenue aren’t showing the effects of sequestration yet. But for smaller and mid-size companies, the story is a little different. As part of Federal News Radio’s special report, Private Side of Sequestration, Lisa Mascolo, CEO of Optimos, joins In Depth to discuss how small companies are being affected by sequestration.

Firing senior executive service members immediately for misconduct is a provision included in one of ten bills the House will consider this week. The bills are part of the “Stop Government Abuse” initiative that calls for a range of new disciplinary options for Senior Executive Service members accused of misconduct. Tom Shoop, editor-in-chief of Government Executive, joins In Depth to explain why he thinks the bills may take too much of a “guilty until proven innocent” approach.

Congress Takes Aim at Senior Execs (related link)

Bounty hunters, black markets and hired guns are the new normal for the cyber world. Hackers are selling their services to the highest bidders and it’s turning cyberspace into a modern Wild West. And right now business is booming. Howard Schmidt, former cybersecurity coordinator for the Obama administration and now executive director of the Software Assurance Forum for Excellence in Code and a partner in the strategic advisory firm Ridge Schmidt Cyber, joins In Depth with more.

Small-business federal contractors are less insulated from the impact of sequestration than large vendors. But that end result isn’t always bad news. As part of Federal News Radio’s special report, Private Side of Sequestration Executive Editor Jason Miller explores how these firms are faring in the light of budget reductions and federal furloughs. Jason first talks with Cris Young, the executive vice president of Hudson Fasteners and the president of the National Association of Small Business Contractors and Supplier Council, about how her product company is struggling with the government’s acquisition slowdown. Later, Jason speaks with Chris and Marty Beth Romani, the husband-and-wife team that runs Integrity Management Consulting.

Click here to read more about how contractors are dealing with the new acquisition waiting game

Sequestration has thrown a monkey wrench in strategizing for both agencies and companies. But it’s hitting companies differently than agencies. Kymm McCabe, president and CEO of ASI Government, joins In Depth as part of Federal News Radio’s special report, Private Side of Sequestration to discuss how sequestration is affecting contractors.

As budgets shrink, travel becomes a bigger target for cuts in your agency’s budget. The General Services Administration’s Governmentwide Travel Advisory Committee wrapped up its first meeting just a few hours ago. Anne Rung, associate administrator in the Office of Governmentwide Policy at GSA, joins In Depth with more.