Acquisition

  • After nearly three years on the job, Dan Tangherlini announced yesterday that he will be stepping down as administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA). His last day is Feb. 13. The agency today, however, is very different from the one he took over in 2012. Rich Buetel, a longtime Hill staff member and an IT acquisition expert, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with more on those changes, as well as what might be next for GSA.

    January 16, 2015
  • A new series of acquisition changes called "Bending the Cost Curve" aims to make the overall Air Force acquisition process more responsive to technological advances, and reduce the time it takes to buy major weapons systems. The Air Force Research Lab will host a technology challenge program with the largest award in military history.

    January 16, 2015
  • Dan Tangherlini is leaving as administrator of the General Services Administration. He tells GSA personnel in an email today that his last day will be Feb. 13. Larry Allen is president of Allen Federal Business Partners and author of the Week Ahead newsletter. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he reviewed the legacy of Dan Tangherlini at GSA.

    January 15, 2015
  • Nearly three years after coming to the General Services Administration in the wake of the Western Regions Conference scandal, Dan Tangherlini announced he's leaving government Feb. 13.

    January 15, 2015
  • With the challenges that chief information officers face today, it is worth asking whether becoming a CIO is worth the work and jeopardy it seems to entail, says former FAA IT leader Bob Woods in a new commentary.

    January 15, 2015
  • Federal News Radio has been tracking the turnover of CIOs and other senior level IT officials between November 2013 and October 2014. All combined, the 23 total CIOs or senior IT leaders that either left government or changed jobs within government had 96 years of experience and their average tenure was 4.2 years.

    January 15, 2015
  • Former DHS Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute discusses the difficulty of establishing a strong cybersecurity program within the federal government on this week's Women of Washington radio show.

    January 14, 2015
  • Good customer service is just one of President Barack Obama's 15 cross-agency priority goals for agency managers in 2015. Dan Chenok is executive director of the IBM Center for the Business of Government. In his Top 3 for 2015, he tells In Depth with Francis Rose about the expectations agencies will have to provide top notch customer service.

    January 14, 2015
  • A new memo from the Office of Management and Budget sets eight standards for new federal websites and seven for existing ones.

    January 14, 2015
  • Kevin Lynch, president and chief executive officer of the National Industries for the Blind will give us an update on the organization and its current strategic challenges and market opportunities. January 13, 2015

    January 13, 2015
  • The term lowest price-technically acceptable is a misnomer. LPTA contracts usually wind up costing federal agencies more than other kinds of contracts. That's according to Eric Crusius -- he's a partner at Fed Nexus Law and his practice is in the federal contracting space. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he said federal agencies are pushing the LPTA concept too hard.

    January 13, 2015
  • Agency management is mostly gung-ho about bringing new digital technology into the workplace, but hurdles such as a sluggish acquisition process and a workforce lacking tech-related skills keep the federal government from innovating, according to a new study.

    January 13, 2015
  • The Treasury Department wants to make sure small players aren't left out of potential contracting opportunities. That's why it put out a guide for small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses. The guide gives them tips for pursuing Treasury contractings. Jose Arrieta is the director of Treasury's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to talk about the guide.

    January 13, 2015
  • A contracting negotiation is supposed to be a win-win. But your chances of a good outcome increase the more you know about your opponent. That's according to Tim Sullivan, a Partner at the law firm Thomspon Coburn, and author of the new blog, "A Government Contractor's 10 Commandments." On the Federal Drive with Tom Temin, Sullivan tackled Commandment 2: Thou shalt study thy adversary. He says it's wise to arm yourself with knowledge before a negotiation.

    January 13, 2015