Acquisition

  • A slate of defense industry executives lined up to testify before the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday, telling lawmakers that the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration would be devastating to their businesses and could lead to mass layoffs. The lack of action by Congress, so far, to avert the cuts has led to a "fog of uncertainty" even now, five months away from when sequestration would take effect, the CEO of Lockheed Martin testified.

    July 18, 2012
  • Despite planned budget cuts, the military is moving ahead to design a new tactical truck to replace the Humvee, which is vulnerable to roadside bombs and isn't expected meet the demands of future conflicts.

    July 18, 2012
  • W. Hord Tipton, executive director of The International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2, talks about his tenure as CIO of the Department of the Interior, and what you can do to protect data at your agency. July 17, 2012

    July 17, 2012
  • Host Roger Waldron talks government oversight with Ken Donohue of the Reznick Group. July 17, 2012

    July 17, 2012
  • The General Services Administration focuses on the potential of a broker to negotiate between providers and consumers regarding cloud computing services in its Request for Information, released Tuesday. While today's RFI includes a variety of specific questions, GSA also remains open to other types of suggestion from industry.

    July 17, 2012
  • Acting Administrator Dan Tangherlini said GSA has at least 15 different bonus structures and there are questions about the agency's award rates. He said 85 percent of all SES performance awards are on hold in through 2013. GSA also will not hire new employees until a top-to-bottom review of the agency's organization is completed.

    July 17, 2012
  • Roughly five months until across-the-board budget reductions, known as sequestration, are set to kick in, the Aerospace Industries Association unveiled a new report Tuesday that warned of jobs losses, billions in losses to the economy and a blow to wages from the $1.2 trillion, 10-year cuts in defense and domestic programs. The report comes amid a cacophony of election-year demands and partisan backbiting over how to avert the impending cuts that will only grow louder in the coming weeks. Lawmakers agree that it's imperative that Congress move swiftly before the November election to avert the cuts, but have offered wide variations on a solution.

    July 17, 2012
  • John Palguta, vice president of Policy at the Partnership for Public Service talks about efforts to bring in young workers to the federal government, and whether telework is a viable option for some federal employees. July 13, 2012(Encore presentation August 3, 2012)

    July 13, 2012
  • Phoenix-based TriWest Healthcare Alliance will end its challenge to the Defense Department's award of the TRICARE West Region contract to UnitedHealth. The decision comes weeks after the GAO dismissed TwiWest's protest.

    July 13, 2012
  • The new version of the online resource provides additional resources to better help agencies improve workplace sustainability.

    July 13, 2012
  • Acting Director Jeff Zients asks SBA and the FAR Council to create a proposed rule to change the acquisition regulations calling for prime contractors to pay small subcontractors more quickly.

    July 13, 2012
  • The Government Accountability Office assessed the performance of seven federal agencies in migrating some of their services to the cloud as required by the Office of Management and Budget. Five of the seven agencies succeeded in meeting OMB's requirements and the other two are expected to be compliant by year's end.

    July 13, 2012
  • The Veterans Affairs Department said it saved $40 million by using this centralized approach to managing contractors. vendor management organizations also help agencies buy more strategically. OFPP plans to expand strategic sourcing and sets a $2 billion savings goal by 2015.

    July 12, 2012
  • Federal Times Senior Staff Writer Stephen Losey will give us an update on a new retirement law...and other legislation affecting federal workers. July 11, 2012

    July 11, 2012