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USA.gov is about to undergo another overhaul. The web portal, which the General Services Administration maintains, lets visitors search for government information based on topics or agency. But it hasn\'t always been easy to use. Sarah Crane, the acting director of the Federal Citizen Information Center at GSA, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with more on the changes.
June 05, 2015 -
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The Department of Health and Human Services\' Buyers Club released a major solicitation for website development services using an agile development process. Mark Naggar, the program manager for the Buyers Club, said the two-stage methodology focuses on user needs first and foremost.
June 05, 2015 -
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The Department of Veterans Affairs says it has made significant gains over the past several months in paying its health care vendors on time. Providers tell a different story, and say the department routinely fails to comply with the Prompt Payment Act.
June 05, 2015 -
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Collaboration between the Homeland Security Department\'s Science and Technology Directorate and its industrial base is still a work in progress. S&T Undersecretary Reginald Brothers outlines six main priorities for his directorate in September. But some industry groups say S&T needs to create more incentives so vendors get involved. Marc Pearl is the president and CEO of the Homeland Security and Defense Business Council. He testified recently before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose about some of the goals within S&T, and the challenges that remain.
June 03, 2015 -
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Etherton and Associates President Jon Etherton and Tom Sisti, senior director and chief legislative counsel for SAP, join host Roger Waldron to talk about a growing movement on Capitol Hill for acquisition reform, and lessons learned from previous reform efforts. June 2, 2015
June 02, 2015 -
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A bill in the House aims to reform the way the General Services Administration (GSA) handles real estate. The Public Buildings Reform and Savings Act would realize billions in savings by enabling GSA to better facilitate consolidations, reduce space and negotiate the best possible office space lease deals. It would also bolster security at federal buildings. Re. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.) is chairman of the House Subcommittee for Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, and a co-sponsor of the bill. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to explain why such a pilot program was important.
June 02, 2015 -
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Commentary: Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Business Partners, writes that some of the pricing data initiatives are sending a disheartening message to GSA\'s contracting workforce. The Multiple Award Schedules are not in business to be the Dollar Store, he writes.
June 02, 2015 -
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The General Services Administration has a new tool to help contracting officers figure out how much they should pay for work. CALC.gov lists pay rates across eight professional services categories, with 48,000 labor categories and at least 5,000 GSA contracts. But the rates listed on the site are the highest prices contracting officers could pay, not the lowest. The 18F Innovation Lab built the tool and says acquisition officers should make better purchases with more access to more information. Stan Soloway, president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, tells In Depth with Francis Rose why he\'s not so sure.
June 01, 2015 -
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The Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of defense contractor KBR Inc. in a whistleblower suit brought by a former employee. Benjamin Carter accused KBR of defrauding the government over water purification work in Iraq. The justices ruled unanimously that a law extending the time frame for fraud claims committed against the U.S. during wartime doesn\'t apply to civil claims. Brian McLaughlin, a counsel in the Government Contracts Group at the law firm Crowell and Moring, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with more on the lessons learned.
June 01, 2015 -
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Federal contractor groups have some strong objections to a new proposed rule from the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council. It would force contractors who have broken labor laws to disclose the violations before they can get another contract; the Labor Department has also endorsed it. Ben Brubeck is the director of Labor and Federal Procurement at Associated Builders and Contractors. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to explain why so many contractors are so upset.
June 01, 2015 -
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Luke McCormack, the DHS chief information officer, said the combination of budget and technology has pushed the department toward a better approach to application development. The most recent example is the Citizen and Immigration Services\' major procurement calling for a widespread use of agile development processes across several enterprise support services.
May 29, 2015 -
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Uncertainty in the federal IT market is making industry planning harder. Some of the uncertainty is unavoidable until Congress passes agency funding bills. But some is fixable right away, according to Roger Waldron, president of the Coalition for Government Procurement. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose about potential fixes for some of the uncertainty.
May 28, 2015 -
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Managing certain kinds of information will get easier for agencies. The National Archives and Records Administration issued a proposed rule that could have big implications for how contractors store and secure government information on systems contractors own. Alex Major, an associate in the government contracts, investigations and international trade practice for Sheppard Mullin, tells In Depth with Francis Rose why a new era of cybersecurity regulations is coming fast.
May 28, 2015 -
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It was only a mile of fencing. The task order from the Army Corps of Engineers to Marcon Engineering looked straightforward: Build a section of barrier along the Mexican border. Then they started digging, and the project turned into a years-long legal battle. Eventually, a judge handed the government its head on a platter. Procurement attorney Joe Petrillo, a partner at the law firm Petrillo and Powell, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to review the facts and lessons learned from this case.
May 28, 2015
