Contracting

  • David Ramirez, general manager of the Federal Solutions business unit at the L-3 National Security Solutions group, will discuss innovation and what agencies are looking for in terms of services and technologies. April 15, 2014

    April 15, 2014
  • The latest small business contracting numbers numbers show agencies are struggling to hit their goals for doing business with small businesses. Those companies and entrepreneurs want to bring innovation and agility to the federal government, but they struggle to navigate the process. Martha Dorris, deputy associate administrator at GSA's Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies and ACT-IAC Small Business Conference Government chair, and Ira Hobbs, principal at Hobbs & Hobbs and former chief information officer at the Treasury Department and ACT-IAC SBC industry chair, tell In Depth with Francis Rose small business could hold the keys to success for your next IT project.

    April 15, 2014
  • Defense Department contracting officials are under orders now to double check prices on the General Services Administration's Federal Supply Schedule. DoD says the GSA Schedule doesn't always have the best price possible. Guy Timberlake, chief visionary and chief executive officer at the American Small Business Coalition, writes about it in this week's Gov-Con newsletter. He tells In Depth with Francis Rose "one size fits all" may not apply to your agency's contracting policy.

    April 14, 2014
  • The Obama administration says discrimination is partly to blame for a pay gap between men and women. But Congressional Republicans are skeptical. They have balked at a bill to address pay inequality. In the meantime, President Barack Obama has signed an executive order for federal contractors. They will have to report to the Labor Department detailed salary information broken down by race and gender. They also won't be able to retaliate against employees who discuss salary. Trey Hodgkins, senior vice president for the public sector at the Information Technology Industry Council, told Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp how contractors are reacting to the executive order. Read Federal News Radio's related article.

    April 14, 2014
  • Julie Perkins hosts a roundtable discussion of the hottest topics in the federal government. April 11, 2014

    April 11, 2014
  • In this week's Reporter's Notebook column, Executive Editor Jason Miller ponders Sylvia Burwell's jump from OMB to HHS and GSA's pumped up approach to buying.

    April 11, 2014
  • "Efficiency and Effectiveness" — we hear that phrase all the time in government. At the Defense Department, it's taking on a new meaning. DoD can no longer spend more of its time worrying about the effectiveness of its acquisition programs at the expense of efficiency. Federal News Radio Executive Editor Jason Miller explained to Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp how DoD is addressing its long muted focus on efficient buying. Read Federal News Radio's related article.

    April 11, 2014
  • A group of functional domain experts are reaching out to the military services and agencies to look at service contracting spending across 12 areas. The Defense Department's goal is to use strategic sourcing to improve how it buys in these categories. The Army created a governance board to bring together all stakeholders during specific points of the acquisition process to find opportunities to collaborate.

    April 11, 2014
  • Kent Schneider, president and CEO of AFCEA, joins host Mark Amtower to talk about the organization, and its activities in the government market. April 14, 2014

    April 10, 2014
  • Jerry Williams, the CIO of FSA, said he's reorganizing his office to establish customer service representatives to help the mission areas use IT more successfully. April 10, 2014

    April 10, 2014
  • The federal government market has provided a great living for a large number of contractors for a long time. But doing business with the government also comes with a heavy dose of regulation and oversight. That was the topic of a panel discussion Thursday at the Coalition for Government Procurement spring training conference. Richard Levi, counsel to the inspector general at the General Services Administration, spoke to Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp, which broadcast live from the conference. View photos and listen to interviews from our coverage.

    April 10, 2014
  • The Naval Air Systems Command's acquisition practices are laden with so much unnecessary costs that its commander worries about its ability to meet its mission to the fleet a few years from now. NAVAIR's commander said it's time to rethink the way it engages the acquisition system and with industry.

    April 10, 2014
  • From health records to rubber gloves, the Defense Health Agency is streamlining health care at the Pentagon. In this week's Agency of the Month radio show, host Lauren Larson speaks with Navy Capt. James Poindexter, acting division chief of Medical Logistics Shared Services, and Dave Bowen, director of health care IT and chief information officer at the Defense Health Agency.

    April 10, 2014
  • The rapid acquisition policy the Army uses in Afghanistan could be moving too quickly. The department can customize how it uses the Defense Acquisition System to make sure war fighters get what they need. But the Army's information technology systems might need a slower approach. Christopher Pernin, director of the Force Development and Technology Program at the RAND Arroyo Center and a senior physical scientist and professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, tells In Depth with Francis Rose they believe the Army can use acquisition policies it already has to improve its IT systems.

    April 09, 2014