Bill Shackelford prepares to take the helm at NARFE in January

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• Good news may be coming for Defense contractors who have been hit by inflation. DoD is putting the finishing touches on new policies that would expand the number of contractors who can ask for price adjustments to their firm, fixed-price contracts. Officials said the new guidance should be published within the next week. They also said it is meant to address concerns that small firms, in particular, could be forced out of business if they’re forced to absorb inflation costs on their own. (Federal News Network)

• The National Counterintelligence and Security Center is helping procurement officials avoid supply chain pitfalls. The NCSC is leading a Supply Chain and Counterintelligence Risk Management Task Force that identifies potential risks like foreign ownership and data security concerns. The task force is working with the Federal Acquisition Security Council to help agencies make better buying decisions. “We’re not making the decisions. We’re just making sure that whatever decision is made is indeed informed with the most information that we have at our fingertips at the time,” said Jeanette McMillian, the NCSC assistant director for supply chain and cyber. (Federal News Network)

• The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will soon solicit feedback on a landmark cyber incident reporting law. President Biden signed the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act in April. Now, CISA is planning to release a request for information this month on how it should tailor the new requirements. CISA Director Jen Easterly said the agency will also hold 11 listening sessions across the country. CISA and the Homeland Security Department still need to define the specifics of the incident reporting requirements through a rulemaking process.

• After a handful of accidents and fires, the Navy is elevating how it handles safety concerns. Just this year, Navy Safety Command became a two-star operation. Now, it is out with new policies and enforcement measures that it thinks will bring the Navy’s safety standards back to a proper baseline. The command now has the authority to conduct surprise inspections at most fleet commands. Safety Command officials will also have the ability to stand down certain activities if regulations and procedures are not up to snuff. The command will also work with fleet chiefs to implement best practices and take in feedback that might help the Navy conduct safer operations. (Federal News Network)

• The Army wants to modify and accelerate the selection process for new commanders, and plans to start a pilot program this year. Under the new system, evaluations would be stored and assigned scores by a natural language computer program. The command selection board would then review the scores instead of the evaluations in assigning new command positions. At a recent conference, Lt. Col. Kristin Saling of the Army Human Resources Command said that the new system would mean command selection boards could meet for three days instead of three weeks.

• The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association is getting a new national president. Bill Shackelford starts his two-year term in January and will be responsible for providing general oversight of and strategic direction to the association. Shackelford, who was once president of the Virginia Federation, retired from federal service in 2006 after a 34-year FBI career.

• The Postal Service is moving ahead with plans to consolidate the delivery operations of hundreds of post offices and other facilities into large, regional hubs. USPS management has identified more than 200 “spoke offices” that would move their delivery operations to 21 regional Sort-and-Delivery Centers. The consolidation will shift letter carrier operations, where feasible, to Sort-and-Delivery Centers. The restructuring will not affect the retail functions of these spoke offices, including PO box service. Some letter carriers whose facilities are affected by this consolidation will have to commute farther to work, and they will have to drive longer distances to and from their routes in their postal vehicles. (Federal News Network)

• A longstanding member of the Postal Service’s regulatory board has been tapped to stay on for a while longer. President Joe Biden intends to nominate Robert Taub to serve another term on the Postal Regulatory Commission. Taub served as chairman of the PRC for more than six years, but has stayed on as a board commissioner. Prior to joining the PRC in 2011, Taub served as principal civilian adviser to the Secretary of the Army.

• The Defense Department can do a better job of utilizing commercial satellites for its intelligence needs, according to a new study by the Government Accountability Office. The watchdog said DoD has a slow and cumbersome approach to incorporating emerging satellite technologies and risks losing its advantage in the world. GAO suggested developing specific performance goals and creating new approaches to bring in commercial technologies.

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