Management

Small Business Leaders Urge Congress to Address Category Management Woes

As the rate of small businesses providing goods and services to the federal government plummets, experts are demanding lawmakers reassess an increasingly popular procurement method meant to reduce burdens and cost.

Management

Water Sector Leaders Seek Increased EPA Cybersecurity Collaboration and Guidance

Experts from the water and wastewater sectors called on the Environmental Protection Agency to take action on recommendations from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission to bolster cybersecurity for America's water infrastructure.

Oversight

Lawmakers Grill VA Tech Officials Over Stalled Progress on Cybersecurity

Top cyber officials with the Department of Veterans Affairs told Congress they are opposed to a bipartisan bill seeking to strengthen the agency’s cybersecurity standards—despite its ongoing failures to meet oversight recommendations.

Management

The EPA Is Seeking Funding to Improve the Cybersecurity of America’s Water Systems

The Environmental Protection Agency is aiming to invest $4 billion in upgrades to the nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure with a strong focus on cybersecurity.

Defense

House Dems Urge Social Media Networks not to Delete Evidence of Possible Russian War Crimes in Ukraine

Automated and artificial intelligence-enabled systems may be removing and permanently erasing evidence of potential Russian war crimes in Ukraine, lawmakers said this week.

Tech

Data Collection Features in a New Bill Targeting Equity at FEMA

The Federal Emergency Management Advancement of Equity Act would instruct the disaster response to improve its data collection systems to help identify inequities in its distribution of federal assistance.

Management

NASA Chief Calls Out the 'Plague' of Cost-Plus Contracts

The space agency is hoping to increasingly use competitions among top vendors and fixed-price contracts as a new way of conducting business—and cutting steep costs for major projects.

Tech

HBCUs Could Be One Key to Improving Equity in Federal Contracting and Technology

From expanding contracting opportunities for small, disadvantaged businesses to building out a more diverse federal workforce, federal agencies are increasingly aiming to partner with minority-serving institutions to ensure their equity goals are effective.

Management

SBA Looks to Promote Disadvantaged Businesses With 2023 Budget Request

The head of the Small Business Administration told lawmakers the agency is planning to ramp up outreach efforts for small disadvantaged businesses and other firms in need of support to address a 40% decline in small businesses working with the federal government.

Tech

Bernie Sanders Wants Amazon Debarred from Federal Contracting

The Vermont lawmaker cites the company's anti-union activity in a letter urging President Biden to eliminate the e-commerce and cloud behemoth from federal contracts.

Management

GSA Is Launching a New Tool to Simplify the Federal Buying Process

Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Sonny Hashmi said the new buyer experience tool "was built using human-centered design to address pain points in the acquisition process."

Management

Federal Procurement Featured in New Equity Action Plans

Improving access to federal contracting vehicles and supporting small, disadvantaged businesses are key parts in the equity action plans released by agencies on April 14.

Oversight

New Cybersecurity Bill Authorizes DHS to Ramp up Incident Response Efforts Nationwide

The National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium Act gives the Department of Homeland Security a range of opportunities to bolster cybersecurity preparedness at the state and local level, including technical assistance services.

Management

GSA Adds Sustainability Criteria to Push For Greener IT Contracts

The General Service Administration’s new contracting language is one tool for the agency to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.  

Workforce

What Federal Acquisition Personnel Can Do Right Now to Support Sustainability

Federal officials and government purchasing experts showed off tools and resources to help make federal procurement and acquisitions more sustainable and energy efficient.

Defense

A Security Council Official Is Calling for a Federal Office to Oversee Commercial Supply Chains

A NSC official expressed support for a provision in the $52 billion America COMPETES Act that would establish a federal office dedicated to monitoring domestic and international commercial supply chains.

Tech

Senators Call for Ban on US Government Personnel Use of Chinese Ride-Sharing Apps

A pair of lawmakers want the departments of State and Defense to enact a global prohibition on U.S. diplomatic and military personnel from using digital transportation platforms like Didi Chuxing, a Chinese-based ride-sharing service growing in popularity around the world.

Management

Senators Look to Root out Contractor Conflicts of Interest

A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation after concerns were raised over the management consulting corporation McKinsey & Company's work with the Food and Drug Administration.

Management

GSA Announces a Four-Fold Increase in Contracting Opportunity Goals for Small Disadvantaged Businesses

As the administration continues its efforts to steer $100 billion in contracting opportunities to historically marginalized firms by 2025, the General Services Administration is unveiling how it plans to help make that objective a reality.

Management

Agencies Are Looking to Streamline Payment Data Collection in Contracting

The keepers of the federal government's acquisition rulebook – GSA, DOD and NASA – want to increase automation in payments to contractors.