PSC Urges HASC to Adopt Smart Acquisition Reforms

As the House Armed Services Committee announced a new initiative to improve Defense Department acquisitions today, the Professional Services Council urges the committee to include in its initiative the recommendations outlined in the 2013 PSC Leadership Commission report, “From Crisis to Opportunity,” for the acquisition of services.

PSC Questions Scope and Operation of USAID’s “Partner Vetting for Assistance” Rule

The Professional Services Council (PSC) on September 30 submitted comments to the U.S. Agency for International Development raising questions about the scope and operation of USAID’s proposed rule, “Partner Vetting in USAID Assistance,” that was published in the Federal Register on August 29, 2013.  

PSC’s Government Shutdown Resource Center Re-launched to Address Current Crisis

The government shutdown is now in its fourth day and contractors are beginning to feel the effects. Media outlets are reporting that some companies are furloughing their employees, just like their government partners. Other contractors have found alternatives to keep staff on the payroll as the crisis continues. 

In response to the shutdown, last week PSC re-launched its online Government Shutdown Resource Center to provide member companies with timely information about what actions they can take during and following any shutdown, and to help companies understand the operational implications of a potential shutdown.

The webpage contains materials from PSC’s 2011 program on contractor implications of a government shutdown, CRS reports, past and current guidance from federal agencies, and other pertinent documents, all of which are updated as additional information becomes available. 

CIDC Report Highlights History of International Development Companies’ Successes

The Professional Services Council (PSC) and its Council of International Development Companies (CIDC) yesterday published a new report chronicling the history and adaptability of international development companies (IDCs).

The report, “50 Years of Development: How Private Companies Adapt and Deliver,” follows USAID’s own report on its 50th anniversary in 2012 and outlines the dramatic changes that have reshaped foreign assistance delivery since the inception of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). 

PSC Urges Congress to Fund Foreign Assistance

Member companies of the Professional Services Council's Council of International Development Companies (CIDC) sent letters to the House and Senate Appropriations and Foreign Affairs Committees, strongly supporting robust funding of U.S. international development. 

In the September 20 letters, 24 members of PSC’s CIDC said they “strongly support robust U.S. international development—funded by the United States and executed by U.S. businesses and other development partners—to continue to serve as a core component of our national, economic and security strategies.”

PSC: Security Clearance Reviews Must Be Balanced, Realistic

In response to the tragic events at the Washington Navy Yard, the Professional Services Council called on Congress to ensure that any reviews of the security clearance process focus on clearances for military and civilian government personnel, as well as contractors, in a September 18 letter sent to leaders of 12 House and Senate committees and subcommittees. 

“In light of the tragic events at the Washington Navy Yard, attention has naturally and appropriately extended to the security and facilities clearance processes and what role, if any, those processes played in this horrific event in which we witnessed the tragic deaths of and injuries to government, contractor, military and law enforcement personnel,” said Stan Soloway, PSC president and CEO. 

“Whatever gaps in the process may exist are equally applicable to all individuals seeking to obtain or retain a clearance,” he said. “To look at the issue only through the narrow lens some have suggested would be counter-productive and shortsighted.” 

PSC Leadership Issues First-Ever Commission Report; Recommends “Fundamental” Changes

The Professional Services Council’s 2013 Leadership Commission today issued a report calling on the government and industry to join forces in pursuing fundamental changes to turn the current fiscal and human capital crises into significant opportunities.