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.

PSC Responds to Rules Expanding Executive Compensation Cap Coverage

PSC, through the Council of Defense and Space Industry Associations (CODSIA), on August 26, responded to interim and proposed FAR rules to implement the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act provision requiring the cap on executive compensation to apply to all employees performing under defense contracts.

The two sets of comments, available here and here raised concerns that the interim and proposed rules improperly applied the expansion to contracts that were forged before the law expanding coverage went into effect on December 31, 2011. Such retroactive applications would cause the government to breach all contracts established before the effective date, CODSIA said. In addition, CODSIA said that, contrary to the rules’ Regulatory Flexibility Act statements, the rules did impose a burden on contractors, particularly small businesses, to maintain more than one billing rate structure for 2012, 2013, and possibly several years into the future. Many systems are not designed or configured to process different rates for the same work, the comments said.

Department of Labor Issues Two Major Final Rules

On August 28, the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued two significant final rules to improve hiring and employment of veterans and of people with disabilities. One rule updates the department’s rules relating to the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA), which protects veterans against employment discrimination. The other updates the department’s rules relating to Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which protects individuals with disabilities against employment discrimination.

While the goals of both rules are laudable, PSC is concerned about the challenges for contractors in implementing these new significant regulatory requirements. In addition, both rules fail to address any of the real barriers contractors face in hiring veterans or individuals with disabilities, such as finding prospective employees with appropriate experience levels that meet contractual skills requirements and addressing their training needs. In addition, the 503 rule applies the disability hiring goal to each job group of the contractor, thus potentially exponentially raising the challenge of compliance. PSC authored a February 2012 letter to Labor, raising significant implementation challenges with the proposed 503 rule. PSC is conducting a detailed review of both final rules to identify any additional concerns. 

Both rules will generally become effective six months after publication in the Federal Register, which is expected soon. Now that Labor has finalized both regulations, we expect the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council to commence its rule-making to implement these OFCCP requirements into the FAR. PSC will engage the FAR Council in the development of the necessary acquisition regulations.

PSC Supports Provision to Protect USAID Funding from Waste, Fraud and Abuse

The Professional Services Council and its Council of International Development Companies have expressed support for a common sense provision in the House Foreign Operations Appropriations bill to ensure taxpayer dollars are protected by ensuring appropriate reviews occur before limiting competition to host-country entities. The House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee approved the bill July 19. The full House Appropriations Committee will consider the bill today.

Proposed DoD Counterfeit Parts Rule Found Lacking

A proposed rule regarding the detection and avoidance of counterfeit electronic parts would create barriers to the Defense Department’s access to key technologies, the Professional Services Council (PSC) said in comments submitted to DoD through the Council of Defense and Space Industry Associations (CODSIA) on July 15.

SmartContracting Daily Intel for July 8, 2013

In today's news...

Bloomberg "Capital Gains": The Edward Snowden Effect

http://bloom.bg/11wkWm5

DevEx: Is USAID's 'go local' strategy hurting US small business?
http://bit.ly/183tksF

Washington Technology: Tight budgets challenge prime-sub relationships (subscription)

http://bit.ly/12mIHae

Federal News Radio: Sequestration snarling 2014 budget process

http://bit.ly/1aTo3Yq

Federal News Radio: DoD's revised cyber policy to shift toward governmentwide standards

http://bit.ly/13Gr3oa

Federal Times: Competition for $450 million DoD cloud contract to start in August

http://bit.ly/15rECXi

SmartContracting Daily Intel July 3, 2013

Happy (almost) Independence Day! In today's news...

Federal Contracts Report: View From PSC: The New, Improved DATA Act—a Balance of Transparency and Reporting

http://bit.ly/14QlkZs

FCW: Issa lobbies for DATA act

http://bit.ly/11gNeB4

Washington Post: White House delays health-care rule that businesses provide insurance to workers

http://wapo.st/123jvGK

Federal Times: NIST outlines draft cybersecurity framework for industry

http://bit.ly/12GOlDN

SmartContracting Daily Intel for July 2, 2013

In today's news...

Washington Business Journal: A government starvation cycle? (Guest Blog)

http://bit.ly/12bYyrQ

Wall Street Journal: Aid Donors to Grade Afghan Progress on Commitments (subscription)

http://on.wsj.com/17FgZe8

Government Executive: Defense Contractors and Military Personnel Can’t Fill In for Furloughed Civilians

http://bit.ly/1azhPge

FCW: Can DIA become the Defense Innovation Agency?

http://bit.ly/1azhXMw

Federal Times: New law extends whistleblower protections to subcontractors

http://bit.ly/12bYGrB

SmartContracting Daily Intel for July 1, 2013

Happy Monday! And Happy July! In today's news...

Washington Post: They said the sequester would be scary. Mostly, they were wrong.

http://wapo.st/13m9xFo

Washington Post: Tracking the predicted sequester impacts

http://wapo.st/12zJuZi

Defense News: With Contractors Under Fire, One Exec Questions DoD Leaders

http://bit.ly/14KbPuy

SmartContracting Daily Intel for June 28, 2013

In today's News...

Washington Technology: Snowden case launches open season on contractors 

http://bit.ly/15NcECj

Federal News Radio: Industry fears 'chilling effect' in GSA review of acquisition managers 

http://bit.ly/16ECxGA

Washington Post: Company allegedly misled government about security clearance checks

http://wapo.st/1alNxNP

Washington Post: Justice Dept. targets general in leak probe

http://wapo.st/124yFdE

NextGov: NSA Networks Might Have Been Missing Anti-leak Technology
http://bit.ly/17p42oz

Government Executive: The Federal Government Does a Terrible Job of Recognizing High Performers

http://bit.ly/10prSie

SmartContracting Daily Intel for June 27, 2013

In today's news...

The New York Times: Mandatory Federal Cuts Hurt Private Sector, Too

http://nyti.ms/10nocgV

The Atlantic: Unsexy Ways to Cut Defense Spending

http://bit.ly/13ahttt

Washington Business Journal: DOMA decision: How will the feds implement same-sex benefits? 

http://bit.ly/17Fa48n

Federal Times: Unions find surprise ally in fight against outsourcing: Republicans

http://bit.ly/10YUyB5

SmartContracting Daily Intel for June 25, 2013

In today's news...

The Hill: The opportunities offered by the Snowden case

bit.ly/18dQbVh

Federal Times: How DoD became a smarter customer

bit.ly/14VoFsn

Government Executive: Obama Nominates a Pentagon Inspector General
bit.ly/1ab10rL

Federal Times: Expect security clearance delays
bit.ly/19phqNC

SmartContracting Daily Intel for June 21, 2013

Happy first day of summer! In today's news...

FCW: Would capping contractor salary reimbursements make a difference? 

http://bit.ly/12fJhpN

Washington Post: Labor groups back bills to cap contractor pay at vice president’s salary

http://wapo.st/11Dbubf

Washington Post: Government lacks uniform security-clearance guidelines, official says

http://wapo.st/17s4PbL

USA Today: SBA revises small business size standards

http://usat.ly/11s6lpL

FedScoop: Air Force top officer: Sequester is crippling Air Force

http://bit.ly/12ZPWfb

SmartContracting Daily Intel for June 19, 2013

In today's news:

Politico: Unions eye fight over role of federal contractors

http://politi.co/16gKh1g

Washington Business Journal: Federal employee union president slams contractors' motives

http://bit.ly/14iS7q4

Government Executive: Acting GSA Chief Impresses Senators As Agency’s Mr. Fix-It

http://bit.ly/11YcvxB

FCW: How far is too far in cyber defense?

http://bit.ly/13ZBEXg