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 May 21, 2013

In today's news...

Fiscal Times: Pentagon’s Failure to Audit Contracts Wastes Billions 

http://bit.ly/11VkgXW

FedScoop: 10 tips for maximizing data-driven innovation

http://bit.ly/16JWjnO

Federal News Radio: OMB reworking financial system requirements to focus on outcomes, not inputs

http://bit.ly/165wn6k

FCW: DOD business systems under fire -- again

http://bit.ly/10j6DPh

Government Executive: The Furloughs That Never Came

http://bit.ly/16JWFLd

Federal Times: Sequester doesn't add up for IGs

http://bit.ly/12JrD1s

SmartContracting Daily Intel for March 14, 2013

Happy Thursday! One more day until the weekend is here. Here is some late day news to get you through the rest of today...

Government Executive: Crisis Budgeting Creates an 'Uncertainty Tax,' Senator Says 

http://bit.ly/ZrtTHM

OMB Blog: Working to Deliver Improved Performance

http://1.usa.gov/XaXzHk

Washington Business Journal: DOD official warns defense industry against drastic moves that could lead to market crisis

http://bit.ly/Yud2EK

Washington Technology: Lockheed's Linda Gooden shares the lessons of her career

http://bit.ly/YudanU

SmartContracting Daily Intel for July 9, 2012

In today's news...

FCW: White House, committee spar over acquisition workforce training funds

http://bit.ly/MgvYQU

FCW: New rule could force inexperienced contractors onto agency projects

http://bit.ly/Nk0wCK

Federal News Radio: Obama appoints DoD acquisition policy chief to head spending watchdog

http://bit.ly/PAO58i

Arizona Daily Star: Diversity may help Raytheon avoid cuts

http://bit.ly/Mdvtph

AoL Defense: Sequester Fears Paralyze Would-Be Wave Of Defense Acquisitions

http://aol.it/LC8XMe

New York Times: $16 Billion in Civilian Aid Pledged to Afghanistan, With Conditions

http://nyti.ms/Nj8qZy

Washington Business Journal: Tracking federal programs to avoid duplication could be costly

http://bit.ly/NfavJG

SmartContracting Daily Intel for July 3, 2012

Happy Independence Day (eve)!  Before the mid-week break, today's news...

The Hill: GOP senators propose House-Senate work groups on sequester

http://bit.ly/MQUav5

Federal News Radio: Army deploys first fruits of agile acquisition process

http://bit.ly/MT9J4o

FCW: NIST's new cyber center ready for public-private insight

http://bit.ly/M3x3tV

FCW: Cyber incident reports skyrocket over three-year period

http://bit.ly/Ni3QwD

Federal News Radio: Agency performance reporting lags under wasteful spending initiative

http://bit.ly/MGg2Ky

Surviving Sequestration, Part 2: What’s a company to do?

As agencies grapple with the prospect of sequestration, your contract funding could be at risk. What’s a company to do? PSC attempted to answer that question for its members during a panel discussion on Jan. 17.

Here is some of the advice PSC’s own Alan Chvotkin gave to attendees.

Immediate actions:

• Know your existing contracts:
• Contract Type
• Available period of performance
• Revenue options/ceiling amounts
• Option periods remaining/available
• Ensure that your past performance is the best it can be and that your PPIRS and FAPIIS database references are accurate and most favorable.

Short-term actions:

• Engage your customers, but recognize contracting officers and program managers might not have answers until the last minute or the authority to act in all cases.
• Evaluate agency spending on its priority contracts – even if you aren’t on it.

Long-term actions:

• Ensure that your past performance is the best it can be and that the PPIRS and FAPIIS database references are accurate and most favorable.
• Evaluate your existing contracts for flexibility to add new work or new funding opportunities.
• Evaluate future solicitations and potential awards for performance flexibility and for risk.
• Be an aggressive advocate for your performance capabilities and revenue options.

How Smart Contractors Measure Up

Throughout the congressional campaign cycle there have been loud calls from both sides for the government to spend taxpayer dollars wisely. That’s why, regardless of the outcome of today’s elections, the Obama White House is unlikely to change its performance measurement agenda for federal agencies and programs.

And for good reason. In these tough economic times the government can’t afford to spend taxpayer dollars on failing or inefficient programs, projects or other activities.

In the September edition of Service Contractor, the Office of Management and Budget’s Shelley Metzenbaum, the associate director for performance and personnel management, explained how and why OMB is measuring program performance across federal agencies. She also explained what actions professional services firms can take to further these goals and improve their own work to help their government customers.