Funding for border security, DOD weapon systems, and NIH medical research will go up under the omnibus appropriations measure passed by Congress this week.  The spending bill funds the government through the end of FY’17 and allows for new project starts that require appropriated dollars.  In addition to broad initiatives, cyber spending is another winner.  The Read more

The Trump Administration appears to be serious about federal management. Whether it’s managing personnel levels, agency infrastructure, or IT acquisition and use, the Administration has an initiative led by senior advisors to look at the issue.  This certainly isn’t the first attempt at government centralization, but the business-centered approached used by this Administration, coupled with focused determination, may bring changes, whether large or small.  On common feature of these initiatives is control.  How can the government better control the use of all of its assets?  A key part of this will be how the government acquires the services and products it needs to meet its missions.  Already out is an OMB memo directing Read more

Speaking at an industry event last week Acting DOD CIO John Zangardi stated that his top future priority is learning to “speak warfighter”.  Zangardi and his team understand that their own success depends on how well they’re able to support their internal customers.  This is a vital lesson for contractors.  If you don’t understand your customer’s culture, or worse, require them to understand yours, your federal business is already a step behind success.  Do you “speak warfighter”?  How about “immigration” or “energy”?  While government acquisition officials may Read more

Congress is poised to pass a catch-all spending measure by the end of this week that will give all federal agencies actual appropriated dollars for the remainder of the 2017 Fiscal Year.  Despite media-fed worry over a possible shut-down at the end of the week, the government is quite likely to stay open and thrive.  Passage of an omnibus measure will enable agencies to start new Read more

GSA built on the success of its initial 2016 training event in Huntsville, Alabama last week with two full days of government and industry training, plus a show floor that included over 100 contractors.  Thousands of agency customers from the Army, NASA, and other federal agencies took the opportunity to learn new skills and stay current on acquisition rules.  Contractors had a wider selection of training over 2016 and had good opportunities to network with both Read more