Officials in GSA’s Southwest regional office in Fort Worth consistently emphasized their desire to engage more frequently with contractors at their industry event last week to ensure that GSA is offering customers viable solutions. Regional leaders should be applauded for their efforts, especially for understanding that customer engagement can lead to good program growth. People looking for good examples of how contractors and GSA officials can work together for Read more
Alert reader M. Kunis of Quahog, RI writes, “My long-time federal customer wants us to hire Mary, one of their own recent retirees, and have Mary go back to work for them as a contract employee. How do I work this with the labor rates I have on my Schedule?”. Excellent question, M. and one that you’re smart to think about. While procurement rules try to ban “personal services” acquisition, people are people. They like working with those that they know, especially Read more
Federal managers, Congressional watchers, and even some contractors are beginning to sense that the entire 2017 government fiscal year will largely be funded by a series of Continuing Resolutions. With the turmoil surrounding confirmation of appointees, potential action on the Affordable Healthcare Act, and other factors in play, it appears increasingly likely that there will be no formal appropriations bills for most of the executive branch. Only the Department of Read more
Everyone wants to do their own assessment when they come into a new agency, but not every appointee has a high degree of familiarity with the inner workings of their new department. These are among the observations from a host of recent panels and presentations featuring senior career feds speaking on the transition. While essential operational work continues, Read more
The Trump Administration is preparing to issue a new Executive Order requiring all federal agencies to examine their current structures and to key in on ways to increase efficiency, lower operating costs and improve mission performance. The EO may be issued any time now as the Senate recently confirmed former Congressmen Mick Mulvaney as the head of the Office of Read more