GSA has long said that its aim was to collect enough information on pricing and sales trends to use as a tool to help them make pricing decisions. Welcome to the future. A recent agency webinar showed just how much data the agency collects and how it is being used to pressure companies into offering lower prices on Schedule contracts or risk having specific items, or an entire contract, terminated. GSA analysts discussed the three factors that go into making Schedule pricing decisions: the catalog or median price, the lowest catalog or commercial price, and price analysis of the same or similar items offered via TDR-based Schedule contracts. Read more
“AI all day, every day” is a top priority for many federal CIO officials, according to recent comments made by DHS and DOD CIO representatives during a Federal Executive Forum webinar offered by Federal News Network. While this issue should not be a surprise to contractors, there may be some CIO priorities that are. Both Rachelle Henderson, CIO of ICE, and Kristin Ruiz, Deputy CIO at TSA, said that culture is important to implementing technology solutions that work for their offices. Building external and internal relationships, delivering solutions that improve business functions, not just automate existing processes, and building on foundations are all steps that ensure that technology achieves its maximum potential. As Read more
Congress pushed final action on FY’24 appropriations out for at least another six weeks last week, keeping the government open, but effectively cutting the fiscal year by nearly half. The new measure retains the two-tiered approach in the previous CR, meaning that the VA, HUD, and Treasury are among the agencies that face a new March 1st funding deadline, while March 8th is the date for DOD, DHS and most of the rest of the government The best-case scenario now is that individual offices will have their spending budgets in mid-April, creating an extremely tight timeframe in which to conduct business. The best-case scenario isn’t a done Read more
The General Services Administration first issued its ill-fated Alliant II Small Business GWAC solicitation in February of 2018, almost six years ago. With protests continuing over POLARIS, the similarly plagued intended successor, GSA senior leadership must answer the question: “Is another small business IT GWAC needed now?”. The federal IT market has most definitely moved on, changing in some significant ways over the past six years. The primacy of cybersecurity requirements, increased emphasis on supply chains (see below), and socio-economic additions to contracts are just some examples. GSA also has an outstanding record of small business participation in its existing IT contracts. The GSA Schedules program, 8(a) Read more
Everyone wants secure, reliable supply chains. There are Executive Orders on this topic, countless DOD reports, and Congressional action in nearly every defense authorization bill, including the recently passed FY’24 law. While the government comes in for some responsibility to ensure secure supply chains, most of the responsibility ultimately flows down to contractors. It shouldn’t. While contractors certainly have a role to play, ultimately ensuring secure and resilient supply chains is everyone’s business. Contractors can take steps to ensure that they don’t buy counterfeit components or take unnecessary risks that could delay the Read more