Procurement reform

Scott: FITARA marks sea change for IT

Federal CIO Tony Scott also asserted that more IT spending is needed: "You can't save your way to success."

  • By Mark Rockwell

How Congress is going to watch FITARA

CIOs are warning lawmakers that they're about to discover the hidden costs of implementation.

  • By Adam Mazmanian

AT&L official: Data restrictions in defense bill impede management

The already testy public debate between Pentagon officials and Sen. John McCain over an acquisition provision in the defense authorization bill is getting even testier.

  • By Sean Lyngaas

Eagerly awaited agile BPA is delayed

18F's novel agile procurement attempt is pushed back while the agency works to answer all the vendor questions pouring in.

  • By Zach Noble

Study tackles DOD acquisition riddle

Use all funding options to get cutting-edge technologies into the hands of soldiers faster, says a new CSIS study.

  • By Sean Lyngaas

FedBid emerging from a tough winter, says CEO

"Nine months ago we had 75 agency customers. We still have 75 agency customers," says former OFPP head Joe Jordan.

  • By Mark Rockwell

How flexible should FITARA be?

The federal CIO told House watchdogs that IT reform would be implemented with strict oversight, but there are already rumblings inside agencies about possible exceptions.

  • By Adam Mazmanian

OFPP issues guidance on reverse auctions

GAO studies have shown increasing use of reverse auctions, including some instances where they weren't used very effectively.

  • By Mark Rockwell

Focus on EIS transition pushes regional telecom contracts aside

GSA decides to cancel three "bridge" contracts, and says the EIS RFP will slip to September.

  • By Mark Rockwell

House defense bill includes acquisition reform

Included in the $612 billion House-passed defense bill are some of Armed Services Chairman Mac Thornberry's proposals for overhauling military purchasing.

  • By Sean Lyngaas

Backseat drivers plague procurement

Acquisition officers get too much advice from people who can't move the process forward, says Army Assistant Secretary Heidi Shyu.

  • By Mark Rockwell

Kendall welcomes House acquisition reform bill, with caveats

The Pentagon's top acquisition official says provisions concerning the service chiefs and acquisition experience for personnel need improvement.

  • By Sean Lyngaas

Feds' procurement shortcomings a threat to industry

Bob Davis argues that the lack of a strong federal procurement workforce is not just a government problem -- and it’s time for industry to get involved in solving it.

  • By Bob Davis

GSA stands by for OASIS protests

An industry analyst said the agency virtually guaranteed protests by using written debriefings instead of face-to-face meetings with unsuccessful vendors.

  • By Mark Rockwell
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Public-private group envisions 'acquisition of the future'

AOF brings together government and industry in an effort to chart a new course for acquisition overhaul efforts.

  • By Mark Rockwell

OFPP, FAI launch new acquisition training and certification

The revised FAC-C curriculum takes effect Oct. 1 and will align civilian agency training more closely with DOD's.

  • By Troy K. Schneider

CBP offers 'explanation plus' to losing bidders

The plan is to tell vendors who fail to win a contract why they lost, within the constraints of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, rather than just telling them that they did.

  • By Mark Rockwell

FAR Part 1: 'If it's not prohibited, it's allowed'

Steve Kelman reflects on what could be the most important sentence in the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

  • By Steve Kelman

Pentagon ponders making IT subject to same rules as weapons

Defense Undersecretary Frank Kendall and Sen. Joe Donnelly used an Armed Services Committee hearing to discuss the possibility of using the same cost guidelines for IT and weapons systems.

  • By Sean Lyngaas

Tech council blasts IT acquisition report

GSA's product- and service-centric approach ignores how those products and services would be used, argues the Information Technology Industry Council.

  • By Mark Rockwell

Improved Pentagon acquisition requires tolerance of risk

Overhauling the defense acquisition process is a national security imperative in tight budget times, argues a consultant and former Marine major general.

  • By Sean Lyngaas