Federal Procurement Policy

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Change Ahead Sign

Last month, we outlined Congress’ plan to block the implementation of President Obama’s Fair Play and Safe Workplaces executive order. Today, we report that the prognosis has grown even more grim for the former President’s initiative, as both the House of Representatives and Senate have passed measures blocking the order from taking effect – now, the only remaining hurdle to a full repeal of the Fair Play and Safe Workplaces order is the signature of the President. 
Continue Reading The End is Near for “Fair Play and Safe Workplaces”

Capitol Building

For the last few months, we have been following the troubled rollout of the “Fair Play and Safe Workplaces” rules, an Obama-era Executive Order that placed new requirements on contractors prohibiting certain labor practices. It is now becoming increasingly clear that the controversial act is likely to be a casualty of the new administration’s deregulatory agenda.
Continue Reading Congress Strikes Blow to “Fair Play and Safe Workplaces”

Donkey and Elephant Tug of War for the White House

In the wake of November’s elections, just about the only thing that Washington can agree on is a pervasive sense of uncertainty about the future, which includes the direction of government regulation. The fact that many incoming agency heads and cabinet secretaries come from nontraditional backgrounds and, consequently, do not have a long record of public comments only serves to deepen the apprehension across regulated industries. 
Continue Reading A New World Order?

2016-2017

Last month, we reported that the Government Accountability Office’s (“GAO”) statutory authority to hear bid protests on civilian task orders exceeding $10 million had expired, leading to a parade of dismissed protests and disappointed contractors left without legal recourse. As of last week, there is reason to be hopeful, as the House of Representatives and Senate agreed on legislation that promises to permanently restore the GAO’s authority to hear civilian bid protests. 
Continue Reading Proposed 2017 NDAA is a Mixed Bag for Government Contractors

gavel

Several months ago, we summarized the issuance and implications of Executive Order 13673, known as the “Fair Play and Safe Workplaces” order. In short, the order requires federal contractors to:

  • Report labor law “violations” of itself or any of its subcontractors (where the estimated value of the subcontract exceeds $500,000) under various federal employment and labor laws;
  • Restrict the use of binding, pre-dispute arbitration provisions in non-collectively bargained employment contracts; and
  • Establish “paycheck transparency” through the issuance of wage statements to all individuals performing work under a covered contract.

Continue Reading Federal Court Puts a Halt to “Fair Play and Safe Workplaces”

The Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) issues statistics each year regarding the outcome of bid protests.  In 2015, there were 2,639 cases filed and there we 587 decisions on the merits.  Of those, only 68 protests were sustained.  According to the way the GAO presents its statistics, that would indicate that protestors prevailed approximately 12% of the time.  In reality, since many protests were withdrawn or summarily dismissed, the protesters only prevailed in 68 of the 2,639 protests filed and the true success rate was closer to 3%.  With those odds, why would anyone file a GAO bid protest?  The answer requires a little closer scrutiny since statistics can be misleading.


Continue Reading Deciding Whether to File a GAO Bid Protest

In a recent decision by the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, Dick Pacific Construction Co., Ltd., ASBCA No. 57675 et. al., decided on December 15, 2015, the Board repeated something that has been said many times before:

We consider daily logs to be the most reliable evidence of what actually happened during construction. Technocratica, ASBCA No. 46567 et al., 99-2 BCA ¶ 30,391 (“Daily inspection reports have been held to be prima facie evidence of the daily conditions as they existed at the time of performance.”)


Continue Reading Timely Documentation is Critical

In a recent decision issued by the United States Court of Federal Claims, Anthem Builders, Inc. v. United States,  April 6, 2015, WL 1546437, the Court considered a protest involving the proposed use of an individual surety to furnish required bonds.  Under FAR 28.203, an individual surety may be accepted on a federal construction…

In December 2014, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued an important decision that impacts how the 6 year statute of limitations (SOL) is applied under the Contract Disputes Act (CDA).  In Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation v. United States, the Court of Appeals determined that the CDA’s 6 year SOL for filing a…