DOD

Subscribe to DOD via RSS
Programming and password concept - graphic

On January 30, 2020, the Department of Defense (DOD) released Version 1.0 of its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). Under the CMMC program, every contractor who works for the DOD, including subcontractors, will need to be certified at one of five levels. All DOD solicitations will specify which certification level is required for the contract, and contractors who do not have that certification will be ineligible for the contract. In order to obtain the certification, contractors will undergo an assessment by an independent third-party organization. 
Continue Reading New Cybersecurity Requirements Will Impact All DOD Contractors and Their Subcontractors

Safety helmet flat icon. Hard Hat Construction Icon

My partner Tim Furin and I attended the FY2020 DOD & Federal Agency Program Briefings this week on March 12 in Herndon, Virginia. The Briefings are part of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Capital Week. The program provides SAME members a chance to hear about the projected upcoming fiscal year’s engineering, construction, and environmental programs from contracting representatives, and Senior Executive Service leaders from the engineering components of the military services and select federal agencies. Representatives from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Army, Navy, Air Force, General Services Administration (GSA), Departments of State and Energy, as well as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Forest Service all made presentations. The presentations are available on SAME’s Capital Week website.
Continue Reading A Look Ahead: What to Expect in Federal Construction Contracting in FY2020

bridging

On December 3, 2018, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued a deviation from the FAR’s self-performance requirements, which applies to subcontracting limitations on contracts set aside for small businesses. Although the changes to subcontracting limitations were mandated by the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (yes, 2013), implementation has been slow and piecemeal. The Small Business Administration (SBA) did not implement the changes until June 2016, and although the FAR Council recently issued a proposed rule that would bring the FAR into compliance, the FAR has not officially caught up. In the meantime, the discrepancy between the FAR and the SBA regulations has caused headaches for contractors who must decide whether to comply with the FAR, the SBA regulations, or both. The DoD’s deviation will bridge the gap for all DoD contracts until the FAR catches up. 
Continue Reading Department of Defense Issues FAR Deviation for Limitations on Subcontracting

Vector of army green vest with light green contract detailing

As I mentioned in a recent post, the Department of Defense (DoD) is using its “other transaction” authority with increased frequency to attract non-traditional defense contractors and to capitalize on the cutting-edge technological advancements found in the commercial marketplace. Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) are not procurement contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements and, as such, many procurement laws and regulations do not apply, including the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). 
Continue Reading Bid Protests: Are Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) Really Bulletproof?

By: Edward T. DeLisle, Kayleen Egan & Maria L. Panichelli

Is the Small Business Administration’s (“SBA”) minority business development program, also known as the “8(a) Program”  unconstitutional?   The legality of the program has been a hot topic of debate over the year, most recently due to a significant DC District Court case.  That case,…