Federal Procurement Policy

The National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”) for Fiscal Year 2018 includes enhanced post-award debriefing requirements for the Department of Defense (“DoD”). This change is likely a response to the Office of Federal Procurement Policy’s (“OFPP”) January 5, 2017 memorandum. The memorandum debunked certain misconceptions about the debriefing process and encouraged agencies to adopt best practices and maximize the value of debriefings. One such myth that the OFPP’s memorandum debunked was that debriefings always lead to protests. The memorandum advocated for more transparency in the debriefing process, explaining that, in fact, an effective debriefing process can greatly reduce the frequency of protests.
Continue Reading Good News for Department of Defense Contractors: Enhanced Post-Award Debriefing Requirements are on Their Way!

This past July, we told you about an important bill known as the Stop Unworthy Spending Act (“SUSPEND Act”). That bill, which was introduced by House of Representatives oversight committee chairman Darrell Issa, aimed to dramatically overhaul the suspension and debarment (“S&D”) procedures applicable to federal contractors. Currently, the suspension and debarment of contractors is

On August 15, 2013, the SBA put into effect a long-awaited Final Rule (Federal Register Volume 78, Number 136 (Tuesday, July 16, 2013)) designed to help small business subcontractors. The Final Rule, which implements policies set forth in the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, provides for several very important changes to small business contracting.

Suspension and debarment procedures have been a hot topic in recent years, and it appears that the issue will remain a focus of congressional debate for the rest of this year as well. On June 12, 2013, Congress heard testimony on the state of the federal government’s suspension and debarment (S&D) system. The testimony was

Our last blog article focused on the ability of an SDVOSB to control his company remotely thanks to the advancements of technology. Well, technology can be both a blessing and a curse. It can allow you to work from pretty much anywhere, but, as we all know, there are certain places where you should simply

We’ve warned you before against relying on informal, or oral, directives from a Contracting Officer; get it in writing!   A recent case before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals reminds us that contractors also need to be wary about who from the government is giving those directives.

In EEC International, ASBCA No. 55781

By: Joseph A. Hackenbracht 

On July 18, 2012, the Small Business Administration published a proposed increase in the small business size standard for “Dredging and Surface Cleanup Activities” from $20 million to $30 million in average annual receipts. 77 FR 42197. The average annual receipts are calculated by averaging a concern’s receipts for the

By: Edward T. DeLisle & Maria L. Panichelli

On August 27, 2012, FAR council issued a final rule entitled Reporting Executive Compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards (“the Rule”). Although this Final Rule was implemented just last month, it has been a topic of discussion on Capitol Hill for over six years.

In 2006, the Federal

By: Edward T. DeLisle & Maria L. Panichelli

We’ve warned you before: the False Claims Act should be taken seriously. In recent years, the government has been increasingly willing to wield the provisions of the FCA as weapons, zealously punishing offending federal contractors.

A recent opinion United States ex rel. Hooper v. Lockheed Martin