If you gave me $17 million on the credit card, I could call Cabela’s tonight and outfit every soldier, sailor, airman and Marine, and I’d get a discount on it for a bulk buy. This is a pistol. The technology’s been around for five centuries, and arguably it’s the least important weapons system in the Department of Defense inventory.[1]

Senior leaders within the Department of Defense (DoD) have grown increasingly frustrated with an acquisition system characterized by ever-increasing costs and significant delays in getting end items to customers. Their frustration has been heard by Congress and has resulted in recent Congressional action. The latest major acquisition reform effort started with the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with each subsequent NDAA containing various provisions that are meant to modernize and accelerate the antiquated and cumbersome federal acquisition system providing flexibility and allowing for the agile acquisition of next-generation technology.
Continue Reading The Future of Acquisition in the Federal Government: Innovation and Rapid Procurement Through Other Transaction Authorities and Other Transaction Agreements

Hand with megaphoneHello from Nashville, Tennessee! I’m currently at the National 8(a) Association’s Winter Conference and had the privilege of participating in a great panel discussion with some of the leading small business scholars and practitioners in the country. It was truly a great experience. Since I’m here and it’s fresh on my mind, I thought I’d share something that all SDVOSBs should know: Your world is about to change.
Continue Reading National 8(a) Winter Conference – Changes Coming for SDVOSBs

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!

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

The SBA is on a roll!  It seems that ringing in the new year has invigorated the agency, prompting it to act on the various outstanding directives set forth in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (“NDAA”).

Game_Changer

Last Thursday, the agency issued its long-awaited proposed rule on the expansion of the Mentor-Protégé

We’ve all heard about the “glass ceiling” experienced by women in the workplace. The term “glass ceiling” first appeared in an article published by the Wall Street Journal in 1986 and was used to describe the invisible barriers that women faced as they tried to climb the corporate ladder. While things seem to be better

We recently posted an article discussing changes to the limitations on subcontracting rules for small business federal contractors.  The changes were marshaled in by Congress as part of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA” or “the Act”), which actually includes a number of other changes affecting small business contractors.  Several of those changes are