<FONT SIZE=2>Ellen Minderman, a vice president of operations for FGM Inc., said the software and systems engineering firm would prefer to be the prime contractor on its government work. But she knows that FGM, with only 200 employees, is too small to be the prime on many jobs. And so the company spends considerable time trying to nail down subcontracting roles with the bigger government players.</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>Ask Verle Hammond about logistics, and he replies: "Steaks and ice cream."</font><!--/STORY--><!--STORY--><FONT SIZE=2>Before founding Innovative Logistics Techniques Inc. in 1989, Hammond spent 28 years as a logistics officer for the Army, rising to the position of staff officer for the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics. Most memorable, however, was his tour of duty in Vietnam, where he was assigned to the First Infantry Division in 1966 and 1967.</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>The federal government is extending its buying power to state and local governments through a small provision in the E-Government Act of 2002, which Congress passed last month.</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>Last April, the congressionally mandated panel to review and recommend changes to the process for public-private competitions for government activities issued its report. The report included several recommendations to reduce the advantages that government employees hold when competing with industry under the Office of Management and Budget's Circular A-76. In November, OMB released for public comment major proposed revisions to Circular A-76. </FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>Federal computer systems security got an overall failing grade for the second year in a row, according to an annual report card by Rep. Stephen Horn, R-Calif. The government's overall score was 55 out of 100, up from 53 a year ago. </FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>The General Services Administration will lower the fee it charges to use the Federal Supply Service schedules to 0.75 percent from 1 percent of a contract's value. The new fee structure will go into effect Jan. 1, 2004. A General Accounting Office report in July found that the GSA schedules program had a surplus of more than $56 million in 2001. In fiscal 2002, agencies spent a record $22 billion on the schedules, and GSA earned about $210 million in fees.</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>Information technology projects at the Immigration and Naturalization Service have not received needed oversight by the Justice Department, according to a report from the General Accounting Office.</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>Information technology industry executives are hopeful that the Bush administration's move to a new process for competing federal work will give them a better chance to win competitions with public-sector bidders.</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>Officially called the National Distress and Response System Modernization Project, Rescue 21 is the equivalent of a 911 emergency system for boaters. </FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>When L&E Associates learned about the Coast Guard's Rescue 21 modernization effort to upgrade its 30-year-old search and rescue communications system, the company was determined to find a way to be a part of it.</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>When NASA teamed with the Coast Guard to demonstrate mobile Internet networking in Cleveland last month, more than 100 people braved the cold and wind at a Lake Erie harbor to watch Coast Guard commanders wirelessly send information between ship and shore.</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>Once signed into law, the Electronic Government Act will reinforce the importance of information technology-enabled government services and ensure e-gov programs will continue from year to year, according to government and industry officials.</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>The White House has no plans to relax its control over the budget process that many in government view as a power grab by the Office of Management and Budget.</FONT>
Secret Service assistant director Steve Colo says the new Homeland Security Department will consolidate all its component agencies' software licenses and predicted there would be more IT outsourcing pioneered by Transportation Security Administration.<br>
The federal Office of Management and Budget has released a second inventory of jobs that could be opened to public-private competition under Circular A-76. <br>
The Boeing Co. and General Dynamics Corp. both filed motions Dec. 3 with the U.S. Court of Claims to block a Pentagon move to withhold payments totaling $2.3 billion to the two companies on current government contracts.
