Too many agencies don't comply with small-business laws, congressman charges

Rep. Mulvaney, chairman of a contracting subcommittee, wants to know why small-business advocate office officials don’t have access to top officials.

IBM files protest over VA's $12B T4 contract

The Veterans Affairs' $12 billion T4 contract for IT infrastructure transformation has attracted 10 protests, including the most recent from IBM Corp.

599 winners, but will $10B STARS 2 get much action?

With so many winners, can STARS 2 generate enough competition? Our experts express some doubts.

Fourth quarter spending spree expected to hit $120B

Get ready for a busier than usual fourth quarter as agencies scramble to spend their budgets.

Ineligible contractors getting $500M a year from VA, OIG says

Recent federal audits found some serious deficiencies in contracting at the Veterans Affairs Department, including the procurement practices that let ineligible contractors win work.

Deepwater costs hit $29B and rising, GAO says

It still is not smooth sailing for the Coast Guard's Deepwater program in which costs continue to go up, according to a new report.

White House names accountability board members

President Obama chooses watchdogs in government to lead his board.

Companies struggle to prepare for default crisis

Our experts offer advice on what might happen next and how to prepare if the debt-ceiling crisis continues.

Defense bills blur an opportunity

The fiscal 2012 National Defense Authorization Act contains more than two dozen significant procurement-related provisions. Some raise serious concerns, others raise questions, and still others could have positive results.

Senators, SBA dispute accuracy of small-business credit

Senators question whether small-business contracting goals are an "empty achievement."

What four things should we keep after Kundra leaves?

An IT executive argues for four critical elements that should remain after Vivek Kundra, the nation's first chief information officer, departs in August for Harvard.

Potential debt limit fallout paints bleak picture for feds, contractors

If Congress fails to raise the government's debt limit before the Aug. 2 deadline, the federal government would face an unprecedented situation and federal employees are bound to be affected.

Senate approves measures against charge-card abuses

The bill is based largely on the GAO's recommendations to prevent recurring waste, fraud, and abuse of government credit charges.

Do longer competitions bring better prices?

Single bids on projects just aren't good enough. What's DOD going to do about it?

Lawmakers want competitive sourcing on the table

House members have asked the Appropriations Committee chairman to keep funding bills free from “provisions inhibiting the utilization of the private sector.”

Is better IT spending data coming your way?

The Office of Management and Budget finalized new guidance on reporting IT spending as called for by the Obama administration’s IT reform plan.

DOD to revamp acquisition with cyberspace in mind

DOD officials want the huge department to be agile and swift in cyberspace, and acquisition processes have to keep up.

Annapolis firm gets Army order for satellite terminals

TeleCommunication Systems Inc. has been awarded a $60.8 million order to provide satellite terminals to the Army in two stages in 2012.

Senate wants to roll back $1.1B in defense services contracts

The Obama administration and Congress have a number of plans to cut DOD's costs and increase contract oversight, but there's little connection between them all.

Can the administration really trim $6B from support services contracts?

The Obama administration intends to cut $6 billion in spending by the end of fiscal 2012 on support services contracts beneficial to agency managers.