Government urged to stop meddling in hiring practices

An industry group and others are complaining about a proposal to make contractors use employees from incumbent contractors who lose.

House panel probes causes for lag in switching to Networx

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing May 20 to question agency and industry officials about why the transition to Networx has taken so long.

Treasury plans auctions for $2B services contract

Treasury Department officials are proposing that reverse auctions be used in awarding task orders under its $2 billion Total Information Processing Support Services contract.

Raytheon sees a new market in public safety

Raytheon Co., which has been supplying communications electronics to the Defense Department for decades, is using that expertise in an aggressive attempt to widen its footprint in the civilian market.

IBM's fight over canceled contract heads to court

IBM and Indiana sue each other over whether millions are owed to Big Blue for a canceled contract to reform the state's welfare system.

Navy plans preferred contractor program

The Navy plans to offer favorable terms and conditions to companies in a new program in exchange for exemplary work, according to the service.

Private financing initiatives might lessen agency budget woes

Private finance initiatives are an effective way to relieve budgetary pressure and enable agencies to move forward with infrastructure improvements, writes Stan Soloway.

Small-biz coalition takes up insourcing fight

A new coalition intends to give small companies a voice to respond to procurement actions that could have major consequences for their business.

Small business fights insourcing...and wins

A Texas company fought back when the Air Force tried to insource its work, and the case illustrates the growing tension between industry and government over who should do what work.

A $10B contract with plenty of questions

GSA-DISA satellite contract is lucrative, but Inmarsat chief has her doubts on whether the FCSA program will deliver the best services to the warfighter.

GAO finds $325M awarded to ineligible firms under SBA program

The Government Accountability Office found numerous cases of fraud while investigating 14 firms that falsely received federal contracts under the pretext of being small and disadvantaged businesses.

HUBZone stands above other small-biz programs

A federal judge has ruled that small companies in HUBZones get preference over other small businesses, and so far, efforts to change the applicable law have failed.

10 reasons why you need capture management

A successful capture management process requires 10 fundamental activities — and don't forget the need for corporate support, writes Bob Lohfeld.

House postpones Networx transition hearing

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform postpones hearing with GSA and other agency officials on why the transition for Networx is going so slowly.

No easy answer to outsourcing drama

Washington Technology Editor Nick Wakeman reviews comments about the Obama administration's push to insource work currently performed by contractors. Sure, there are plenty of emotional reactions, but there are some words of wisdom as well.

House panel calls hearing: Why is Networx transition late?

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to bring in GSA, agency and industry leaders to address the slow transition to Networx from the FTS 2001 telecommunications contract.

DHS is missing documents on noncompetitive contracts, IG says

The Homeland Security Office of Inspector General has issued a report on a pattern of missing documentation in departmental files regarding contracts awarded without full and open competition in fiscal 2008.

GSA offers more details on huge Connections II contract

GSA offers more insights on pricing, statements of work and small-business requirements at its industry day.

Contractors face fiercer competition for fewer opportunities

An analysis by FedSources finds that government contracting will shrink through 2011 as the administration tries to get a handle on spending and brings more work in-house.

Maybe we need more GWACs

Editor Nick Wakeman proposes that maybe the government market needs more, not fewer, governmentwide contracts.