<FONT SIZE=2>Further easing of competitive</FONT><FONT SIZE=2> procurement requirements were contained in the Homeland Security Act passed in November 2002. Those provisions were implemented by changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulation issued as an immediately effective interim rule Jan. 27. </FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>The Naval Supply Systems Command in Philadelphia needs a contractor to support the management information systems needed for requirements. The contractor will be responsible for performing expert-level research, evaluation, design, development, life-cycle maintenance, systems integration, tools evaluation, training, technical writing and desktop publishing services. The contract is for one year with four one-year options. Further details can be found under Solicitation No. N00140-03-R-0046 on FedBizOpps.gov. Responses are due by March 15. </FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>The surveillance and systems engineering department of the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in Charleston, S.C., is seeking engineering and technical support services, including test and evaluation, systems engineering and integration, operational systems engineering support, systems acquisition support, logistics support, configuration management, research and development, and documentation. These services are for a wide range of tasks, program areas and systems in several different arenas. The solicitation will be available on the Spawar e-commerce Web site (https://<BR>
<FONT SIZE=2>The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, Ship Systems Engineering Station wants analytical, technical, logistical and program support services associated with research and development programs in auxiliary systems, propulsion systems, hull machinery, power and communication, to name a few. The contract will be for four months with options for another year. Work must be performed within 30 miles of the center's Philadelphia site. The full request for quotation can be found on FedBizOpps.gov, Solicitation No. N6554003Q0143. Responses are due by Feb. 19.</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>Government buyers and large federal contractors will look for small-business partners at events nationwide this year through a new Small Business Administration program, sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington and Hewlett-Packard Co. of Palo Alto, Calif.</FONT>
The chairman of the House Government Reform Committee will propose a modified version of his Services Acquisition Reform Act that includes a provision to allow agencies to use time-and-materials and labor-hours contracts to buy services.
The nation's governors may ask Congress this year to help them through their collective budget crisis by providing the funds needed to cover part of their fiscal 2003 deficits.
President Bush is making homeland security the top priority in his fiscal 2004 budget request to Congress, and promises intense scrutiny of how the funds are spent.
The White House is asking for significant funding increases in fiscal 2004 for Defense Department transformation efforts, such as satellite communications, space-based radar and cryptology, that are rich in IT, a senior defense official said at a briefing last week.
In the face of a war and continuing terrorist threats, the U.S. mayors are calling on Congress and the administration to provide direct homeland security funding.
<FONT SIZE=2>In its recent report, the Volcker Commission suggested that personnel flexibilities granted to the Department of Homeland Security could serve as a model for reform across government. The same could be said for the department's procurement policies. </FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>The sheer bulk of the multibillion-dollar federal market for commercial services represents a significant opportunity for businesses interested in working with the government. Until now, however, the government's competitive-sourcing process for commercial activities under Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-76 has been routinely criticized as counterproductive, discouraging many would-be participants from entering the market.</FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>Silicon Graphics Inc. is trying to break open a new government market for high-end computers with a new technology that aggregates memory banks of multiple Linux machines. </FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>Lockheed Martin Corp., Bethesda, Md., has assembled a team to pursue a $500 million contract to build the battle management subsystem for the Air Force's Multi-Sensor Command and Control Aircraft program. </FONT>
<FONT SIZE=2>President Bush continues to fill out the top management team at the Homeland Security Department. Bush is nominating Charles McQueary as undersecretary for science and technology and Michael Brown as undersecretary for emergency preparedness and response.</FONT>
