Bill would require small-business training for contracting officers

A Senate measure would require a training and certification program to teach the acquisition workforce about small business set-aside programs.

Army plans review of what and how it buys

Army officials have tasked an independent panel with an in-depth review of how it buys goods and services and who makes the purchases.

Governmentwide contracting: In praise of duplication and overlap

Blogger Steve Kelman writes that the problem of having different prices for the same item across various contracts is better than having just one bad price everywhere.

Acquisition 2.0: GSA uncovers the pitfalls and promise of crowdsourcing

Acquisition officials at the General Services Administration have found that it’s not just ethics officers who have concerns about taking the government/industry dialogue onto the Web.

Senate aims to tighten reins on government IT spending

The Information Technology Investment Oversight Enhancement and Waste Prevention Act would create more scrutiny of IT projects during the planning and implementation phases.

Want program staff more involved in contracting? Make their jobs more interesting

Blogger Steve Kelman proposes a way to strengthen the role of the contracting officer's technical representative in the procurement process.

Three ways to revitalize the use of past-performance data

Blogger Steve Kelman suggests three simple steps to make past-performance data a more valuable criterion in source selections.

Can contract info be safely published online?

The General Services Administration and federal acquisition councils are seeking advice from the public and affected businesses on how to publish federal contract text online.

New details emerge on GSA's plan to buy cloud services

GSA releases acquisition plan for e-mail and collaboration services that includes cloud computing.

OFPP's Frontline Forum is back

Blogger Steve Kelman is pleased to see that OFPP's Dan Gordon has revived the practice of meeting with contracting professionals from across the government.

Acquisition 2.0 can breathe new life into battered workforce

More online engagement with the private sector could help federal acquisition workers develop better solicitations in less time, according to one reader.

Acquisition hiring can be a hit-or-miss proposition

Without a standard checklist to refer to when hiring for your agency's acquisition workforce, blogger John Klossner writes that the ability to decipher nonverbal clues may be the next best thing.

Acquisition hiring can be a hit-or-miss proposition

Without a standard checklist to refer to when hiring for your agency's acquisition workforce, blogger John Klossner writes that the ability to decipher nonverbal clues may be the next best thing.

Here's the pitch: An acquisition workforce reality show

As with all things in our culture, if we really want the world of acquisition training to be better known and understood, we need to create a reality show for it.

Is open source the cure for what ails VA's e-records?

An industry group convened by VA CIO Roger Baker is advising that VistA move to an open source platform and phase out MUMPS.

Inherently governmental job proposal blurs a blurry world

The new phrases “closely associated with inherently governmental function” and “critical function,” are causing the most concern, panelists say.

House passes bill to upgrade DOD acquisition workforce

The bill seeks to reform the 80 percent of the Defense Department's acquisition system that 2009's reform didn't touch, some lawmakers say.

Martha Johnson's statement on GSA's FY 2011 budget request

GSA is dedicated to stimulating the economy through job creation, reducing the Federal government’s carbon footprint and increasing energy security, and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and transparently.

GSA wants millions to build acquisition workforce

GSA Administrator Martha Johnson says she wants to build up the acquisition workforce and modernize information systems.

An innovative approach to mentoring the new contracting workforce

The FBI turns to FFRDC employees to work with its latest generation of contracting staff, writes blogger Steve Kelman.