Public Spend Forum – Originally released in 2011, the first “Myth-Busting” memo released by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is as relevant today as it was then. Its goal was to address misconceptions in communication between industry and government during the acquisition process. To read a summary of the memo, please click here.
FCW – Aerojet Rocketdyne, a jet propulsion company with Defense Department and NASA contracts, agreed to pay a $9 million settlement to conclude a lawsuit alleging the company lied to the federal government about its cybersecurity posture. The settlement, announced last Friday, stems from a whistleblower lawsuit launched in 2017 via the False Claims Act. The original complaint alleged that Aerojet was the victim of state-sponsored hacking attempts, which the firm reported but the company omitted mention that its targeted systems were not compliant with minimum cybersecurity hygiene standards required under its contracts with DoD and NASA. Please click here to read more.
Federal Register – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is amending its regulations to implement new provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The final rule provides new methods for small business government contractors to obtain past performance ratings to be used with offers on prime contracts with the Federal Government. To read more, click here.
Federal News Network (Opinion) – The Coalition for Government Procurement offers a striking example of a self-imposed challenge that should be addressed immediately by the FAR Council. The government supports the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of our nation’s small businesses through laws that establish certain preferences for federal small business contracting. However, a strange regulatory anomaly exists that, despite continuing efforts to address supply chain resiliency, provides back door access to the federal market for goods that are made in China. Please click here to read more.
The draft Wisconsin Electric Vehicle Infrastructure plan is now available for review on WisDOT’s website. Public comments are being accepted through July 24. The website also features information about:
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is proposing to amend its regulations to implement a statutory requirement to certify Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns participating in the Veterans Certification Program. Please click here to read more.
The Defense Department is seeing the Biden administration’s green-government goals as an opportunity to improve resilience around critical resources like fuel and electricity. DoD Chief Sustainability Officer Joe Bryan said last week that the department must plan for logistics to be part of a contested environment. Click here to read more.
The General Services Administration (GSA) is publishing this advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to seek public feedback pertaining to the use of plastic consumed in both packaging and shipping, as well as other single-use plastics for which the agency contracts. The issues raised in the comments submitted in response to this ANPR will inform future rulemaking to establish requirements and reporting mechanisms for reducing unnecessary single-use plastic, to include plastic packaging and shipping materials. Click here to read more.
The Department of Defense’s (DOD) Industrial Base Policy office does not yet have a consolidated and comprehensive strategy to mitigate risks to the industrial base—the companies that develop and manufacture technologies and weapon systems for DOD. To read more, please click here.
