President Obama signed HR 5995, giving the Government Accountability Office the authority once again to hear protests involving civilian task orders.
Source: President’s signature reinstates GAO protest authority — Washington Technology
For years, I have been a vocal proponent of securing protected health information. It is no secret that The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) swept security and authentication under the rug during the rollout of electronic health records (EHRs) as to not to impede adoption of electronic records by providers by making it difficult to use them. The current minimum requirements for identity assurance are set low, requiring only a strong password. The reality is HHS played Russian roulette, hoping that security breaches would not occur due to weak username and static password authentication. Putting convenience of security has led to breaches impacting millions of lives.
Source: GAO Report on Privacy and Security: A Wake-up Call for HHS?
An offeror with a “relatively weak proposal” is nonetheless eligible to file a size protest, according to a recent SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals decision.
Source: Offeror With “Relatively Weak Proposal” Can File Size Protest, Says SBA OHA – SmallGovCon
The Department of Justice announced that during fiscal year 2016 (ending September 30, 2016) it obtained more than $ 4.7 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud and false claims against the Government. This represents the third highest recovery since fiscal year 2009 and brings the total amount recovered during that period to $ 31.3 billion.
If there was ever a case for agencies to change the way they plan and manage information technology projects, here it is.
Source: Understanding why some federal IT projects take so long – FederalNewsRadio.com
The 2017 NDAA requires a comprehensive report on bid protests at DoD that could be used to significantly change the protest process in the future.
Source: 2017 NDAA Requires Report On Bid Protest Impact At DoD – SmallGovCon
Federal contracting officials advised women small business owners that if they want to succeed in government business, it’s all about being professional and being themselves.
The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act restores the GAO’s jurisdiction over civilian task and delivery order protests in excess of $10 million.
Source: 2017 NDAA Restores GAO’s Task Order Jurisdiction – But Ups DoD Threshold – SmallGovCon
Buyers are often looking for expertise long before a real business opportunity appears. Here’s how to get in front of customers and build your pipeline.
Source: How to make your expertise visible to customers — Washington Technology
Jeff Neal, former chief human resources officer at the Defense Logistics Agency, says the recently passed NDAA has implications for all federal employees.
Source: 7 things every fed should know about 2017 NDAA – FederalNewsRadio.com