Suzette Kent, the federal chief information officer, took a victory lap of sorts after completing the final and 52nd task under the 2017 IT Modernization Report to the President this morning.
Source: Federal CIO Kent says 2018 achievements sets the table for 2019 goals – Federal News Network
With the stroke of a pen, Congress may have just paved the way for some soon-to-be large businesses to remain small for longer.
IT modernization will proceed apace, cybersecurity will focus on high-value assets and Windows 10 migrations will pick up.
Source: The 5 Key Federal IT Trends to Watch in 2019 – FedTech Magazine
The Defense Information Systems Agency thought it had all the bases covered for its systems engineering, technology and innovation contract. Best value, multiple awards, unrestricted and small business are all there. But it lost four protests. Procurement attorney Joseph Petrillo of Petrillo and Powell joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to explain why.
Source: Procurement attorney breaks down DISA’s bid protest losses
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Mission Information Technology Services (NMITS) opportunity is a $2B+ small business Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quality (IDIQ) contract designed to help NOAA meet its IT requirements. The NMITS RFP will be released in FYQ2 2019 and awarded in early 2020. It will have a five-year base period, five one-year option years and the ability to award tasks up to 60 months past the end of the ordering period – for a total of 15 years.
Source: Opportunity Alert: NMITS – A $2B Small Business IDIQ | Lohfeld
The FAR Council’s proposed update to the limitations on subcontracting, and the DoD’s subsequent FAR deviation, have been met with widespread approval by small contractors.
Source: HUBZone Joint Ventures: FAR Council Gets It Wrong | SmallGovCon – Government Contracts Law Blog
In this episode, hosts Jason Crawford and Mana Lombardo speak with Trina Fairley Barlow, a partner in the firm’s Labor and Employment and Government Contracts groups, and Christine Hawes, counsel in the Labor & Employment Group, to discuss the False Claims Act’s retaliation provision and considerations for investigating FCA allegations brought by whistleblowers. “Let’s Talk FCA” is Crowell & Moring’s podcast covering the latest developments with the False Claims Act.
Source: Let’s Talk FCA: False Claims Act Whistleblowers | Government Contracts Legal Forum
OMB will roll out more reskilling programs, tweak FITARA scoring and is looking at standards for automated decision-making, Suzette Kent said.
The Government Accountability Office has released its Bid Protest Annual Report to Congress for Fiscal Year 2018. According to the report, GAO received 2,607 cases in the 2018 fiscal year, consisting of 2,474 protests, 55 cost claims, and 78 requests for reconsideration. GAO closed 2,642 cases in FY 2018, and 356 of those were attributable to GAO’s jurisdiction over task order protests.
Source: GAO Releases FY 2018 Bid Protest Statistics | Government Contracts Blog
In these cold winter months, gloves with touchscreen capabilities are all but essential. Recently, the Army sought to procure touchscreen-compatible combat gloves, but required that all goatskin leather used for the gloves be “100% Domestic” in accordance with the Berry Amendment.