acquisition – Resource Library

With the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) underway to eliminate wasteful spending by placing Federal agency CIOs in control of IT investments, to the recent Modernizing Government Technology Act (MGT Act) signed into law last December as part of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, it is even more important to plan the right way for IT acquisitions.

As a new year begins, agencies are also making their resolutions. High on their list are ways to keep employees engaged, energized, and focused on meeting mission goals. These are the top three initiatives we’ve seen when helping our clients identify ways to improve the acquisition workforce.

NCMA’s Government Contract Management Symposium is just around the corner. Each year, NCMA organizes a stellar program centered on key training topics for the acquisition community. Last year’s education track included sessions on forming successful acquisition teams, to understanding how industry conducts business, to managing contracting organizations. This year’s symposium highlights understanding contract management, adapting to our changing environment, and leading with confidence. A common theme is leadership, specifically leading contracting organizations.

As another government fiscal year comes to a close, agencies are moving to the execution phase. For contracts that involve cybersecurity elements, acquisition planning, and contract administration have become increasingly more complex with the recent laws and regulations governing cybersecurity. With October designated as National Cyber Security Awareness Month, this is a perfect opportunity to review current and new contracts and self-audit existing cybersecurity management practices.

The government spends approximately $80 billion on Information Technology (IT) acquisitions. That equates to a lot of contract actions affecting the criticality of IT systems affecting our national health, security, and economy.

The likelihood that you will encounter procurements that have IT considerations at some point in your contracting career is high. So, how do you plan for these types of IT acquisitions, and how do you make decisions about your IT spending?

The Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) Bid Protest Annual Report, published at the end of 2016, revealed that the number of protests increased for the third consecutive year. Furthermore, GAO’s statistics show that bid protests have been climbing for the last several years:

Have you thought about your continuous learning requirements lately? Or is it something that you keep buried in the back of your mind until the last minute? If so, you’re not alone, and the clock is ticking for annual certification upkeep deadlines. But maybe it’s time to refresh your mindset for continuous learning.

Most of us with a professional certification such as DAWIA, Federal Acquisition Certification (FAC), or PMP have to do continuous learning in order to maintain our certification. The purpose behind the learning requirement is to ensure we remain current in our career field as well as expand our skills and knowledge.

Soraya Correa serves as Chief Procurement Officer for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Here is our Federal Spotlight interview:

Last week, my colleague Debbie Eshelman discussed the ability of individuals to embrace the chaos in Federal organizations to move their career forward. For many workers, as Debbie rightly noted, it feels like we are living in a more chaotic world than ever before. Dramatic changes in leadership and associated policies, operating norms, organizational structures, and the workforce are creating tremendous instabilities in organizations.

Tag: acquisition