A newly introduced Senate bill would boost the transparency of sole-source federal contracts, allow companies to protest orders placed under large contracts, and limit subcontracting. The Accountability in Government Contracting Act (S. 680) was introduced by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. It would make a wide range of changes, extending even to the qualifications of inspectors general and the acquisition strategy in Afghanistan assistance programs, according to a summary of the lengthy bill released by Collins' office. "Too often, the problem of waste, fraud and abuse stimulates floods of outrage and magic-bullet proposals that lean more toward symbolic gestures than practical reforms," Collins said in introducing the measure. "This bill promotes more open competition for government contracts -- a positive step for both contractors and taxpayers."

Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=36197&dcn=e_gvet

2. HSPD-12 vendors to pay for testing

Effective April 3, 2007 the General Services Administration no longer will pay for vendors to test their products and services to ensure they are interoperable under Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 requirements.

GSA set up a free testing lab in May 2006 to ensure agencies could meet the new National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Federal Information Processing Standard-201 guidelines.

Since setting up the lab, it’s spent $725,000.

3. Veterans contract opens for business

The long-awaited Veterans Technology Services government wide acquisition contract is open for business. The General Services Administration announced today that agencies can now place orders through the contract, which is known as VETS.

GSA awarded the contract to 43 technology companies in December. The department now has issued notices to proceed to all of them — the formal step that means the contract is ready for use.

“This vitally important step signifies the VETS contract is ready for task orders to be placed,” said GSA Administrator Lurita Doan. “GSA will begin a series of outreach opportunities and Contract Officer training to ensure we meet the demands of both our federal customers and these deserving service-disabled, veteran-owned companies.”

VETS is for small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans. That category includes only former armed services members who suffered disabling injuries in the line of duty.

The contract provides information security, information systems engineering, systems operations and maintenance. The total value of the contract is capped at $5 billion. It could last for up to 10 years, with a five-year initial term and one five-year option period.

President Bush set a goal for agencies to conduct 3 percent of their federal contracting with such companies in a 2004 executive order. The same order called for the creation of a special GWAC to make it easier for agencies to identify and do business with qualified firms.

The contract did not come easily, however. GSA first planned to award it in June 2006, then pushed the date to October and then again to December.

4. Ethics rule proposed for federal contractors

The Defense Department, General Services Administration and NASA are calling for public comment on a proposed rule to establish a code of ethics for contractors similar to the Federal Acquisition Regulation guidance on improper business practices and personal conflicts of interest by federal procurement officials. The FAR currently does not discuss contractors’ responsibilities with regard to a code of ethics and business conduct and the avoidance of improper business practices.

According to the announcement published in the Federal Register, the rule establishes a clear and consistent policy regarding contractor code of ethics and business conduct, responsibility to avoid improper business practices and procedures for displaying an agency Inspector General Fraud Hotline poster to facilitate the reporting of wrongdoing in federal contracting.

The rule proposes adding a Contractor Code of Ethics and Business Conduct to the FAR. It would require contractors receiving awards in excess of $5 million, with performance periods of 120 days or more, to have a written code of ethics and business conduct within 30 days after the contract is awarded.

Such contractors would be required to establish an employee ethics and compliance training program and an internal control system within 90 days after a contract award. They would also have to post an OIG fraud hotline poster and, where appropriate, a special disaster relief poster from the Homeland Security Department, at work locations in the United States and on the company Web site.

The rule includes a flow-down provision that applies to subcontracts at the same dollar level as the prime contract. It also provides for remedies if the contractor fails to comply with the rule.

Interested parties should submit written comments to the FAR Secretariat on or before April 17, 2007. Source: Government Executive: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0207/022607m1.htm

5. FY06 Sales for GSA Schedule 871 Professional Engineering Services

Top 10
Science Applications International	$237,732,178
Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.	$218,154,582
TASC, INC	$196,783,251
Computer Sciences Corporation	$167,781,181
Mantech Advanced Systems International	$107,295,662
Anteon Corporation	$83,873,967
Northrop Grumman Space & Mission	$64,776,950
Morgan Research Corporation	$56,380,079
CAS INC	$50,083,740
L-3 CommunicationsTitan Corporation	$49,332,017
Top 10 Sales	$1,232,193,607
Total Schedule 871 Sales	$2,693,384,998
The other 893 Contractors	$1,461,191,391

6. Positions Open at FedSources

Web Front-End Developer Federal Sources is currently seeking a Web Front-End Developer to join our technology team. Responsibilities include collaborating with content managers and software developers to build and maintain customer-facing UI elements, web pages, and sites. The Web Front-End Developer also acts as a resource to gather technical requirements relating to front-end code, including CSS, HTML, and JavaScript. Additionally, this position requires the use Microsoft Visual Studio and knowledge of ASP, ASP.NET / VBScript to integrate front-end code into Middle Tier. Technical qualifications need, but not limited to: Strong graphic, illustrative and interactive design skills and proven experience working on both visual and interactive design of web applications, and site design. Strong conceptual and analytical skills and demonstrated ability to prototype and design elegant UI solutions. Experience in usability teams, with knowledge of UI design principles, interaction design guidelines, user-centered design. Knowledge of web standards, cross-browser compatibility issues and page optimizations. Proficiency in HTML, XHTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Full knowledge of Adobe PhotoShop, DreamWeaver and/or other graphical web development tool Knowledge of MS Visual Studio .Net, MS Visual SourceSafe, and Acrobat Professional. Major Responsibilities: In partnership with interaction and visual designers as well as software developer, this person will work on a variety of projects such as interface design, application icons, prototyping, site development/management and standards/guidelines for WMG-FedSources applications interfaces Work closely with software developer, Content Managers, and information architects to establish front-end technology requirements, make recommendations for the integration of new technologies, and in resolving these integration issues. Collaborate with content managers, backend developers, CDEs, and researchers to refine the user experience. Designing interactive solutions for common design patterns including prototyping with DreamWeaver or other tools. Ensure accurate implementation of visual design, user interfaces and information architecture. Partner with engineering to ensure that interactive techniques and technologies translate through to products and services. Determine front-end technology requirements for new products. FedSources is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Client Development Executive (CDE) The general responsibility of this position is to cultivate strategic relationships with our existing clients in order to deliver value and help them resolve their business challenges through use of our information products and services. Responsibilities and Job Functions Include: Establish and maintain long-lasting relationships with key senior executives within subscribing organizations. Ensure that the key stakeholders within subscribing organizations have derived significant value from the organization's ongoing participation with FedSources. Develop an account management strategy for each assigned client and maintain key contact information. Additional requirements: Four-year college degree Strong client development sales experience Dynamic, positive and attractive personality Strong internet and computer skills with the ability to demonstrate web-based on-line services Strong interpersonal telephone and written/electronic communications skills Federal or State & Local Government experience a great plus Market Intelligence Analyst FedSources is currently seeking ten entry level analysts to form the Class of 2006. All analysts will begin work on November 6, 2006. A specialized and extensive training program will begin that day and continue for 4 business days. This classroom training period will be followed by two weeks of intensive mentoring sessions with experienced analysts. You will learn the basics of the government market, contracting regulations, the roles and responsibilities of various government and industry personnel such as program officers, contracting officers and capture managers, vertical markets selling into the government arena such systems integrators, software, hardware and professional services firms. You will be trained on budget analysis, how to create and deliver actionable market intelligence for FedSources' many clients. The successful candidates will be self-motivated and enthusiastic individuals with a record of success both academically and in extra-curricular activities and the workplace. The successful candidates will be responsible for: Collecting and analyzing data on public sector contract opportunities, market size, competitors, technologies, and general government industry information Performing primary and secondary research through internet, databases, industry trade associations, literature searches, and phone calls to knowledgeable sources Staying abreast of IT industry and public sector procurement developments and trends; ability to see market trends Efficiently organizes, manages parallel tasks and projects, and meets deadlines Requirements include: Bachelors degree 0-2 years experience, interested in a career in market research or business consulting Must have intellectual curiosity (government and IT related), creative problem solving skills, initiative, enthusiasm, research skills, and analysis aptitude Ability to work with minimal supervision Confidence, self-starting ability and comfort with ambiguity; team player Excellent written and oral communication skills with strong attention to detail Senior Account Executive (SAE) FedSources is seeking a Senior Account Executive (SAE) to sell its services to public sector IT companies. This is an exceptional earning opportunity for an aggressive and focused professional to sell FedSources' online and custom business intelligence solutions to Public Sector IT contractors. Join a market leader with a 20-year recognized brand and an expanding set of market solutions. Skills required include: Super-sized work ethic Top-notch presentation abilities A strong commitment to identifying and closing prospects High comfort level with networking Ability to grow new relationships within existing accounts High energy, a commitment to being part of a team and a hunger for excellence Additional requirements: At least 4 years of B to B sales experience with a successful quota performance record Four-year college degree Strong field sales experience Dynamic, positive and attractive personality Strong internet and computer skills with the ability to demonstrate web-based on-line services Strong interpersonal telephone and written/electronic communications skills Federal or State & Local Government experience a great plus. A record of growing a territory and client base. FedSources is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you know of someone who may be interested, have them forward their resume to MorganJ@FedSources.com. Please note that each of these positions will remain open until filled.

7. Tidbits of Info

Founded in 1949, GSA serves as a centralized procurement and property management agency for the Federal government. GSA manages more than one-fourth of the government’s total procurement dollars and influences the management of $500 billion in Federal assets, including 8,300 government-owned or leased buildings and 170,000 vehicles. GSA helps preserve our past and define our future, acting as a steward of more than 420 historic properties, and as manager of USA.gov, the official portal to Federal government information and services. GSA’s mission to provide superior workplaces, expert technology solutions, acquisition services, purchasing and e-travel solutions and management policies, at best value, allows Federal agencies to focus on their core missions.

Did you know? GSA is the managing partner for the Financial Management Lines of Business and was designated as one of the four approved Federal Shared Service Providers. Through Lines of Business, GSA will establish measures for federal agencies to migrate their existing financial systems operations to a Shared Service Provider.

8. Ask WMG

Do you have a general policy or procedural question that you would like answered here? Do you have any information or opportunities that you’d like to share with your fellow WMG clients? Let us know and we’ll post them in the WMG newsletter.

Please send your questions or postings to jclarke@washmg.com.

Washington Management Group
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Bill Gormley, President & CEO
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