FedTech Magazine

JANUARY 27, 2023

While federal agencies face hurdles to digital transformation and using technology to improve processes and the citizen experience, they are making steady progress. Modernizing legacy, monolithic applications that have resided on on-premises hardware and adapting them to more modern, cloud-based environments is an ongoing project across government. Modernized apps run faster and more efficiently and are also less costly to operate.

Efficiency 355

Efficiency Government Government 355

Inside Government Contracts

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

The Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals has issued its annual report for FY 2023, shedding light on how often contractor appeals reach a successful result, and what agencies are most frequently involved in contract litigation. The report shows that the Board disposed of 132 contractor appeals on the merits, and in 67% of these dispositions the Board found that the appeal had merit in whole or in part.

Data 287

Data Accountability Sustainability Contract Management 287

GovCon & Trade

NOVEMBER 20, 2023

On October 5, the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) issued a joint notice (Joint Notice) with the Small Business Association (SBA) and in coordination with the Department of Defense (DOD) clarifying that the Cognizant Security Agency (CSA) is responsible for determining which entities are required to hold an Entity Eligibility Determination (EED), also known as a Facility Clearance (FCL), and providing specific guidance as to which entities must possess EED in different scenarios.

Contract 277

Contract Government Contracts Procurement Accountability 277

Telles.eu

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

This coming Thursday I will be doing a workshop at the Lisbon Environmental Law cluster from the University of Lisbon. It will be a homecoming of sorts for me as it is the first time I will be delivering a session in person at my alma mater exactly 20 years after leaving. The session will be composed of two parts: my talk and then a discussion with my good friend Miguel Assis Raimundo, sure to be lively and an opportunity for all to learn, including myself.

Procurement 147

Procurement Sustainability Public Procurement Efficiency 147

Speaker: Jeff Dickinson - President and CEO of Railgistixs Transport, Supply Chain and Logistics Thought Leader

Despite the ongoing transformation of the supply chain and logistics landscape, the steadfast importance of carrier safety remains a core principle. From prioritizing preventative maintenance to optimizing fleet utilization, the fundamentals persist. If you’re overlooking and neglecting essential safety precautions today, this could result in expensive repairs and potential safety hazards in the future. 🚧 Join Jeff Dickinson for a conversation on how to mitigate risk, enforce compliance,

Logistics

Whistleblower Network News

OCTOBER 20, 2023

“My name is Reality Winner. I’m an airman, a veteran, and I was convicted under the Espionage Act.” With these opening lines, delivered straight to camera by Winner centered in close-up, the documentary Reality Winner establishes why it is being re-released in a revised form: Reality’s voice can now be centered in the telling of her story. Reality Winner , directed by Sonia Kennebecker, was previously released in 2021 in an earlier form and was then titled United States vs.

Whistle-blowing 144

Whistle-blowing Ethics Media Integration 144

FedScoop

DECEMBER 20, 2023

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is looking for feedback on its “secure by design” white paper, which pushes software manufacturers to follow more stringent security principles in the design and development of all products shipped to customers. CISA initially published its white paper — “ Shifting the Balance of Cybersecurity Risk: Principles and Approaches for Secure by Design Software ” — in April but released updated joint guidance with 17 domestic and foreign partners in

IT 143

IT Manufacturing Balance Education 143

Art of Procurement

DECEMBER 14, 2023

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, better known as RICO, is usually associated with organized crime. In 1992, it. The post Reading FedEx Ground the RICO Act appeared first on Art of Procurement.

Influencing 142

Influencing Corruption Procurement Risk Management 142

Open Contracting Partnership

DECEMBER 19, 2023

At 2 am on Saturday morning, the day after the 10th Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) was meant to end in Atlanta, exhausted negotiators finally adopted a resolution on “ Promoting transparency and integrity in public procurement in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ”. We should pay credit to the remarkable tenacity and leadership from the French government who proposed the resolution and who pushed for the most ambitious and i

Public Procurement 140

Public Procurement Procurement E-procurement IT 140

GovCon Wire

OCTOBER 10, 2023

By Chuck Brooks, President of Brooks Consulting International With its broad national security role, the DOD has been a pioneer in the development of numerous innovative cybersecurity solutions.

Quantity 138

Quantity Consulting Innovation IT 138

AWS Public Sector

DECEMBER 1, 2023

Jeff Kratz, right, and Thomas Siebel, center, listen as Jason Bonci talks during their fireside chat at the AWS Partner Keynote at re:Invent 2023. This week, the city of Las Vegas served as a vibrant hub of energy and creativity during the Amazon Web Services (AWS) re:Invent 2023 conference. This is my 11th year participating in re:Invent and I continue to be awestruck by the innovative ideas and value that AWS Partners bring to our customers.

Education 137

Education Networking Leadership Innovation 137

FedTech Magazine

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

With the opening of its Workplace Innovation Lab, the General Services Administration seeks to better understand how hybrid work and the deployment of communication technologies will impact its employees. Located in Washington, D.C., the WIL takes up 25,000 square feet inside GSA headquarters and is equipped with access control and onsite security personnel.

Collaboration 331

Collaboration Integration Integrity Innovation 331

Inside Government Contracts

OCTOBER 19, 2023

Although Congress averted a Government shutdown on October 1 by passing a temporary spending bill, we may be headed toward a shutdown next month. As many Federal Government contractors have experienced during prior Government shutdowns, some portions of the Government — primarily those not funded through annual appropriations bills or that provide “essential services” — may continue to operate (often without pay or access to certain resources), while others shut down immediately, leaving contra

Government 173

Government Government Price Contract 173

GovCon & Trade

DECEMBER 29, 2023

I provided insight on U.S. sanctions for an article in Corporate Compliance Insights outlining the top compliance, risk and governance stories of 2023. Speaking about the effectiveness of Russian sanctions, I explained, “U.S. sanctions against Russia have been relatively successful primarily because restrictions generally have been imposed in coordination with allies, including Canada, the EU, the UK and others.

Transparency 147

Transparency Import Data Government 147

Telles.eu

DECEMBER 5, 2023

The European Court of Auditors published yesterday its report on EU public procurement between 2011 and 2021 , looking into the competition for public contracts covered by EU rules. Frankly, it makes for grim reading: “Overall, we conclude that the level of competition for public contracts to deliver works, goods and services, decreased over the past 10 years in the EU single market. (…) Our analysis of the data available indicates a significant increase in single bidding overall, a high level o

Public Procurement 140

Public Procurement Procurement Thresholds Corruption 140

ExecutiveBiz

OCTOBER 31, 2023

Lance Spencer , client executive vice president for defense at AT&T , leads the company’s efforts to help the Department of Defense modernize its operations with 5G offerings. Spencer recently sat down with ExecutiveBiz for an Executive Spotlight interview, during which he discussed the immense potential of 5G, its ability to transform the way the military uses technology and the challenges that may be faced in its development and deployment.

IT 136

IT 136

FedScoop

NOVEMBER 27, 2023

Washington and London want developers and users of machine learning tools to devote more resources toward security.

142

142

FedInsider

OCTOBER 27, 2023

Tuesday, November 7, 2023 | 2:00PM EST | 1 Hour | Training Certificate It is hard to believe that ChatGPT isn’t even a year old yet, when you look at the tidal wave of new apps that have been released in its wake. After decades where the phrase “artificial intelligence” was sufficient, commentary in the public sphere has already moved to the next level – generative AI.

Government 142

Government Government Participation Data 142

Art of Procurement

FEBRUARY 7, 2023

The AOP Buyer Power Score is a content offering created in partnership with ProcurementIQ that rates the balance of power. The post Buyer Power Score – Pest Control Services appeared first on Art of Procurement.

Buyers 145

Buyers Balance Procurement Category Management 145

Open Contracting Partnership

DECEMBER 12, 2023

Challenge: Uganda’s public procurement authorities lack adequate resources and manpower to monitor many major contractors across the country’s more than 100 districts, leading to abandoned projects, missing deliverables and time and cost overruns. Open contracting approach : Uganda’s Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) worked collaboratively with civil society and a development partner, the German Development Agency GIZ to build a digital contract monitoring s

Public Procurement 135

Public Procurement Procurement Contract Collaboration 135

Federal News Network

NOVEMBER 1, 2023

The Department of Homeland Security will use a “cybersecurity readiness” assessment to evaluate whether contractors have appropriate cyber defenses in place prior to making contract awards. DHS published the details of the new “cybersecurity readiness evaluation factor” in a Nov. 1 notice signed by Kenneth Bible, DHS’ chief information security officer, and Sarah Todd, DHS’ executive director of acquisition policy and legislation.

Evaluation 132

Evaluation Utilities Bidding Contract 132

AWS Public Sector

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

Pictured: The AWS 2023 Justice and Public Safety GovTech Accelerator cohort at Amazon’s HQ2 for Week Zero, a three-day onboarding event to kick off the accelerator. Amazon Web Services (AWS) today announced 13 startup companies selected to participate in the inaugural AWS GovTech Accelerator. Launched in June at the AWS Summit in Washington, D.C., the Accelerator supports government technology (GovTech) startups as they develop innovative solutions enabling justice and public safety agencies to

Innovation 135

Innovation Participation Efficiency Collaboration 135

FedTech Magazine

OCTOBER 18, 2023

In a pilot physical therapy program run by the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville, N.C., veterans work to save a medieval village from a fire-breathing dragon. “While they’re tracking the dragon, they have to keep it in their line of sight,” says Caitlin Rawlins, deputy director of clinical tech innovation in the VA’s Office of Healthcare, Innovation and Learning.

Innovation 331

Innovation IT 331

Inside Government Contracts

OCTOBER 9, 2023

Following our recent overview of topics to watch in the National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”) for Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2024, available here , we continue our coverage with a “deep dive” into NDAA provisions related to cybersecurity and software security in each of the Senate and House bills. For the past three years, the NDAA has dedicated a separate Title to cyber and cybersecurity, reflecting the increased importance of these issues in Department of Defense (“DoD”) operations.

Networking 173

Networking Data Evaluation Government Contracts 173

GovCon & Trade

DECEMBER 22, 2023

On November 17, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued a final rule , implementing Section 874 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), clarifying that certain DoD-unique statutes and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) clauses are inapplicable to DoD commercial item procurements, including acquisitions of commercial off-the-shelf items and commercial services.

Procurement 147

Procurement Innovation Contract Capacity 147

Telles.eu

OCTOBER 18, 2023

Tomorrow I will be participating in the 2023 EPCO public procurement conference, sadly not in person but only online. The title of my presentation is "The limited scope for using blockchain and smart contracts in public procurement" and it is an evolution of my paper from last year on the use cases for blockchain in public procuremen t. It is fair to say not much has changed in an year, so I still see a very limited role the technology in procurement.

Public Procurement 133

Public Procurement Procurement Contract Participation 133

GovCon Wire

OCTOBER 13, 2023

The Defense Information Systems Agency has added four companies to a multiple-award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide satellite-based services and capabilities to the U.S. Space Force.

Quantity 130

Quantity Contract 130

FedScoop

DECEMBER 26, 2023

Medical devices like heart monitors, which are under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration, have cybersecurity vulnerabilities that aren’t frequently exploited but nevertheless pose risks to hospital networks and patients, according to a recent watchdog report. The Government Accountability Office highlighted that the FDA’s medical device cybersecurity formal agreement is five years old and needs to be updated with the help of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security

Manufacturing 140

Manufacturing Accountability Networking Data 140

FedInsider

OCTOBER 10, 2023

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 | 2:00PM EDT | 1 Hour | Training Certificate Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly useful in applications throughout the federal government. Officials such as Federal CIO Clare Martorana and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks speak about its significance in improving customer experiences and rapid returns on investment within DoD.

Accountability 142

Accountability Consulting Leadership Collaboration 142

Art of Procurement

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

The last few years in procurement recruiting have been wild – just like the external conditions procurement professionals have been. The post A Look at the Current State of Procurement Recruiting appeared first on Art of Procurement.

Procurement 145

Procurement Management 145

Public Procurement Intl

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

Gian Luigi Albano Gian Luigi Albano of Italy’s centralized purchasing agency, CONSIP, joined Keith McCook (a senior procurement attorney in South Carolina government) and GW Law’s Christopher Yukins on November 10, 2023 to discuss the law-and-economics of framework agreements (which in the U.S. system are known as “indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity” contracts).

Framework Agreement 130

Framework Agreement Centralized Purchasing Chief Procurement Officer Quantity 130

FedTech Magazine

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

Kestrel, the Department of Energy’s newest supercomputer, has taken flight. The impressive machine would have never left the nest without Hewlett Packard Enterprise, the prime contractor responsible for bringing it to life. DOE tapped HPE in late 2021 to build the new platform to tackle ongoing renewable energy and energy-efficiency research. Kestrel will deliver more than five times faster performance, with 44 petaflops of computing power.

Efficiency 330

Efficiency IT 330

FedTech Magazine

MAY 30, 2023

While much attention has been paid to the Department of Defense’s efforts to create a development, security and operations environment, civilian agencies’ moves toward DevSecOps have largely flown under the radar. But some are actively integrating security as a shared responsibility throughout the IT development lifecycle. “We’re seeing a real commitment to DevSecOps within federal civilian agencies,” says Nicole Burdette, a principal at MeriTalk.

Collaboration 320

Collaboration Integration Integrity IT 320

FedTech Magazine

MAY 9, 2023

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is developing a software bill of materials ecosystem that companies can publish to, so agencies have greater visibility into software programming libraries, versions and underlying components. Speaking at ACT-IAC’s Emerging Technology and Innovation Conference, CISA’s Technical Director for Cyber Christopher Butera said his agency needs vendor feedback to ensure future, more prescriptive SBOM guidance is feasible.

Inventory 317

Inventory Innovation Government Government 317

FedTech Magazine

NOVEMBER 18, 2023

If you enjoyed this video, check out the other videos in our Feds in the Field series: National Air and Space Museum Goes High-Tech for Next-Generation Exhibits NIST Aims a Camera at the Mechanics of Fire USDA Drones Search Irrigation Water for Contamination The Library of Congress Uses Modern Tech to Digitize American History In Space, Printing Happens in All Dimensions The VA Provides Health Care Via Smartphones Robotic Process Automation Does the Work at the Defense Logistics Agency Sm

Logistics 312

Logistics 312

FedTech Magazine

JANUARY 18, 2023

The Department of Veterans Affairs is “playing catch-up” to agencies such as the National Institutes of Health in automating its acquisition processes, according to its chief acquisition officer. Speaking Tuesday at the AFCEA Bethesda 15th Annual Health IT Event, Michael Parrish said the VA’s supply chain modernization effort is focused on using technologies like machine learning (ML) to ensure order management has full enterprise visibility.

Supply Chain 319

Supply Chain Integration Integrity Procurement 319

FedTech Magazine

NOVEMBER 6, 2023

Agencies don’t always implement their continuous monitoring plans because that would require a new philosophy toward cloud security, according to Dave Hinchman, director of IT and cyber at the Government Accountability Office. Hinchman says cloud computing was an afterthought four or five years ago, but it’s starting to be seen as a way to easily meet federal cyber requirements and push updates to thousands of desktops using Software as a Service.

Accountability 312

Accountability Government Government IT 312