OMB official sees management agenda gaining wide support

Federal agencies have embraced the President's Management Agenda to the point that "it's almost gone from the President's Management Agenda to the Agencies' Management Agenda," said Clay Johnson III, deputy director for management in the Office of Management and Budget.

OMB official sees management agenda gaining wide support

Federal agencies have embraced the President's Management Agenda to the point that "it's almost gone from the President's Management Agenda to the Agencies' Management Agenda," said Clay Johnson III, deputy director for management in the Office of Management and Budget.

Buy Lines: High-profile departures leave uncertainty

While some of the President's Management Agenda initiatives, such as e-government, move forward impressively, others are struggling. The President's Competitive Sourcing initiative is awash in a sea of fear, mythology and parochial political assaults that ignore the reality of the process and the proven benefits of competition. And strategic human capital planning -- which involves some real civil service reform and is inextricably linked to the rest of the agenda -- is stuck in first gear.

Infotech and the Law: Learn from this battle of industry titans

Defense contractors often escape the harsh and probing glare of the media spotlight because government procurement is considered too dull to stir the public's interest. Not this summer.

Brief: House considers Common Criteria

The Common Criteria for security software evaluation are not a panacea for assuring government IT systems, government and industry officials told a House panel Sept. 17.

Brief: OMB fills two e-gov jobs

The Office of Management and Budget filled two of three vacant e-government portfolio manager jobs.

Brief: Computer response team debuts

A new unit in the Homeland Security Department's National Cyber Security Division will improve response time to cybersecurity threats, according to officials who announced the formation of the U.S. Computer Emergency Response Team.

OMB predicts victory in A-76 battle

A top White House official predicts that Congress ultimately will back the administration's new policy for public-private competitions of federal jobs, despite signs of growing opposition among lawmakers.

Brief: Systems engineering and integration

The Mission Planning System Program Office, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom Air Force Base in Massachusetts is developing a long-term system engineering and integration contract for mission planning that supports the military and special operations forces.

Brief: Engineering and tech support

The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, is seeking proposals for engineering and technical support of tactical and nontactical computers, displays and peripherals to support Combat Systems Direction Activity. The award will be a five-year, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee provisions.

Brief: Photonics technologies

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency wants to establish university-based photonics research centers to exploit emerging technologies for intelligent microsystems for sensing, communication, processing and storage of information. DARPA seeks proposals for establishing and operating centers that address specific aspects of the broad technical challenges. There are likely to be multiple awards for four-year efforts, made during the first half of 2004. Collaborative efforts and teaming is encouraged. For more information, see FedBizOpps.gov, solicitation no. RA03-37. Responses are due Oct. 24.

Lockheed Martin snaps up Titan

Lockheed Martin Corp.'s planned purchase of Titan Corp. for $2.4 billion, the company's second major deal in less than two months, has turned up the heat in an already hot mergers and acquisition market.

Legislation would give first responders access to military technologies

Congress is considering legislation that would help first responders take advantage of the military's advanced technologies.

Collins: Bill would better counterterrorism efforts

A bill introduced today in Congress would provide state and local law enforcement agencies with counterterrorism technology.

WALKING TALL: The Small Business Issue

<b>Washington Technology presents its Top 25 8(a) companies and Fast 50 rankings</b><br>In 1998, Preferred Systems Solutions Inc., President Robert Hisel Jr. sold all his commercial work to another firm and used the proceeds to focus on the government market. Colleagues questioned his wisdom. Today, he says, "They are asking me, 'How the hell do you get into this government stuff?' "

Infotech and the Law: Small business challenged in government procurement

This issue of Washington Technology focuses on the small-business segment of government IT procurement, so it is useful to see how fairly federal agency customers are treating small business. Unfortunately, the report is not encouraging.

Fast 50 companies find their government niche

Forensics, consulting, information technology services, engineering. The small businesses showing the fastest growth in the government sector also showcase a variety of services and niches that contractors can thrive in.

Native American firms climb small biz ladder

When Barney Uhart came to work for Chugach Alaska Corp. in 1993, the company was emerging from bankruptcy.

Lawmakers aim to get tough on malicious code

House subcommittee members were frustrated Wednesday in their efforts to find out just who is releasing all of these computer worms and viruses.