Why your high win rate is hurting your business

A high win rate looks good, but it can be a wolf in sheep's clothing. Columnist and capture management expert Bob Lohfeld explains what your win rate really means.

Taxes owed on $24B in Recovery Act work

GAO says that more than 3,700 recipients of Recover Act funds own back taxes.

Creativity needed to improve procurement

Cost-reimbursement and fixed-priced contracts are just two ends of the contracting spectrum, writes Ray Bjorklund, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer at Deltek FedSources.

Robert Reich is wrong on contractors' political contributions

Editor Nick Wakeman says former Clinton administration official Robert Reich is well intentioned but wrong to support a proposal for contractors to disclose their political contributions when bidding for contracts.

The 1,500 Commandments for contracting officers

How can contracting officers think about ways to make more creative and cost-effective acquisitions when just following the rules is a full-time job?

GSA preps replacement for Networx

The General Services Administration is laying the groundwork for the follow-on acquisition to replace the Networx program, while still in the thick of the Networx transition.

Outsourcing vs. insourcing: Solving the cost-comparison conundrum

A new report offers guidelines for sizing up the costs of public and private sector work.

DOD wants focus on contractor performance, not profits

Frank Kendall, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, talks about the Defense Department's new focus for managing contractors.

Big 3 defense contractors feel axe of 1,000 cuts

Three major defense contractors in the Washington, D.C., region will be handing out pink slips until July.

Public/private competitions come under fire again

Sen. Mikulski is pushing for changes that would give federal employees a better fighting chance against outsourcing.

House members clash over contractor disclosure order

Members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee put an administration official in the hot seat over a proposed draft order on disclosing federal contractor political contribution.

Hoyer to White House: Don't make contractors disclose contributions

House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer disagrees with the Obama administration's plan to make companies include political contribution information with all bid proposals.

Maryland contractors worry about future contracts

Maryland contractors are nervous about the impact of the recent spending resolution.

Can more talking reduce risk of bid protests?

Contracting experts in and out of government want more communication to reduce the number of bid protests.

Mega-contractors don't dominate DOD

The defense industry isn't consolidating into a few mega-companies that win all the business. So what is happening with all the mergers and acquisitions?

Contractors identify yourself; it's the rule

Defense Department officials changed the department's regulations to require service contractors to identify themselves as a contractor, whether in person or in a letter.

DOD pushes contractors into a pricing war

With a new emphasis on pricing and profits, DOD will make it more difficult for contractors to innovate.

Can VA spend $500M on new contracts in five months?

The clock is ticking for the VA as it tries to roll out the contracts needed to reach the next milestones on 16 major initiatives.

M&A players beware. DOD is watching.

The rapid pace of mergers and acquisitions among defense contractors is forcing DOD officials to closely monitor the activity. What are they afraid of?

Inside the early success of GSA's mentor-protégé program

Tony Eiland leads what he refers to as a "meat-and-potatoes" program at GSA that helps to hook up small companies with more experienced ones.