OMB may open purse to help program reviews

Close on the heels of the fiscal 2011 review requirements, officials are now offering to help agencies pay for program evaluations.

Stanley will help HHS build out health care info network

Stanley Inc. will provide support services to the Health and Human Services Department’s Office of National Coordinator under a two-year time-and-materials contract valued at $6 million.

Arlington Cemetery: 19th-century technology in a 21st-century world

A Senator shows a former Arlington Cemetery official what's available to him today in technology.

Northrop, SAIC share Navy awards worth almost $38M

Northrop Grumman Corp. and Science Applications International Corp. have gotten indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts from the Navy with a cumulative estimated value of $37.6 million.

Fake companies still win SBA approval

GAO tests SBA's set-aside program with fake companies that used the Alamo's address as their headquarters and still won certification.

SAIC will test and evaluate Air Force information center ops

Science Applications International Corp. will provide test and evaluation services at the Air Force Joint Electronic Warfare Center in Nevada under a task order that has a total value of more than $14 million.

OMB wants to know how agencies manage risky IT projects

Agencies now will have to prove to the Office of Management and Budget they can effectively manage their high-risk IT projects, according to federal CIO Vivek Kundra.

Stanley wins pair of Navy support contracts

Stanley Inc. will provide support for Navy programs under two contracts totaling $11 million.

A Web-based model for procurement contests

Blogger Steve Kelman believes drug company Eli Lilly has developed a sound approach to funding research and developments via online challenges.

Unisys wins $150M contract for rural development programs

Unisys Corp. will provide applications modernization and end-user support services to the Agriculture Department under a five-year contract that could be worth as much as $150 million.

Intell chief denies charges of too many contractors

Reacting to a Washington Post series, the director of national intelligence said contractors are key but are not doing inherently governmental work.

Government plans to 'make and move markets' with emissions reporting

Officials predict a future where companies must report their greenhouse gas emissions inventories to the government to receive a contract.

Agencies may have to abandon bureaucratese

Agencies may have to change their writing style because a new writing coach -- the law -- may soon arrive, blogger Matthew Weigelt writes.

Agencies defend charges of contracting fraud

Officials say the recently reported fraud that GAO uncovered in a small-business set-aside program comes from business owners and contracting officers not understanding the program rules, but at least one member of Congress rejects that explanation.

New acquisition chief plots changes to GSA schedules

In the coming weeks, new FAS Commissioner Steve Kempf will unveil plans to improve schedule contracts and introduce new tools for contractors and agencies.

House mulls increasing contractor oversight

The Federal Contracting Oversight and Reform Act seeks to repair an ineffective contracting system that award contracts to companies with histories of poor performance and misconduct.

House tightens reins around improper payments

House passes legislation requiring agency officials to review their programs every three years to find those that are susceptible to making improper payments, and levies penalties against agencies that fail to comply with accounting regulations.

DHS told to increase control over border-fence contractors

U.S. Customs and Border Protection must improve how it oversees contractors hired to build an IT-enabled, security fence along the U.S. border with Mexico, an audit finds.

VA cancels $400M modernization contract

Agency ends financial management modernization effort. See who's getting the money.

How contests can improve government performance (and procurement)

Blogger Steve Kelman believes public contests are a great way to generate ideas to improve government operations and cut costs.