@Twitter: Two geeks, a life form and a TV show

Tweeted recently from inside GSA: TV show idea: Two geeky teens create an organic lifeform that oversees service delivery across federal government. Title: 'Weird Zients.'

Lockheed Martin pushes forward with realignment

Lockheed Martin Corp. continues to make what it deems are necessary adjustments to its internal structure with key changes to its Information Systems and Global Solutions unit, according to a second quarter 2010 financial report issued today.

House shaves funding for Veterans Affairs IT projects

House appropriators plan to decrease funds for the Veterans Affairs Department’s information technology projects because of sluggish spending and project delays.

NIH wins approval for $30B governmentwide contract

OMB officials have approved the governmentwide contract after recognizing agencies' new duties because of the major overhaul of the health-care system.

Existing procurements got bulk of Recovery Act contract dollars

Pressure to act quickly on high-priority projects drove agency officials toward existing contracts, GAO reported.

DOD ethics rule short on mitigation, industry complains

Proposal to combat organizational conflicts of interest offers few details on mitigation and leans strongly on avoidance, many industry commenters say.

Officials put temptation in front of small businesses

When a company can certify itself as a particular type of business entitled to preferential treatment, it is a temptation that is hard to resist, according to one member of Congress.

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.

Want to advance, feds? Try the private sector.

Federal workers and private-sector employees differ in their views on their organizations' information flow, training and encouragement to improve operations.

DOD now required to report bundled contracts, sole-source awards

DOD's contracting now must publish a notification on FedBizOpps.gov or any similar site at least 30 days before releasing a solicitation for a bundled contract, according to a new Federal Register notice.

It's official: Federal Acquisition Service has new commish

Steve Kempf is now the commissioner of the General Services Administration's Federal Acquisition Service, while Jon Jordan has been named deputy FAS commissioner.

VA cancels $400M modernization contract

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

Are you green enough to win a contract?

Collecting greenhouse gas emissions might become part of the procurement process.

High-risk fed contracts are on the decline

Agencies reduced their use of high-risk contracts when comparing the first half of fiscal 2009 and that of 2010, although this year's numbers may be too fresh, one expert says.