4th of July Holiday
July 2, 2018
In observance of the July 4th holiday, the Government Contracts Monitor will not be publishing a blog this week. We will resume blogging the week of July 9th.
In the meantime, have a great 4th of July!
Subcontracting
How Much Modification Is Too Much?
June 21, 2018
Savvy contractors who have lost out on a contract award often monitor contract performance and modifications in hopes of identifying business opportunities. If they can find performance problems or improper modifications, their thinking goes, they may be able to position themselves to take work from the original awardee. But such a strategy has some practical limitations. Landing new work as a…
FY2019 NDAA Seeks to Change Definition of "Subcontract"
May 10, 2018
On May 7th, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) made public H.R. 5515, its version of the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). One of the provisions that is already generating buzz is Section 832, which would create a “precise” definition of "subcontract" in title 41, United States Code, and incorporate the new definition in title 10, United States Code. As noted by the HASC,…
New Year's Resolutions, 2018
January 3, 2018
Reassess Your Size Status, Update Your DSBS and SAM Listings, Check Your Past Performance Ratings, and Update Your Employment Policies, Handbooks and Postings
Happy New Year! The start of a new year is the time for New Year’s Resolutions. Here are several we strongly urge you to follow-through on early in 2018.
1. Reassess Your (and Any Subcontractors’) Small Business Size Status: Most companies…
Feds Meet FY16 Small Business Prime Contracting Goals (Except WOSB and HUBZone), But Individual Agency & Overall Subcontracting Shortfalls Persist, Providing Marketing Opportunities
June 6, 2017
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced the federal government’s Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) small business goaling results and Small Business Procurement Scorecard. According to SBA, the federal government achieved its 23% small business contracting goal for the fourth straight year, awarding 24.34% of federal prime contracts, totaling $99.96 billion, to small business. While…
GAO Recommends DOD Act to Ensure that Its Pilot Mentor/Protégé Program Enhances the Capabilities of Protégé Firms
April 19, 2017
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has identified a number of problems in DOD’s Pilot Mentor-Protégé Program, including a lack of standard operating procedures that DOD components are required to follow to approve Mentor-Protégé Agreements (MPAs), resulting in many MPAs not including required elements necessary to ensure the Protégé's eligibility and Program compliance. GAO further…
Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Regulations Nullified and Underlying Executive Order 13673 Revoked
March 28, 2017
On Monday, March 27, 2017, President Trump signed House Joint Resolution 37, repealing and nullifying the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces final rule issued last August, implementing President Obama’s Executive Order 13673 (Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces). As previously discussed here, this Resolution was passed by both Houses of Congress under the Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. § 801 et seq.…
Short Take: Hopewell Darneille to Present at DYNET 2017, Fairmont, WV -- April 13, 2017
March 6, 2017
Hopewell Darneille, of the Firm’s Washington, DC office, will be a presenter at the eighth annual Dynamic Networking for Small Business (DYNET) Conference, a federal and prime contracting event in Fairmont, West Virginia, on April 13, 2017 at the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center.
Mr. Darneille will co-present a workshop on “SBA’s NEW Joint Venture Rules,” with Melissa Loder, the principal…
Congress Votes to Repeal Former President Obama’s Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Regulations
March 6, 2017
On Monday, March 6, 2017, the U.S. Senate voted, 49-48 on a straight party-line vote, to join the U.S. House of Representatives in repealing the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces final rule issued last August, implementing President Obama’s Executive Order 13673 (Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces). Assuming President Trump signs the joint repeal resolution in the coming days, which appears highly likely in…
Don’t Assume: What Does the Solicitation Actually Say about Past Performance?
February 14, 2017
Most contractors know that the consideration of past performance is an integral part of the Government’s approach to proposal evaluation. All too often, however, offerors proceed with teaming agreements and proposal preparation based on assumptions about the specific approach the Government will take – only to learn too late that that assumption was wrong. The recent Government Accountability…
Short Take - President Trump Will Continue Enforcing Executive Order 13672, Protecting the Rights of the LGBTQ Community in the Workplace
February 6, 2017
On January 31, 2017, the White House issued a Press Release announcing President’s determination to continue the effectivity and enforcement of President Obama’s Executive Order (EO) 13672, protecting the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) community under federal contracts. The Press Release stated that President “Trump is determined to protect the rights of all…
FAR Final Rule Bars Contractor Confidentiality Agreements Restricting Employees and Subcontractors from Reporting Fraud, Waste & Abuse
January 23, 2017
The FAR Council has published a Final Rule, effective January 19, 2017, prohibiting the use of appropriated or otherwise available funds for any contract, grant or cooperative agreement with an entity that requires its employees or subcontractors to sign internal confidentiality agreements or statements that prohibit or otherwise restrict the lawful reporting of fraud, waste or abuse to a…
Blog - Subcontracting 
4th of July Holiday
July 2, 2018
In observance of the July 4th holiday, the Government Contracts Monitor will not be publishing a blog this week. We will resume blogging the week of July 9th.
In the meantime, have a great 4th of July!
How Much Modification Is Too Much?
June 21, 2018
Savvy contractors who have lost out on a contract award often monitor contract performance and modifications in hopes of identifying business opportunities. If they can find performance problems or improper modifications, their thinking goes, they may be able to position themselves to take work from the original awardee. But such a strategy has some practical limitations. Landing new work as a…
FY2019 NDAA Seeks to Change Definition of "Subcontract"
May 10, 2018
On May 7th, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) made public H.R. 5515, its version of the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). One of the provisions that is already generating buzz is Section 832, which would create a “precise” definition of "subcontract" in title 41, United States Code, and incorporate the new definition in title 10, United States Code. As noted by the HASC,…
New Year's Resolutions, 2018
January 3, 2018
Reassess Your Size Status, Update Your DSBS and SAM Listings, Check Your Past Performance Ratings, and Update Your Employment Policies, Handbooks and Postings
Happy New Year! The start of a new year is the time for New Year’s Resolutions. Here are several we strongly urge you to follow-through on early in 2018.
1. Reassess Your (and Any Subcontractors’) Small Business Size Status: Most companies…
Feds Meet FY16 Small Business Prime Contracting Goals (Except WOSB and HUBZone), But Individual Agency & Overall Subcontracting Shortfalls Persist, Providing Marketing Opportunities
June 6, 2017
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently announced the federal government’s Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16) small business goaling results and Small Business Procurement Scorecard. According to SBA, the federal government achieved its 23% small business contracting goal for the fourth straight year, awarding 24.34% of federal prime contracts, totaling $99.96 billion, to small business. While…
GAO Recommends DOD Act to Ensure that Its Pilot Mentor/Protégé Program Enhances the Capabilities of Protégé Firms
April 19, 2017
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has identified a number of problems in DOD’s Pilot Mentor-Protégé Program, including a lack of standard operating procedures that DOD components are required to follow to approve Mentor-Protégé Agreements (MPAs), resulting in many MPAs not including required elements necessary to ensure the Protégé's eligibility and Program compliance. GAO further…
Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Regulations Nullified and Underlying Executive Order 13673 Revoked
March 28, 2017
On Monday, March 27, 2017, President Trump signed House Joint Resolution 37, repealing and nullifying the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces final rule issued last August, implementing President Obama’s Executive Order 13673 (Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces). As previously discussed here, this Resolution was passed by both Houses of Congress under the Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. § 801 et seq.…
Short Take: Hopewell Darneille to Present at DYNET 2017, Fairmont, WV -- April 13, 2017
March 6, 2017
Hopewell Darneille, of the Firm’s Washington, DC office, will be a presenter at the eighth annual Dynamic Networking for Small Business (DYNET) Conference, a federal and prime contracting event in Fairmont, West Virginia, on April 13, 2017 at the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center.
Mr. Darneille will co-present a workshop on “SBA’s NEW Joint Venture Rules,” with Melissa Loder, the principal…
Congress Votes to Repeal Former President Obama’s Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Regulations
March 6, 2017
On Monday, March 6, 2017, the U.S. Senate voted, 49-48 on a straight party-line vote, to join the U.S. House of Representatives in repealing the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces final rule issued last August, implementing President Obama’s Executive Order 13673 (Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces). Assuming President Trump signs the joint repeal resolution in the coming days, which appears highly likely in…
Don’t Assume: What Does the Solicitation Actually Say about Past Performance?
February 14, 2017
Most contractors know that the consideration of past performance is an integral part of the Government’s approach to proposal evaluation. All too often, however, offerors proceed with teaming agreements and proposal preparation based on assumptions about the specific approach the Government will take – only to learn too late that that assumption was wrong. The recent Government Accountability…
Short Take - President Trump Will Continue Enforcing Executive Order 13672, Protecting the Rights of the LGBTQ Community in the Workplace
February 6, 2017
On January 31, 2017, the White House issued a Press Release announcing President’s determination to continue the effectivity and enforcement of President Obama’s Executive Order (EO) 13672, protecting the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) community under federal contracts. The Press Release stated that President “Trump is determined to protect the rights of all…
FAR Final Rule Bars Contractor Confidentiality Agreements Restricting Employees and Subcontractors from Reporting Fraud, Waste & Abuse
January 23, 2017
The FAR Council has published a Final Rule, effective January 19, 2017, prohibiting the use of appropriated or otherwise available funds for any contract, grant or cooperative agreement with an entity that requires its employees or subcontractors to sign internal confidentiality agreements or statements that prohibit or otherwise restrict the lawful reporting of fraud, waste or abuse to a…
