Federal Drive with Tom Temin

Contractors unhappy with an award decision can protest directly to the agency that made the award. But more often they skip the agency level protest, and go either to the Government Accountability office or the Court of Federal Claims. That's usually because they figure, what's the use of protesting to the contracting officer who made the decision. Joining the Federal Drive to discuss some proposed changes to the agency level protest process, Berenzweig Leonard partner Terry O'Connor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Census Bureau's big show has been beset with politics, the visiccitudes of technological innovation, and now the pandemic. It has only weeks to wind up the data gathering for the 2020 count. Will it come out right? Will everyone trust the results? Big questions. With some perspective, and a call for action, former Census Bureau Director John Thompson discussed it with the Federal Drive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's possible there's never been as much debate or discussion about the word “use” as we've heard over the last month. That's because “use” is the key word in the Section 889 provision's lexicon. Do contractors “use” now prohibited Chinese-made telecommunications products and services? If so, Section 889 says they've got to remove those products or services, if they want any more contracts from federal agencies. Executive editor Jason Miller joined the Federal Drive with why this simple word is causing so much concern. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Small businesses have a big stake in the federal marketplace, you might have heard. The Small Business Administration sets a high bar for the rest of government to do business with the little guys. Agencies last year awarded more than $130 billion in small-business prime contracts, and exceeded a women-owned small business contracting goal for the second time since SBA set that benchmark. For more on where agencies where met or exceeded goals, Federal News Network’s Jory Heckman spoke with SBA’s Associate Administrator for Government Contracting and Business Development, Frank Spampinato. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The State Department is no lone ranger when trying to promote American interests abroad. In fact it operates partnerships with hundreds of companies and nonprofits around the world to amplify the diplomatic mission. This work falls under the Office of Global Partnerships. Its managing director is a finalist in this year's Service to America Medals program. Thomas Debass joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to talk more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thursday brings the statutory deadline for federal contractors to certify they comply with the law banning telecommunications equipment from certain Chinese companies from their network. Lots of companies were hoping Congress would delay the Aug. 13 deadline. One reason is because even the government has only a vague idea of the cost and how to interpret this rule. Holland & Knight partner Eric Crusius had more insight on Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congress appropriated a couple of trillion dollars in the federal response to the pandemic. A surprisingly small fraction of that money went to contracts awarded by agencies. Still, billions aren't nothing, and the Government Accountability Office has been tracking the contracts and the agencies issuing. For the size and scope of pandemic contracting, Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the GAO's director of contracting and national security acquisition issues, Marie Mak. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The General Services Administration has been interested in managing facilities at the Office of Personnel Management for a year now. It may not seem like such a big deal. GSA has manages facilities for other agencies for decades. But it may cost OPM millions of dollars more if GSA takes over OPM's buildings. The agency's inspector general said the building management moves are fiscally irresponsible and squeeze OPM financially. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to walk us through the latest with these two agencies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Space Force took a deep look, not in space but in the mirror this week and released its first ever doctrine. The document lays out the philosophical reasoning for a Space Force and describes what space warfare will look like in the future. Federal News Network’s Scott Maucione had the latest on Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can forgive federal contractors for a little confusion. There's a new White House executive order on use of immigrant labor. From Congress there's uncertainty over whether relief for them will continue as government offices remain closed. For more, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin turned to the president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, David Berteau. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Data is one of government's strategic assets. That sounds nice, but it's also enshrined in statute and regulation. But big data can get too big, and now data leaders, at least in the military, have been talking about data downsizing. Joining the Federal Drive with more, the CEO of the Data Foundation, Dr. Nick Hart. And the vice president of federal at Active Navigation, Jesse Rauch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some of the leading thinkers in the field of data, and how to use it, have proffered the idea of a national data service. The Data Foundation says such a service would support the goal of evidence-based decision making. Joining the Federal Drive with how a data service would be organized and what it would do, the former chief statistician of the United States and Data Foundation member, Dr. Nancy Potok. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Office of Personnel Management is out with two new regulatory policies that could have a serious impact on your leave and benefits. First there's paid parental leave. New OPM regulations detail how the program will work and how agencies will implement it on October 1st. The second policy is an attempt to help essential federal employees working through the pandemic hold on to those vacation hours they'd otherwise have to forfeit at the end of the year. Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As agencies finalize their fiscal 2022 budgets, which are traditionally due to OMB by mid-September, they are getting a few last minute tools to help them. The CIO Council and GSA are reawakening the use of Technology Business Management, or TBM, standards to help connect IT costs with outcomes. In his weekly feature, the Reporter's notebook, executive editor Jason Miller tells the Federal Drive with Tom Temin why the TBM guide comes at a good time for many agencies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Congress debates, to put it politely, what if anything should be in a next pandemic relief legislation, some members are starting to ask if they and their staffs ought to be tested for the pesky germ. Joining the Federal Drive with our weekly congressional outlook, WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices