This month, the blog posts are focusing on four key fundamentals for efficient and effective procurement. This week’s fundamental is “Contract structures that increase efficiency, competition and access to the commercial marketplace.” In particular, the Coalition continues to highlight this fundamental with regard to the $50 billion Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) program managed by the [...]

April’s blog posts are dedicated to the fundamental “blocking and tackling” of our procurement system. Given recent events, this week I am going to focus on the vital importance of nurturing and maintaining a highly qualified, professional acquisition workforce. I believe in the professionalism and dedication of our acquisition community and am proud to be [...]

Guest Blogger:  Phil Seckman, Partner, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP A March 2, 2012, final rule requiring competition for certain orders placed under Federal Supply Schedule (“FSS”) contracts increases the burdens on agencies before schedule orders can be placed.  The trend toward increased complexity is eroding GSA’s ability to legitimately tout the MAS program as [...]

It is Spring break this week and my family and I are at the Grand Canyon. I have never been before. It is truly an amazing, beautiful and wonderful place. We are truly blessed as a nation with awe-inspiring natural beauty. Being here also really helps put things into perspective!  It reminds me that the [...]

Tomorrow brings us to the Final Four and I still have a chance to win my office pool (I have Kentucky and Ohio State playing in the final Monday night). More importantly, from our perspective, it marks the end of the Coalition’s first business quarter and the beginning of the second. The first quarter has [...]