Happy New Year! The Coalition staff wishes you and yours a happy, safe and successful 2014! As you know, 2014 marks The Coalition for Common Sense in Government Procurement’s 35th anniversary. It is a special time for the organization, staff and member companies. We are looking forward to a wonderful year focusing on serving our membership and the procurement community. We will continue our efforts in promoting common sense strategies for the federal procurement system that deliver competitive, sound best value solutions for customer agencies and the American people. We will emphasize common sense solutions that enhance communication, cooperation, and consistency across the procurement system. We will also highlight the power and potential of GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule program to serve as an innovation portal for commercial firms seeking to do business with the federal government. More on these topics later but for now here is a rundown on our upcoming events for the first quarter of 2014:
On January 21st, the Coalition will be hosting a webinar presentation, “Fundamentals of Ethics and Compliance” by Steptoe & Johnson. This is a refresher on the unique ethics rules that govern government contracts. Attendees will get the latest information on any changes in the ethics rules, trends in oversight and tips on compliance. Significantly, this webinar is designed to help procurement professionals identify, address and avoid potential ethics issues.
On February 5th at the Tower Club, Tysons Corner, the Coalition will be hosting a Myth-Busters Forum with GSA Inspector General Brian Miller focusing on oversight, compliance and the Mandatory Disclosure Rule (MDR). As you know, the MDR has now been in place for five years. At its five year anniversary, Inspector General Miller and is staff, along with Jonathan Aronie of Sheppard Mullin will engage in a thoughtful, informed dialogue on the MDR and other key compliance issues.
On February 11th the Coalition will be hosting a webinar presentation by Baker Tilly focusing on “The Cost-Build Approach for GSA Schedule Labor Pricing.” This webinar will provide the latest information, trends, and sound approaches to pricing proposal preparations and evaluations in circumstances where a cost build approach is used. Finally, on February 20th, the Coalition will be hosting a Myth-Busters Forum with Mary Davie, Assistant Commissioner for the Integrated Technology Service (ITS) and Mark Day, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for ITS. Mary and Mark will provide the latest information on the ITS agenda, initiatives, and outlook for 2014.
On March 13th, the Coalition will host Daniel Gerstein, Deputy Under Secretary for Science & Technology, Department of Homeland Security for a Myth-Busters Forum focusing on key priorities of DHS’s science and technology programs and how industry can best work with DHS on key initiatives to protect the homeland.
As you can see, in addition to our regular committee meetings, the first quarter will be a busy one serving our membership. In the words of the Black Eyed Peas , “Let’s get it started!”
The FAR AND BEYOND” comment will return next Friday, January 10th with fourteen predications for 2014.
Roger Waldron
President