The folks who draw up the Federal Acquisition Regulation have issued their proposal to enact a section of the 2009 Defense authorization meant to ensure a contractor’s poor past performance is not overlooked during the contract award process. The proposed rule published in today’s Federal Register creates a new database called the “Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System,” or FAPIIS for short. Contracting officers will be required to use this centralized database when making contract and task order awards. The timing of the proposal couldn’t be better. Last month, acquisition officials answered some tough questions from Congress about how…
Monthly Archives: September, 2009
Bloomberg says the Postal Service has pared back the list of post offices that it’s considering for closure. Only 413 facilities are on the chopping block now — down from nearly 3,600 on the original list, and close to 1,000 that we reported on last month. By the way, I’ve been meaning to post some of the e-mails I’ve received in regards to the Postal Service’s recent buyout offer. I appreciate all of your feedback; I don’t have time to respond to every e-mail, but I do read them all. I’ve copied a few e-mails (without names) after the jump.
The Small Business Administration launched a new online course today designed to help small firms win federal contracts. The course gives businesses information about the federal market, such as where to find opportunities, contract rules and how to sell to federal agencies. The course, “Recovery Act Opportunities: How to Win Federal Contracts,” is part of the new Obama administration initiative to increase the use of small business among federal agencies. Last month, the White House announced SBA and the Commerce Department will take part in 200 outreach, education and training events over the next thee months to help small businesses…
What may be the most expensive consolation prize in NASA history will soon be aboard the International Space Station. A $5 million treadmill named for political satirist and faux TV pundit Stephen Colbert will be one of the first items unloaded this afternoon from a cargo container docked at the station, according to the Associated Press. The Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, now as elevated as its namesake’s ego, will soon be used by astronauts to stay healthy and strengthen their muscles in the zero-G environment. Earlier this year, NASA started an online poll allowing Web site visitors…
For 40 years Sesame Street has been teaching children their letters and numbers, but this year the residents of the famed street are teaching kids a new lesson: how to prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu virus, better known as swine flu. The White House, the Homeland Security Department, the Health and Human Services Department and the Education Department have teamed with the makers of Sesame Street to produce four public service announcements to teach children and families healthy habits that will prevent the spread of the potentially deadly virus. The PSAs can be viewed at www.flu.gov. The 20-second…