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The two influential senators say the mistakes the Defense Department and others made in the 1990s during the last serious budget reductions can't be repeated this time around. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) said budget cuts shouldn't be balanced on the backs of the acquisition workforce. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) added reductions in acquisition staff mean the government will pay more for goods and services.
Doug Brashear from Navigation Arts joins host John Gilroy to discuss design options for the mobile platform. June 12, 2012
Tighter budgets and the threat of sequestration have not discouraged the Defense Department from increasing the size of its acquisition workforce, officials said. DoD is adding 20,000 employees to buy more efficiently.
At the heart of solid federal acquisition lies a well-trained workforce. National Defense University's iCollege professors Andy Gravatt and Russ Mattern share how the school stays up-to-date on acquisition practices across government and the recent changes they've made to the curriculum.
This is the Federal Drive show blog. Here you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.
Michelle Bernier-Toth is the managing director of Overseas Citizens Services in State's Bureau of Consular Affairs and a finalist for a Service to America Award.
Retired Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro, a member of the Defense Business Board, said the decimation of contracting officers, program managers and others have put the military at a disadvantage in spending hundreds of billions of dollars. He said the answer to their problem is simple but hard to implement: a comprehensive plan to improve the acquisition workforce.
GSA, Commerce and others are using supply chain management techniques to buy smarter and more efficiently. Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Steve Kempf said a recent survey of their contractors will help influence the next generation of schedules.
If terms like "cooperative purchasing" and/or "contract bundling" turn you on, welcome to the wonderful world of buying, federal style, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. Check out day two of Federal News Radio's multimedia special report, "Inside The World Biggest Buyer."
Commerce Secretary John Bryson is taking a medical leave of absence from the Obama Administration following a seizure over the weekendm, according to a memo issued Monday night.
Two former administrators of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Al Burman and Steve Kelman, discuss how acquisition reforms and improvements often fall prey to partisanship. One of OFPP's goals is not only to create acquisition policy, but systems that last beyond one administration. "You want to try to have continuity, as much as you can and keep better management of the procurement system out of partisan politics as much as you can," Kelman said. "If it's just an initiative — if it's forgotten in six months — it's never going to accomplish anything."
The Government Accountability Office is one of the government's most robust watchdogs, especially when it comes to acquisition. Bill Anderson, GAO's controller and administrative services officer, discussed the ways GAO helps agencies get the most out of the acquisition process.
Steven Grundman, a Lund Fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C., and former deputy undersecretary of Defense for Industrial Affairs, provides his perspective on how the Better Buying Power initiative has shaped DoD procurement.
Larry Allen of Allen Federal joins host Mark Amtower to talk about changes in government procurement. June 11, 2012(Encore presentation June 25, 2012)