Lawmaker: Commitment crucial to meeting set-aside goals

What does the Army have that few other agencies have when it comes to veteran-owned small businesses? Commitment, one lawmaker says.

The Army forecasts more than $1.7 billion through fiscal 2013 in potential set-asides exclusively for small businesses owned by service-disabled veterans. That amount comes after the service sent about $691 million in contract dollars last year to those businesses, up from $100 million in 2003, Lt. Col. James Blanco, assistant to the director of the Army’s Small Business Programs Office, said July 26.

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Have contracting skills, will travel

Some lawmakers want to take from agencies that are rich in acquisition employees and give to those that are poor. A provision in a fiscal 2008 spending bill for the Defense Department could make it happen.

The language would require the General Services Administration to send 600 contracting officers to DOD on a temporary basis to provide much-needed procurement oversight. DOD’s acquisition workforce has decreased by tens of thousands since the 1990s, and despite its recent efforts, DOD hasn’t hired enough contracting employees to match its needs.

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Contracting reform bill heads to Senate

Acquisition reforms moved forward today when the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee easily approved the Senate’s version of the Accountability in Contracting Act, which would institute far-reaching reforms.

The bill would create a position within the Office of Federal Procurement Policy to lead workforce programs. The person in that job would supervise training, oversee an intern program and help build a strategic plan for the contracting workforce. The bill would authorize appropriators to give $5 million in fiscal 2008 and 2009 to the workforce training fund.

Read rest of the story: FCW.com News - Contracting reform bill heads to Senate