Director of Procurement at Alion Science and Technology has recently summarized the situation very well.  His comments follow.

The Government recently issued a final rule modifying FAR 52.222-50 to add more requirements for contractors who have a contract where it is possible that at least $500,000 of the contract may be performed outside the United States and the acquisition is not entirely for COTS items. The new requirements include the contractor having a compliance plan on file and increases the contractor's responsibility to conduct due diligence and monitor subcontractor performance in this regard.

The final rule directs CO's to modify all existing IDIQ contacts to include this clause if future task orders MAY meet the above conditions.  

As part of this new rule, FAR 52.222-56 is a new provision that will require a contractor to CERTIFY:

(1) It has implemented a compliance plan to prevent any prohibited activities identified in paragraph (b) of the clause at 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons, and to monitor, detect, and terminate the contract with a subcontractor engaging in prohibited activities identified at paragraph (b) of the clause at 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons; and
(2) After having conducted due diligence, either-

(i) To the best of the Offeror's knowledge and belief, neither it nor any of its proposed agents, subcontractors, or their agents is engaged in any such activities; or

(ii) If abuses relating to any of the prohibited activities identified in 52.222- 50(b) have been found, the Offeror or proposed subcontractor has taken the appropriate remedial and referral actions.

FAR 52.222-50 is already on DCMA's CPSR policy checklist; however, it remains to be seen how DCMA will adjust its review to take these new requirements into account. So start thinking about this now. 

Tim Sheridan of Applied Fab & Machining (AFM) hosted a visit from Lt. Governor on March 10 in Wausau. AFM is one of the two divisions of Titus Technologies (the other division is Heale Manufacturing in Waukesha)

 

Tim, a service disabled veteran, started his business 2010. He is a graduate of West Point, served over 20 years in military service and spent 12 years at Harley Davidson. He is now selling to a growing group of customers including the Army, Defense Logistics Agency, and Department of Veterans Affairs.

 

"I give credit to the growth of the business to those that have had faith in my dream - my family, my employees, my bank, attorney, local incubator, partners and many others. Our plan is to continue to grow as a government contractor and continue growing our manufacturing operations," shared Tim.

 

 

 

Fort McCoy's total economic impact for fiscal year (FY) 2014 was an estimated $944.7 million, up from the $902.4 million reported for FY 2013, garrison officials announced.

The data was compiledby Fort McCoy's Plans, Analysis and Integration Office.  

 

Fort McCoy supported training for 145,171 personnel in FY 2014, which ran from Oct. 1, 2013, to Sept. 30, 2014. The training population included reserve- and active-component personnel from throughout the military.  

Workforce payroll, operating costs, and other expenditures totaled $295.2 million for FY 2014 compared to $282 million for FY 2013. The increase reflects that no sequestration reductions or furloughs occurred in FY 2014.  

 

Fort McCoy's funding peaked in FY 2010, with subsequent decreases in overall funding and execution as a result of the decline of Overseas Contingency Operations and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus) funding.  

 

A total of 2,215 personnel worked at Fort McCoy in FY 2014 - 1,362 civilians, 368 military, and 485 contract employees.  

Approximately 70 percent of the workforce lives within Monroe County. The total FY 2014 workforce payroll for civilian and military personnel was $125.6 million.

 

FY 2014 operating costs of $154.8 million included utilities, physical plant maintenance, repair and improvements, new construction projects, purchases of supplies and services as well as salaries for civilian contract personnel working at Fort McCoy.  

 

Other expenditures accounted for $14.8 million and covered $247,113 in payments to local governments (including land permit agreements, school district impact aid, etc.) as well as $14.5 million in discretionary spending in local communities by Soldiers at Fort McCoy for training.  

 

A gross multiplier index (GMI) of 3.2 was used to determine the overall effect of the expenditures in the local economy. The GMI measures the number of times a dollar turns over within a region.  

 

(Article prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office, http://www.mccoy.army.mil/ReadingRoom/Newspaper/RealMcCoy/current/economic.html) 

 

 

An updated - and VERY STRONG - agenda has been posted for the 2015 SAME Energy Forum and Small Business Industry Days.

Large and small businesses engaged in ENERGY, INFRASTRUCTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL or ECOSYSTEM work with the Federal government (or its primes) should consider attending.

   

 

There are plenty of ways Republicans could lose this year's massive intraparty fight over the budget. But so far there is at least one big winner - the Pentagon.

 

The fiscal 2016 spending blueprint unveiled by the House GOP Tuesday shifts money around to give a big cash boost to the military, even as the party's fiscal hawks and defense hawks are already drawing battle lines. Republicans will need majorities in both chambers to pass a budget this year, and with just 54 Republicans in the Senate, the math is tight and the obstacles to a deal are huge.