Tag Archives: GAO reports

8(a) Subcontracting Limitations: Compliance Oversight Lacking

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Compliance with the limitations on subcontracting are not adequately being monitored by the contracting officers responsible for 8(a) contracts, according to a recent GAO report.

After reviewing a representative sample of ten 8(a) contracts, the GAO determined that contracting officers effectively monitored subcontracting limit compliance on two of those contracts.  In other cases, agency contracting officers failed to effectively monitor compliance, even in situations presenting a heightened risk of potential violations–such as where ineligible incumbents were serving as subcontractors.

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SDVOSB Programs: New Bill Would Standardize Eligibility Requirements; Study Government-Wide SDVOSB Verification

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The definition of a “service-disabled veteran-owned small business” would be standardized under a new bill introduced by Senators Angus King and Richard Burr.

The King-Burr bill, S.2334, could resolve a serious problem: under current law, the requirements to qualify as a SDVOSB vary (in some cases, significantly) depending on whether an acquisition falls under the VA’s SDVOSB rules or the SBA’s SDVOSB rules.

The King-Burr bill also directs the GAO to study whether it is practical to implement a Government-wide SDVOSB verification system.

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Guest Perspective: Section 811 Stifles Native American Economic Growth

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By Kevin J. Allis

While an eleventh hour agreement avoided the “fiscal cliff,” it did not fully resolve potential spending cuts.  The agreement delayed the sequester, but its impacts are still being felt by contractors, particularly by small businesses.  These entities are at the end of the planning process, and delaying a resolution only prolongs uncertainty.

For Native contractors, there is little to be happy about, and much that raises significant concerns.  The consequences of the uncertainty in the federal contracting environment caused by the still looming possibility of sequestration, coupled with the enormously harmful effects of Section 811 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2010 (“NDAA”), are painting a potentially very dreary picture for these companies and the communities they serve.

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VA SDVOSB Reconsideration Success Rate At 48%–And Other Highlights From The GAO SDVOSB Report

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VA SDVOSB reconsideration requests were approved in 48% of cases resulting in a decision, according to a GAO report released on Monday.

In the lengthy report, which weighs in at 63 pages, the GAO broadly concludes that the VA CVE has made progress when it comes to the verification of SDVOSBs, but has a ways to go in order for the SDVOSB verification process to be quick, effecient and effective.

This broad conclusion is not in the least bit surprising to anyone who has followed the evolution of the VA SDVOSB verification program.  However, the report is also packed with a great deal of interesting information about SDVOSB verification at the VA–including statistics on applications, reconsideration success rates, and more.

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