Eugene Laney Jr., Ph.D.

The General Services Administration (GSA) has announced plans to transition sub-award reporting capabilities to SAM.gov in March, as part of its efforts to retire FSRS.gov and enhance the user experience for individuals managing sub-award information and executive compensation data. According to GSA's statement on Monday, this shift will allow users to handle reporting for all their Unique Entity IDs (UEI) through a single account, streamline the sharing of reporting tasks among team members, and provide greater control over report management. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dgb27_m2

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GSA Advantage 2024 Updates: What to Expect The General Services Administration (GSA) is constantly evolving their flagship procurement vehicle, the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) Contract, to improve efficiency and better meet the needs of federal agencies. In 2024, GSA Advantage will undergo several significant updates and changes that will impact GSA MAS Contract holders. These updates include the implementation of the FAS Catalog Platform (FCP), changes to Transactional Data Reporting (TDR), new joint venture requirements, restructuring of GSA's Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), proposed changes to SBA size standards methodology, and the introduction of the Ascend BPA for Cloud Solutions. These updates aim to streamline processes, provide better access to information, and support federal agencies' procurement goals. FAS Catalog Platform (FCP) The FAS Catalog Platform (FCP) is a significant update for GSA MAS Contract holders. It introduces a streamlined approach to catalog https://is.gd/Vlmmph

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Lisa M. Sherwin Wulf and I follow up our recent discussion on B2G marketing with a dive into branding in GovCon on #AmtowerOffCenter https://lnkd.in/eQCBSXaX

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One of the first things we train our clients to do is to read Sections L&M of a USG solicitation. Section L provides the Instructions to Offerors while Section M provides the Evaluation Factors. It is critical for #GovCon vendors to understand these two Sections BEFORE initiating a proposal. Excerpt: This GAO #bidprotest decision provides a cautionary reminder on page limits in government solicitations: failure to follow the page limits may result in losing an award opportunity.

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#PublicAccountsCommittee The Committee appreciates the continued improvements in the Annual Report and Accounts, marking steady progress in transparency and accountability. However, a few critical enhancements remain pending for 2024. We urge the Government to prioritise clear public access, comprehensive ministerial briefings, transparent civil service reporting, rigorous IT controls, and a definitive approach to achieving and tracking departmental savings. With these refinements, we move closer to a report that not only informs, but actively empowers public understanding and trust in government performance

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Great to see continued bipartisan Congressional support for DFC and its IAM, as evidenced in the recently released FY25 Senate State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) report (link provided in comments below): “Accountability.—The Committee recommends funds to support no less than three full-time equivalent staff for DFC’s Office of Accountability [OA], which is responsible for managing the agency’s independent accountability mechanism. The Committee notes the requirement in section 1415(b)(1) of the BUILD Act for an annual report to Congress on DFC clients’ compliance with environmental, social, labor, human rights, and transparency standards, and the Committee expects such report to be submitted not later than 60 days following the end of each fiscal year. Such report shall detail: (1) the number of eligible complaints received in the prior fiscal year and the status of each such complaint; (2) how the OA is ensuring project-affected communities and stakeholders are adequately informed of the OA’s existence, services, and methods of contact; (3) resources made available to support the OA’s staff and operations; and (4) any challenges to, and plans to ensure, the OA’s independence and effectiveness, including with regard to staffing, budgetary needs, procurement processes and mechanisms, and direct reporting to DFC’s Board of Directors.” DFC’s IAM is a member of the Independent Accountability Mechanisms network (IAMnet). This is a partnership of 23 mechanisms linked to bilateral and multilateral development finance institions operating around the world.

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Are you an economist wanting make a policy impact based on your research? This is the webinar for you! (The recording & slides can be found on the page.)

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🚨 Federal Appropriations for FY24: A Disappointment for Nondefense Spending 🚨 After months of negotiations and multiple stopgap measures, President Biden has signed a $1.2 trillion federal appropriations package for FY24. While the bill includes increased pay for troops and federal employees, and funding boosts for veterans’ medical care and nutrition programs, there are significant disappointments in other critical areas. 🔴 Disproportionate Defense Spending: The FY24 budget allocates $842 billion for defense programs, reflecting a 3% increase, compared to $758 billion for nondefense activities, which received a 7% boost. This disproportionate allocation raises concerns about our national priorities, especially when essential nondefense sectors like education, healthcare, and infrastructure also require substantial investments. 🔴 Cuts to Key Initiatives: We are particularly disheartened by the failure to fund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the substantial cuts to climate change initiatives. With $621 million slashed from climate action and $53 million from diversity and inclusion training, this budget overlooks critical areas that are essential for long-term national and global security. 🔴 Missed Opportunities: The budget also reflects partisan concessions that sideline crucial programs, such as banning funds for IRS free tax filing software and limiting resources for climate-focused rules from the Biden administration. These cuts undermine efforts to address pressing issues like environmental sustainability and social equity. The Peace Economy Project believes in a balanced approach to federal spending that equally prioritizes defense and nondefense needs. It is crucial that we advocate for a budget that supports comprehensive security, environmental protection, and social justice. 📖 Read the full article to learn more about the FY24 federal appropriations and join us in advocating for a more equitable allocation of resources: https://lnkd.in/gfe7a2Dx #FederalBudget #DefenseSpending #ClimateChange #DiversityAndInclusion #PeaceEconomyProject #SocialJustice

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Given the signals that the next Administration is sending, a very timely panel with Jeremy Page at the ACI Import Compliance & Enforcement Conference in DC. #trumptariffs #importexport #tariffs #uschinatrade #chinatariffs #wheretradematters #internationalsupplychain #section301

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SOCMA applauds the introduction of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) Reform Act by Trade Subcommittee Chair Adrian Smith, including 17 U.S. House Committee on Ways & Means cosponsors. SOCMA met with a majority of these cosponsors, sharing the impact of the lapse of MTB on our membership. MTB is a program that reduces or suspends tariffs on imported materials that are unavailable or unavailable in sufficient quantity in the United States. These materials are used in many SOCMA members' products across various vital industries, from agriculture to aerospace. It is essential that critical chemistry production remains in the United States, and programs like MTB are vital to maintaining competitiveness for American specialty chemical manufacturers. Read More: https://lnkd.in/eFHDtXy5

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Congratulations to the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy team led by Ambassador Nathaniel Fick, Liesyl Franz, and especially Adam Segal for today's publication of the inaugural United States International Cyberspace & Digital Policy Strategy. I truly appreciate the opportunity to collaborate and inform on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's international cyber, digital, trusted telecommunication, and emerging technology priorities and the call out for enhanced collaboration with the private sector. Four Action Areas Outline in the Strategy include: (1) Promote, Build, and Maintain an Open, Inclusive, Secure, and Resilient Digital Ecosystem (2) Align Rights-Respecting Approaches to Digital and Data Governance with International Partners (3) Advance Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace and Counter Threats to Cyberspace and Critical Infrastructure by Building Coalitions and Engaging Partners (4) Strengthen and Build International Partner Digital Policy and Cyber Capacity https://lnkd.in/eCivPSpm

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With future Trump administration officials being more candid about the blueprint for governance laid out in Project 2025, it is helpful to review the changes proposed for FEMA and emergency management more broadly: - Upon the dissolution of DHS, move FEMA to the Department of the Interior or the Department of Transportation - To increase the threshold for major disaster declarations, to reduce the federal role in smaller events - Alternatively, to establish a 'disaster deductible' at the state level that would serve a similar purpose - To shift the cost-share between federal and state government, from 25% federal for smaller events and up to 75% for catastrophic disasters - Wind down the NFIP program and replace it with private insurance options - Eliminate federal preparedness grants by shifting these costs to state and local governments - Require Senate confirmation for the Administrator only What about disaster recovery programs beyond FEMA? Project 2025 would also directly impact the most common programs. The Small Business Administration provides low-interest loans to households and businesses post-disaster. Project 2025 recommends ending the SBA's disaster loans authority by shifting it to another agency and privatizing their administration. It also recommends that the SBA be barred from developing any further loan programs. HUD administers the second largest disaster program (CDBG-DR) and conducts significant research on disasters and housing. The HUD chapter of Project 2025 is mostly ambiguous on DR although it encourages Congress to "consider a wholesale overhaul of HUD that contemplates devolving many HUD functions to states and localities with any remaining federal functions consolidated to other federal agencies." It does explicitly address research, saying that the "Office of Policy Development and Research should suspend all external research and evaluation grants..." The USDA is another important source for post-disaster assistance, especially for agricultural producers and rural housing, but Project 2025's USDA chapter is quiet on that topic. The Economic Development Administration is the lead organization in support of economic recovery under the NDRF and works primarily by providing grants in disaster affected areas. Project 2025 recommends abolishing the EDA and 'reallocating its funding to other overlapping federal grant programs.' And finally, NOAA. Project 2025 really, really doesn't like NOAA, which it describes as "a colossal operation that has become one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry and, as such, is harmful to future U.S. prosperity." NOAA does a lot of work in the emergency management space, from the National Weather Service to supporting partners in pre- and post-disaster preparedness and recovery. Project 20225 strongly recommends disbanding NOAA and distributing (some) of its functions to other agencies or privatizing them as in the case of the NWS.

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When might a DAF not be right for you? Listen as Katie Warren explains in the final installment of #HighGroundTalksDAFs. #ICYMI, you can catch up on the full series here: https://lnkd.in/g2Yvdr8b

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Themis Thursday – SAR Narrative 💬 When submitting a disclosure within the Themis Reporting System, the “Reason For Suspicion and Other Information” tab is used to record the details of your suspicions and the reason(s) for making the disclosure to the FIU. Your narrative in this box should be a clear summary of what your suspicion or knowledge is that gives rise to the report. This should provide a chronological account of the relationship between the reporter and the subject(s) of the disclosure, and the specific event(s) or information that have given rise to the suspicion or knowledge of money laundering or terrorist financing. The narrative should contain sufficient information for the FIU to understand the reason for the suspicion. The narrative should inform the FIU: • Who is doing something suspicious • What they are doing  • Who they are doing it with • When they are or were doing it • How they are or were doing it • Where they are or were doing it • Why they are or were doing it Full details of any property or funds including, where possible, their value and current location, must also be included.

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The federal government is well known for creating acronyms, and many end up in government contracts. Here is a quick reference chart of some of the most common. https://lnkd.in/ezQikYgP

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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a 60-day notice inviting public comment on one currently approved Information Collection Request (ICR), where the #TSA is required to issue recommendations for pipeline #securitymeasures and conduct inspections to assess implementation of the recommendations. The agency said it will submit to #OMB (Office of Management and Budget) for an extension in #compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). In a notice published Monday in the Federal Register, stakeholders are called upon to provide comments by Jan. 14, 2025. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and its expected burden. Specifically, the collection involves collecting pipeline security incident data, and the cybersecurity coordinator(s) and alternate(s) contact information. #Transportation #Utilities #PipelineSecurity #Threatlandscape #CriticalInfrastructure #Cybersecurity #Cyberthreat #Cyberattack https://lnkd.in/gBAVe8Bs

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We found that generally, senior DoD officials submitted and DoD ethics officials reviewed public financial disclosure reports in a timely manner for disclosure reports filed from January 1, 2022, through July 31, 2023. Of the five types of public financial disclosure reports, we found that the annual, termination, and combination annual/termination reports were generally timely, with submission and review timeliness rates above 90 percent. However, we also found that senior DoD officials did not consistently submit new entrant and periodic transaction reports in as timely a manner. To read our report, click here: https://lnkd.in/gVJeYGpz

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