...Assignment 1 – Acquisition Management at the U.S. Government Accountability Office Arte R. Ledyard Professor Christopher Lodge Business 230 – Purchasing & Materials Management July 25, 2012 The line of business, mission, and goals of the organization he/she works for. Describe these briefly. For this assignment, I interviewed Ms. Deja Craddock, a Purchasing Manager for the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO is an independent, nonpartisan agency that supports the Congress by investigating how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. GAO’s work is done at the request of Congress in most cases, but the Comptroller General or head of the agency does also have the authority to independently initiate research. Examples of GAO’s work include: • audit federal agencies to determine whether tax dollars are being spent efficiently and effectively; • investigate allegations of illegal and improper activities; • report on how well federal policies and programs are meeting their objectives; • analyze policies for congressional consideration; and • issue legal decisions and opinions, such as bid protests. The overall mission of GAO is to, “support the Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve the performance and ensure the accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people. We provide Congress with timely information that is objective, fact-based...
Words: 1101 - Pages: 5
...Assignment 2: Simplified Acquisition Procedures CCAD BUS 501- Government Acquisition 31 October 2012 Simplified Acquisition The federal government has three different methods for acquiring goods or services, which include, negotiations, sealed bids, and simplified acquisitions. Simplified acquisition procedures are methods sited in the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Part 13 for purchasing goods and services under a certain dollar threshold. In October 1994, the FAR established the Federal Acquisition Streamline Act (FASA) as a simplified means for the government to acquire goods and services. Simplified acquisition was created into the government procurement process to streamline the contracting process through the elimination of certain rules and actions, and allowing a relatively low administrative cost associated with procurement and provides the easiest form of federal contracts to small business and disadvantage businesses. Agencies are instructed to use simplified acquisition procedures for all purchases of supplies or services below the threshold of $5 million. Whenever the government seeks to obtain goods or services between the amount of $2,500 and $100,000 the agency can usually set aside these acquisitions for small businesses if there are at least three competitive offers. Simplified acquisition between $2,500 and $25,000 can obtain either an oral or written quotations from businesses in an effort to promote competition. For contracts over...
Words: 1241 - Pages: 5
...American Public University System ISSC640 – Prof. Belkacem Kraimeche November 12, 2014 Abstract The cases of cybersecurity breaches reported by federal agencies have sharply increased in recent years due to a combination of factors. This study seeks to examine the current trends in cybersecurity breaches documented and reported by federal agencies, analyze the various factors responsible for this trend and their impacts, as well use currently available data to predict a future trend. A Case Study of the Trend in Cyber Security Breaches as Reported by US Federal Agencies The number cybersecurity breaches reported by federal agencies has been on the increase owing to the variety of factors. According to a report by U.S Government Accountability Office, GAO (2014), federal agencies have reported increasing number of cybersecurity breaches that have put sensitive information at risk, with potentially serious impacts on federal and military operations. GAO (2014) further stated that the increase in this number is due to the fact that obtaining hacking tools has become easier, there is dramatic increase in reporting security incidents, and steady advances in the sophistication and effectiveness of attack technologies. The table below shows the number of cybersecurity breaches since 2006 to 2012 as reported by GAO (2014). Number of Incidents | 5503 | 11911 | 16843 | 29999 | 41776 | 42854 | 48562 | FiscalYear | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | Data sourced...
Words: 987 - Pages: 4
...(GDP) is the yearly output of goods in a country. In regard to the business cycle, the current years GDP is compared to previous years to determine a trend and to possibly predict future outcomes or to just see how an economy is doing. When the GDP rises, then there is growth in the economy. If the GDP is falling, then there is a slump in the economy. If the GDP falls to the point of creating hardships for businesses then the economy is considered to be in a recession. If the GDP rises close to the maximum point, then the economy is considered to be booming. There are four major government bodies that determine national fiscal policies. They are the department of treasury, government accountability office, office of management and budget, and the office of the president of the United States. The treasury department handles, creates, and applies the fiscal policy. The government accountability office is in charge of audits. The office of management and budget deals with the improvement and study of fiscal policy and the office of the United States president is the decision maker. Fiscal policies effect both an economies production and employment. When taxes are low, consumers are more apt to purchase goods. This increase in consumption stimulates the economy, thus providing more employment opportunities. This is a positive impact, because not only is employment increased, so is production. When taxes are high, the opposite situation occurs in that...
Words: 394 - Pages: 2
...ADVANCED CONTRACT FORMATION AND ADMINISTRATION Examination Questions 1. Describe the three levels of competition permitted under the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA). Give an example of each. a. Full and open competition; Full and open competition means that all responsible sources are permitted to submit sealed bids or competitive proposals on the procurement. It is the preferred form of contracting and includes contracting by sealed bids, negotiation, and other procedures. Example: b. Full and open competition after exclusion of sources Full and open competition after exclusion of one or more sources is used when the U.S. Government excludes certain potential sources from consideration for a contract in order to establish or maintain alternative sources c. Other than full and open competition Under this method, a bid or proposal is solicited from one, or very few, sources. Detailed justification and approvals are required to document the choice of other than full and open competition as a means of acquisition. Example: The Department of Homeland Security, Office of Procurement Operations, proposes to enter into a contract on a basis other than full and open competition. DHS has a requirement on a sole source basis to upgrade and maintain proprietary software at an estimated cost of $7,550,000. List the name and address of the proposed contractor(s). 2. What is meant by the term “ratification” of a contract action? Who has the authority to...
Words: 1652 - Pages: 7
...the recession. The Act was an enormous response to an economic crisis/condition not experienced by this country since the Great Depression and included efforts to modernize the nation’s infrastructure, improve energy independence, and stimulate economic growth. The Recovery Act in itself is an admirable effort, however, the ultra dependence on the government procurement/contracting community to implement large chucks of the legislation and has brought tremendous challenges (through new rules and laws) into the area of contract administration. The burdens of the Recovery Act have been enormous for the contract community because of the enormous oversight required of the funds and contracts associated with the Recovery Act itself. Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) should never have been burdened with these extensive responsibilities The purpose of the Recovery Act as stated earlier was and is to stimulate the economy through the creation and retention of jobs at the local, state, and national levels. However, instead of the monies being allocated to the states or to responsible agencies to allocate, the federal government (executive office) chose to use the federal contracting process to utilize and expend the funds. On the surface it would appear the federal contracting process would be the perfect vehicle to assist in implementation of the Recovery Act, however, the funds associated with the stimulus package are valued at $787 billion dollars and 165 additional Internal...
Words: 1429 - Pages: 6
...2012 3 20 70 GAO Government Accountability Office GAO GAO 20 70 1921 1949 60 1993 9 518034 auditxu@yahoo.com.cn 60 2012 3 2002 GAO GAO 2004 Accountability GAO GAO 1921 Governmental Accountability Office GAO 2009 Act GAO ARRP GAO 2010 2015 GAO GAO GAO GAO GAO The American Recovery and Reinvestment Troubled Assets Relieve Program TARP 2009 4 2010 4 1675 GAO GAO ARRA 2009 ARRA TARP TARP GAO 61 GAO 2012 3 2001 GAO GAO 2000 GAO No Child Left Behind Act 2011 1982 GAO 3 10 14 SBIR 1986 1992 GAO GAO the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS GAO CMS (Medicare) Medicaid CHIP GAO Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Environmental Protection Agency CEA 2005 Cost-Benefit Analysis GAO CBA CBA GAO GAO GAO GAO GAO 2009 GAO 2009 GAO 3 30 GAO GAO 1993 62 2012 3 GAO GAO GAO GAO 2008 2012 63 2012 3 GAO . 2010. . 2010. [J]. [J]. 7 . 2 . GAO. 2011. Southwest Border: Border Patrol Operations on Federal Lands, Washington DC No: GAO-11-573T. GAO. 2011. Refugee Assistance: Little Is Known about the Effectiveness of Different Approaches for Improving Refugees’ Employment Outcomes, Washington DC No: GAO-11-573T. GAO. 2010. STRATEGIC PLAN 2010-2015. GAO. 2010. Recovery Act: Opportunities to Improve Management and Strengthen Accountability over States' and Localities' Uses of Funds. Washington DC No:...
Words: 567 - Pages: 3
...Itinerary is usually packed with market briefings, networking events, visits to specific businesses and Government agencies. * Trade or business missions give you a more in-depth perspective on a specific market or specific industry in that market. You will also have opportunities to meet Government officials and businessmen. Trade Fairs And Exhibitions * Singapore companies, sometimes with the Government, attend trade fairs and exhibitions overseas together. * If organised by the Government, you will attend the fair as part of the "Singapore Pavilion". For instance, International Enterprise (IE) Singapore brings together local food manufacturers and distributors to SIAL in France - one of the largest food and beverage exhibitions in the world. * Trade fairs and exhibitions provide good opportunities to find distributors, agents and consumers. They are more sales and marketing-driven. back to top Government-Led Missions * Various Government agencies take the lead in organising overseas missions for their industries. * For some of these missions, you may qualify for Government incentives, e.g. grants or double tax deduction, that help defray costs. * Government-led missions are ideal for SMEs who may not have the resources to venture abroad on their own. They also appeal to larger companies that need to make one-on-one contact with Government officials. * You can approach any of the following agencies: * International Enterprise (IE)...
Words: 892 - Pages: 4
...Privacy in Today’s Society: The Government is watching ENG 122 Prof. Shannon Bilunas 02/28/13 Privacy in Today’s Society: The Government is watching The thought of someone watching my every move is not only scary but also annoying. It's like living in a house with no doors. Everyone needs privacy in his or her life. I've always heard people refer to the government as "Big Brother". Big brothers are supposed to protect their younger siblings. Is "Big Brother" protecting us? Or just out right being nosey & invading our privacy? In our society today everything we do is being tracked. There's video surveillance everywhere we turn. Every click of a mouse or push of a button on the Internet is being tracked & logged. Almost everything today is GPS enabled. The government can access these records, videos, and locate people from their GPS enabled device without their knowledge. Scott McNealy couldn’t have said it any better “You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it” (Sprenger, 1999, para.1). The evolution of technology has made it easier for Big Brother to watch us. Our privacy against government intrusion is virtually impossible because technology has provided more access than our judicial, legislative and political systems have developed restrictions. After 9/11 The Patriot Act was one of many surveillance laws that made it easier for the government to keep an eye on us. The change in this law gave the government more authority to check any citizen’s Internet...
Words: 1152 - Pages: 5
...Running Head: Healthcare.gov: Management Nightmare Healthcare.gov: Management Nightmare John Kincaid Webster University Abstract For many Americans the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, represents a chance to purchase health care that they were otherwise unable to attain. For many more it represents the US Government mandating that they must have health insurance or face increasing fines for not doing so. Whatever the basis is for one’s preference for national health care coverage, the fact remains that the face of Obamacare, Healthcare.gov, failed spectacularly when it was launched late last year. A paltry percentage of people were able to actually use the website as intended with most not being able to choose from the offerings, much less even log into the site. While there are many reasons why the launch failed and many more speculations, this paper is intended to look at the procurement and vendor management processes that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid utilized when procuring services from commercial entities. The inherent failure of these processes and the structure that allows a large project to proceed without directly assigning responsibility will also be looked at. Introduction On March 23, 2010 President Barack Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), otherwise known as Obamacare. The law’s intent is to provide health insurance coverage to millions of uninsured Americans through new private insurance marketplaces...
Words: 2779 - Pages: 12
...1. The difference between privacy law and information systems security is very simple you must apply security to ensure privacy. In IT they relate because you must have a security process that in return will have privacy as a successful action. 2. The employee should have never taken home official data because of all the information that the files had. All the files had personal information of each patient. 3. The possible consequences that are associated with data loss are financial and in the scenario mentioned identity theft. 4. Regarding the loss of privacy data, there was data containing personal healthcare information PHI making this HIPPA compliance violation because institutions want to make sure that their patients information is not jeopardize and they to ensure security with any medical records. 5. The action that any company can take against any concerned employee is training and making sure that all employees are aware the policies. 6. The response of the company would have been different if the data theft had occurred at work instead of happening at the employee’s residence because at work the company could have traced the employee and his where abouts within the premises of the company. The consequences of violating company policy would have been much simpler to implement. 7. The VA Data Analyst’s and two supervisors that were reprimanded and demoted by the VA Secretary and the action is justified because the incident had been happening over the last three...
Words: 485 - Pages: 2
...RUNNING HEAD: DRAFT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 1 Hanser T. Whitfield Strayer University Draft Request for Proposal Government Contract Law 505 Professor Pino May 5, 2013 RUNNING HEAD: DRAFT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 2 Apply the appropriate FAR clauses to meet compliance in contract formulation and award. In my position of Contracting Officer for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a determination has been made that an open bid for Security Guards is needed. The objective of this solicitation of Request for Proposal (RFP) is from, Federal Protective Services (FPS), to contract security guards that will provide security and law enforcement coverage to all Government Security Administration (GSA) owned and operated federal property. Security Guards employed under this contract responsibility include: federal access building control, employee and visitor identification checks, security equipment monitoring and roving patrols of the interior and exterior of federal property. (Congressional Research Service, 2009). The solicitation will require security guards at several GSA building and properties to protect homeland and manage risk to ensure the continuity of our national critical infrastructure, the nation’s federal facilities and their occupants. To ensure further protection of our building...
Words: 1743 - Pages: 7
...Simplified Acquisition Procedures Glenn West Dr. Antoinette Bridges BUS 501007VA016-1128-001 Government Acquisition November 3, 2012 1. Define the term “simplified acquisition” as it relates to government acquisition according to the FAR. Simplified Acquisition is defined as acquisition of supplies, services or construction in the amount of $150K or less, with some exceptions, using the streamlined acquisition procedure. “Simplified acquisition procedures” means the methods prescribed in Part 13 for making purchases of supplies or services. “Simplified acquisition threshold” means $150,000, except for acquisitions of supplies or services that, as determined by the head of the agency, are to be used to support a contingency operation or to facilitate defense against or recovery from nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological attack (41 U.S.C. 428a), the term means— (1) $300,000 for any contract to be awarded and performed, or purchase to be made, inside the United States; and (2) $1 million for any contract to be awarded and performed, or purchase to be made, outside the United States.(3) 2. Describe the circumstances under which the government allows the use of simplified acquisition procedures according to the FAR. Buying organizations have been and are taught to use the simplified acquisition procedures to the maximum extent that is practicable to purchase supplies and services not to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold ($5 million)...
Words: 1178 - Pages: 5
...CHAPTER 11 LIABILITIES 1. INTRODUCTION. a. Applicability. The applicability of this chapter is specified in Chapter 1, “Accounting Overview.” Background/Authorities. This chapter prescribes the policies and general procedures for recording and reporting liabilities consistent with the Statement of Federal Financial Accounting Standards (SFFAS) or Government Accountability Office (GAO) Title 2 standards in the absence of SFFAS. Liabilities include accounts payable; accrued expenses; interest payable; accrued payroll and benefits; accrued leave; deferred revenues, including advances; deposit funds; debt issued under borrowing authority; bonds; loan guarantees and loan commitments; contingent liabilities; lease liabilities; and unfunded liabilities. Policy/Objectives. (1) All liabilities shall be measured and recorded as accurately as possible, given the circumstances under which the liability was created. Liabilities recorded in financial statements shall reflect invoices received and accruals for any costs incurred, and assets received for which progress billings, grant reimbursement requests, and other billings have not yet been received. Liabilities shall be recorded and/or footnoted irrespective of whether funds are available or authorized for payment. Contingent liabilities shall be recorded as incurred liabilities if the loss is probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. Loss contingencies that are judged to have a reasonably possible chance of occurring or that...
Words: 262 - Pages: 2
...We have just exercised the last option on the current Navy contract and must start the process to re-compete the next contract for this on-going requirement. The new contract will be valued at over $150 million. The current contract is a fixed price award fee, but recently we went to a briefing given by the Air Force on a relatively new type of contract incentive called Award Term and are considering this as an option. There has been much discussion on what type of contract we will use for the re-compete for the follow on contact. In this paper I will cover the background of the award term incentive acquisition, compare different types of contracts, discuss the pros and cons of the award term method, and whether it meets the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) requirements. If you search the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) for award term incentive, you won’t find it there. It was designed by Mr. Thomas Jordan in 1997 at Kelly Air Force Base. He used it on a task order contract for the Air Force’s Aeronautical Systems Centers award to McDonnell Douglas Corporation for services on the F-15C aircraft. The contract had a seven year base period, which the contractor could extend to 15 years by rendering excellent service. This type of incentive was not in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), but was comparable to the award-fee incentive-type contract found in the FAR Part 16.405-2 [1]. Acquisitions that have included award term incentives have been conducted...
Words: 1382 - Pages: 6
