Federal Drive with Tom Temin

One thing government contracting shops are sticklers for is receiving bids by the stated deadline. Two days or two seconds late, and would-be contractors are out of luck. That's true even if the government's own IT systems screw up or cause the lateness. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin talked about the latest test case with Smith Pachter McWhorter procurement attorney Joe Petrillo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Federal oversight bodies often look for waste, fraud and abuse. But another trio of witches also bedevils the government: Fragmentation, overlap and duplication (FOD). The Government Accountability Office's latest report shows agencies have been able to hack away at FOD, but new instances keep popping up. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin got the latest from the GAO's director of strategic issues, Jessica Lucas-Judy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence software isn't like other software, especially when it comes to acquiring and licensing it. The data requirements to ensure lack of bias in AI, and transparency in how it works are not part of standard license agreements. This is all the subject of a study by the School of Business at George Mason University. Study author and senior fellow Benjamin McMartin spoke to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin about some of the warnings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Senate could vote tomorrow on a 40 billion dollar military aid package for Ukraine. It's already passed the House. Whatever happens, it will require contracts and contractors. Joining the Federal Drive with a look inside, the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has started releasing a series of data sheets for the public. They show the delineations of wetland, a crucial piece of information in land and resource management. Joining the Federal Drive with details about the program, research soil scientist Jacob Berkowitz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One arm of the government's intellectual property protection machinery has a new position and a new person to fill it. The U.S. Copyright Office, a Congressional branch agency, has appointed its first chief economist. Joining the Federal Drive to explain the connection between copyrights and economics is that economist himself, Dr. Brent Lutes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The White House has three. NSA and US Cyber Command have both a general and one. CISA has one. We're talking about agencies with presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed positions focused on cybersecurity. The Energy Department, on the other hand, decided it didn't need a presidentially appointed or Senate confirmed leader in its Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response or CESER. In his weekly Reporter's Notebook, executive editor Jason Miller writes about why some say this decision is short sighted and sends the wrong message especially at a time when the energy sector is facing more serious cyber threats than ever before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Like in the game of monopoly, Defense Department money comes in many colors. Unlike the board game, each color in DoD has a specific, non-interchangeable purpose. When it comes to buying software, that presents a problem, which the Air Force is hoping to fix in next year's budget. That an more in this week's DOD reporters notebook with Federal News Network's Jared Serbu and Scott Maucione. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From infant formula to the devastating war in Ukraine, nothing is to big or small for Congressional attention this week. You can throw veterans and Veterans Affairs into the mix. We get the outlook from Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Congress has okayed billions of dollars in security assistance for Ukraine. But one group thinks the U.S. Defense industry is well-positioned to provide not just weapons – but humanitarian aid too. The needs on the ground range from search and rescue equipment to medical supplies and satellite phones. A collection of Arizona-based industry groups is helping to identify those needs, ask for donations from contractors, and get the supplies where they need to go. Lynndy Smith is chairwoman and co-founder of the West Valley Defense Alliance. She talked about the project with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mama never said it would be easy. Veterans Affairs officials knew they were taking on a long and expensive project when, back in 2017, they decided to replace Vista, the electronic health records and management system. The new EHR has proven to be a heavy lift, especially when it comes to a realistic and enforceable schedule. We get the latest report from the VA's deputy inspector general, David Case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Starting today, 1,400 employees at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are returning to the office. Well, at least one day a week. But with union negotiations still incomplete, the American Federation of Government Employees is taking issue with EEOC’s announcement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A perennial effort to improve workplace conditions at the Transportation Security Administration employees took a major step forward last week. It came on Thursday when the House passed the Rights for the TSA Workforce Act of 2022. For more, Federal News Network’s Justin Doubleday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For anyone in Washington wanting to understand something in the Defense Department budget, Todd Harrison has been a go-to analyst. Now, after seven years at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, he's leaving to join a defense company. The Federal Drive spoke with him about the move. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the COVID pandemic, staffing the nation’s healthcare facilities has been a challenge pretty much across the board. But the military’s hospitals and clinics faced special circumstances. Military clinicians whose day jobs were at military treatment facilities could be pulled away for other COVID-19 missions with little or no notice. The Defense Department office of inspector general looked into this. 26 out of 30 facilities said staffing problems were their biggest challenge. Andre Brown is Program Director for Military Healthcare and Operations at the DoD IG’s office. He talked about their findings with Federal News Network’s Jared Serbu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices