Federal events canceled

Several high-level conferences involving federal officials have been canceled in early 2013 due to severe travel cutbacks and restrictions.

Recent events to get the axe include the Military Health System conference in Maryland, Defense Acquisition University’s annual forum in Huntsville, AL and the Navy’s IT Conference in San Diego.

A recent Market Connections poll reflected the curtailments.

The survey showed 38% of government employees plan to attend fewer educational and trade events in 2013 than last year; 27% plan to attend about the same number, and 5%, more events.

Of the 400 government workers polled, 58% preferred smaller, content-specific events over large trade shows.

In addition, 69% were more likely to attend events close to home vs. 29% would stay in a hotel. Also, 72% were more likely to attend events hosted by a trade association vs. 25% for those hosted by a corporate entity.

Twenty-seven percent want to network with government peers, but only 16% want to network with industry peers or to view product demonstrations.

Is SBA advocacy biased?

Two recent reports from nonprofit groups accuse the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy of taking on a mission favoring big businesses rather than small ones, especially on issues involving regulation.

The Center for Progressive Reform says the SBA’s advocacy has taken on a mission of blocking regulations affecting public health and safety in favor of industry.

“The (SBA) Office of Advocacy nevertheless devotes much of its time and resources to blocking, delaying, or diluting regulatory safeguards or to supporting general anti-regulatory attacks from industry and its allies in Congress. In short, blocking regulations has become the Office of Advocacy’s de facto top priority,” the center claimed.

The Center for Effective Government said the SBA office overstepped its authority by assessing cancer risks for the public.

The Office of Advocacy has not commented on the reports.

More information:
Center for Progressive Reform report: http://goo.gl/4KueQ
Center for Effective Government report http://goo.gl/GXzqG
Bloomberg article: http://goo.gl/eaeYX
Huffington Post article: http://goo.gl/lUyho
GovExec article: http://goo.gl/6iR0K

OMB directs access

The Office of Management and Budget issued a directive to agency CIOs to strengthen access for people with disabilities under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

The law provides for physical and electronic access for public facilities and information. It covers federal websites as well as physical structures.

Under the OMB order, each agency now must establish a 508 program and name a 508 coordinator by late March.

The agencies also need to develop plans for completing a baseline assessment of Section 508 compliance. A template for those assessments will be released in March.

Also, agencies will begin quarterly reporting on progress on the standards.

The White House said the additional guidance was needed to speed up progress.

“Implementation of Section 508 across agencies is not consistent, and a more comprehensive approach is needed to build and sustain an accessible federal technology environment,” OMB officials wrote in the Jan. 24 order.

More information: OMB order http://goo.gl/Yz49d

Interagency buying

The Defense Department and General Services Administration need to update their procurement rules to better reflect current policies related to interagency contracting, the Government Accountability Office recommended in a new report.

“GSA has not updated the ordering guides for all its interagency contract vehicles to include the requirement for its customers to make a best procurement approach determination despite internal direction to do so; DOD has not updated its acquisition regulation to reflect this requirement,” the GAO said.

More information: GAO report http://goo.gl/3rDSz