8(a) Firms Prosper on Recovery Act Contracts
About $686 million in Recovery Act funds has been awarded to 8(a) firms on sole source contracts, the Government Accountability office reported.

DOD Advisers Wonder: Are Combatant Commands Becoming “Contractor” Commands?
A Defense Department advisory panel says Secretary Robert Gates should start at the top to cut spending on overhead—in his own office, the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the combatant commands.

GAO Stings HUBZone Program—Again
Remember the Alamo? The Small Business Administration doesn’t.

OMB Targets High-Risk IT Projects: Improve or Die
High-risk IT projects may be canceled unless agencies present an acceptable improvement plan, according to a memo from federal chief information officer Vivek Kundra.

Wall Street Reform: Opportunity or Hiring Quota?
A little-notice provision of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law requires financial services firms to hire more women and minorities if they want to do business with the federal government.

Business Issues: Five Steps to Federal Sales Success
Rapid revenue is not the result of a number of calls, but rather of a concise tactical approach that dovetails with the overall vision and strategy of the enterprise.

Vacation Time
Because of vacation, the next issue of Set-Aside Alert will be published on Aug. 27.