Federal CIO leaving

Steven VanRoekel, the chief information officer at the White House, is leaving that position to help coordinate the Obama administration’s response to Ebola in West Africa.

VanRoekel, who became the Federal CIO in 2011, will be a senior advisor at the U.S. Agency for International Development.

DOD’s new FOIA rule

The Defense Department published a new proposed rule for carrying out its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) responsibilities.

The department said the new rule updates policies and procedures, incorporates recent executive order provisions to improve disclosure, and promotes uniformity in compliance.

Public comments are due by Nov. 3.

More information:New FOIA proposed rule http://goo.gl/PUuHMI

World Bank contracting

The World Bank and several private sector partners have launched the Open Government Contracts Platform website offering searchable data about global public sector contracting.

The free and public platform is powered by Govini and created in collaboration with open data advocates. It currently displays 44,000 public contracting records totaling $7.3 billion from India.

More information: http://goo.gl/sqFKfI

AbilityOne concerns

Dozens of members of Congress have signed on to a letter asking the General Services Administration to review its compliance with AbilityOne preferences for vendors employing significant numbers of people with disabilities.

The National Industries for the Blind spearheaded the letter, apparently following up on concerns it raised in a protest against the GSA’s Office Supplies 3 contract earlier this year. The organization had argued that vendors operating physical “brick and mortar” stores cannot comply with the law governing AbilityOne. GAO denied that protest.

The letter originally was published by Federal Times.

More information: http://goo.gl/lVBDDL

SDVOSB frauds

Contractors in two separate schemes in which they posed as service-disabled veteran small business owners are now facing possible prison sentences.

In Missouri, Michael J. Parker, owner of Silver Star Construction, pleaded guilty to a $6.7 million fraud.

In Nebraska, Ram Hingorani, owner of Midwest Paving, pleaded guilty to running a $23 million fraud scheme involving the SDVOSB program.

More information: Justice Dept. press releases:
http://goo.gl/ERNtau
http://goo.gl/upV66I

Big opportunities for 8(a)s from graduating firms

U.S. Court expands reach of non-manufacturer rule

BMO comments wanted

Gov’t shutdown averted for now

Who’s enforcing 8(a) subcontract limitations?

Column: Tips for negotiating subcontract and noncompete agreements

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