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FROM GAO - High- Risk Series Efforts Made to Achieve Progress Need to Be Maintained and Expanded to Fully Address All Areas.
This biennial update describes the status of high-risk areas, outlines actions that are needed to assure further progress, and identifies new high-risk areas needing attention by the executive branch and Congress.
Congress and executive agencies have made substantial progress addressing high-risk issues since the previous High-Risk List update in 2021. Sixteen of 34 high-risk areas improved since 2021. This is the most progress in the 8 years since GAO started rating high-risk areas. Two of the 16 areas are being removed from the list: Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) Insurance Programs and the 2020 Decennial Census. Since our last update, there were approximately $100 billion in financial benefits due to improvements in high-risk areas.
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DoD taking new approach to ‘paralyzingly large’ facility maintenance backlog
The Defense Department has been underinvesting in facility upkeep for years, and its maintenance backlog keeps getting bigger. DoD says it’s now rolling out new tools that won’t necessarily solve the problem, but will at least help officials make better decisions on exactly how they’re spending their maintenance dollars.
According to the Government Accountability Office, the department has a deferred maintenance backlog of at least $137 billion. But that figure is almost certainly a major underestimate, for several reasons. For one, it’s based on 2020 data. It also doesn’t account for the facilities that are already past their useful lifespans — and nearly a third of DoD’s facilities meet that criteria.
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GSA unveils new USA.gov websites
The new versions of USA.gov and USA.Gov en Español come after beta testing by the agency to make the sites more user-friendly.
The General Services Administration debuted newly redesigned websites for USA.gov and USA.Gov en Español on Friday, touting upgrades meant to make the websites more user-friendly following the beta testing of new features for the websites.
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Feds Spent $3B on AI Last Year, Lawmakers Hurried Legislation
The Federal government was busy not only talking about AI last year, but also turning that enthusiasm into record spending levels on the emerging technology.
According to a new report from Stanford University, Federal spending on AI contracts totaled $3.3 billion last year. Not to be outdone, lawmakers passed more AI-related bills in fiscal year (FY) 2022 than ever before.
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Congressional Action Needed to Quicken DoD Innovation Buys
The process of fixing the Defense Department’s (DoD) innovation adoption problem needs to begin at the congressional level, former defense officials and industry executives said this week at an Atlantic Council event.
That was a top-line takeaway from a report released on Wednesday during a virtual roundtable by the Atlantic Council’s Commission on Defense Innovation Adoption – a think-tank commission composed of former high-level DoD officials. The report explores how DoD can better integrate new technology into its arsenal, and make it easier for the military to buy off-the-shelf technology.
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Atlantic Council Commission on Defense Innovation Adoption interim report
The report, co-chaired by former Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, encourages reforms in other parts of the government to speed up defense acquisition …
To address the DoD’s innovation adoption challenge in light of the urgency of the geopolitical environment we face, this interim report advances ten policy recommendations for Congress and the Pentagon, focusing on the three key areas of reforming acquisition; overcoming barriers to innovation; and revising specific Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution structures.
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Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Use of Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) Assessments (DFARS Case 2019-D009)
DoD is issuing a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to update the policy and procedures for use of the Supplier Performance Risk System and to require contracting officers to consider SPRS risk assessments, if available, in the evaluation of a supplier's quotation or offer and to consider SPRS supplier risk assessments when determining contractor responsibility.
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Improved Registration Work Flow Coming to SAM.gov May 26
Beginning on May 26, 2023, there will be improvements to the start of the SAM.gov registration workflow. The changes may be noticeable to returning or frequent SAM.gov registrants, but likely won’t be significant for those registering for the first time.
First, when you start a new entity registration, you will be asked two questions that will help determine how you want to use your SAM.gov registration (what we call the “purpose of registration”). Next, you will see a personalized recommendation for your registration option based on how you answered the questions. Finally, you will be able to compare the other options to your recommendation and make the choice that fits your organization’s goals.
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CISA Updates Zero Trust Maturity Model to Add New Stage
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) today published an updated, second version of its Zero Trust Maturity Model that is guiding Federal agencies and other organizations along the path to adopting zero trust security architectures.
The updated maturity model benefits from public comments that CISA received through a proceeding initiated in 2021, and also its experience in helping other Federal agencies undertake their zero trust security migrations over the past year and a half.
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Security Segmentation in a Small Manufacturing Environment: Cybersecurity White Paper Now Available
NIST's National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has released Security Segmentation in a Small Manufacturing Environment (NIST Cybersecurity Whitepaper 28).
What is this paper about?
As manufacturers are increasingly targeted in cyberattacks, any gaps in cybersecurity leave small manufacturers vulnerable to attacks. Small manufacturers tend to operate facilities with limited staff and resources, often causing cybersecurity to fall by the wayside as something that costs too much time and money. Additionally, bringing together various cybersecurity standards, frameworks, and guides to derive a coherent action plan is a challenge even for those experienced in cybersecurity.
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Price, Cost and Finance - Defense Contract Finance Study
In 2019, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended that DoD conduct a comprehensive assessment of the effect that its contract financing and profit policies have on the defense industry. Accordingly, DoD initiated a comprehensive Defense Contract Finance Study at the end of 2019 to assess defense industry financial performance over a twenty-year timeframe.
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Sales Opportunities with Local Government Agencies
DANE COUNTY
April 27
In Person
11:00 am - Noon
Madison Area Technical College (MATC), Commercial Avenue Campus
2125 Commercial Avenue, Room 240 | Madison, WI 53704
In April we will be joined by staff members from Dane County, along with WPI staff to learn more about sales opportunities currently available at county agencies.
Dane County will share with us details about current and upcoming opportunities at county agencies, as well as how small businesses can leverage certifications when selling to the county, and much more.
At this monthly in-person event, you will have the opportunity to discuss, ask questions, and share information about your business with Dane County representatives. WPI staff will also be available to meet one-on-one and review your business’s government business strategy.
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May 2 & 3
Virtual
1:00 - 4:00 pm
If you are a current DoD contractor, subcontractor, or interested in entering the DoD marketplace, you should attend.
The National Contract Management Association Wisconsin Chapter along with the Wisconsin Procurement Institute (APEX ACCELERATOR) and the National Defense Industrial Association Great Lakes Chapter are hosting the 9th Annual DOD Contract Management Update on May 2 and 3, 2023. This year’s event will be presented by THE CONTRACTING ACADEMY (TCA) and will be in a virtual format.
Topics and Speakers Include:
May 2
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1:00 Subcontracting and Small Business Compliance – DCMA Small Business Programs, Ms. Kelli Zagata, Director, Subcontracting and Small Business Compliance Center
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2:00 Army Small Business Programs – U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, Marie Gapinski, Office of Small Business Programs
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3:00 Overview of Audit Activities for Small Business – DCAA Small Business Overview, DCAA Chicago
May 3
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1:00 DoD Contract Administration Fundamentals – Jason Rathsack, DCMA Central Region
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2:00 The Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE) – Benjamin Blanc, Government Contract Specialist, WPI – APEX Accelerator
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3:00 Applying Basic Models and First Principles to DOD Contract Administration and Management Programs Marc Violante, Director, Federal Market Strategies, WPI – APEX Accelerator
This year’s event is being offered at no cost to attendees.
For questions about this upcoming event or previous TCA sessions, contact Michael Steger at (414) 270-3600 or at MichaelS@wispro.org.
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Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)
Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining"!
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Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for? (Audience) Why should they care? (Benefit) What do I want them to do here? (Call-to-Action)
Create a great offer by adding words like "free" "personalized" "complimentary" or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take an action, so think about inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining"!
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This free event is designed for:
- Existing small businesses
- Individuals who are thinking of starting a business
- Entrepreneurs looking for funding and resources
Virtual Programming Topics:
- Show Me the Money: Non-Traditional Sources of Funding
- Successful Scaling Strategies: Planning How and When to Grow Your Business
- Understand Your Cash Flow: Record Keeping and Financial Management
- Putting You in Your Business: Using Video Story Telling to Build Your Brand
- Leveraging Your Federal, State, and Local Certifications to Build Your Business
- Enhancing Your Online Presence: Implementing Your Brand in Digital Marketing
- Effective Workforce Retention and Attraction: Childcare, Benefits, and Other Ways to Engage Your Workforce
- Upcoming Business Opportunities in Wisconsin
Locations for Event:
- Appleton
- Beloit
- Eau Claire
- La Crosse
- Madison
- Milwaukee
- Rhinelander
The conference will provide entrepreneurs and startups with opportunities to learn from and connect with business leaders and technical and financial resource providers and to identify the tools they need to start and grow their businesses.
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Be sure to follow WPI on social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) for regular updates on events, news and opportunities.
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WPI 10437 Innovation Dr. Suite 320, Milwaukee, WI 53226 414-270-3600
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