Spring 2020 Service Contractor Magazine

Spring 2020

Trusted Workforce and the “New” Workplace

ALSO INSIDE: 8

10

PRESIDENT’S HELPING USAID PIVOT TO FEATURE VIRTUAL MANAGEMENT Professional Services Council

12

PSC UPDATE ON EVENTS

32

MAXIMIZING THE IT ECOSYSTEM IN TIMES Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 1 OF CRISIS

Can your government contracts stand up to the scrutiny of a DOL investigation?

Industry experts estimate that at least 50% of Contractors are currently out of compliance. Did you know that Contractors are also subject to fines and penalties if their subcontractors are out of compliance with the DOL requirements?

Not knowing your duties is not a defense against compliance deficiencies! With penalties and sanctions becoming more frequent and often substantial, now is the time to put a strategic partner to work for you and your bottom line.

GSA National understands the bid implications of SCA compliance and can help you navigate the ever changing and complex compliance landscape. Let our team of compliance experts be the asset that increases your ability to submit winning proposals.

Service Contract Act Coaching and Training Davis-Bacon Act Training Recordkeeping, Reporting and SCA Compliance Review Compliance and Audit Consulting GSA Online: Web-Based Benefits Administration Premium Reserve and Trust Accounting FML and Leave of Absence COBRA, FMLA Legal Support

Navigating the Government Contract Compliance LandscapeProfessional Since 1991 2 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020 Services Council

Spring 2020

10 HELPING USAID PIVOT TO VIRTUAL MANAGEMENT

8

14

COVID-19: What Happens Next?

4 President’s Letter

7 Policy Spotlight 12 PSC Update on Events 18 Bill Tracker

VALUING THE BUTTERFLY: SEVEN STEPS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES CAN USE

34 Member News

36 Event Spotlight

32

38 Event Happenings

MAXIMIZING THE IT ECOSYSTEM IN TIMES OF CRISIS Cover illustration: Allison Weinstock

Service Contractor

is a publication of the Professional Services Council 4401 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1110 Arlington, VA 22203 Phone: 703-875-8059 Fax: 703-875-8922 Web: www.pscouncil.org All Rights Reserved For advertising or to submit articles or items for the Member News section, contact: Pheniece Jones jones@pscouncil.org

P S C S TA F F David J. Berteau President & CEO berteau@pscouncil.org Alan Chvotkin, Esq. Executive Vice President & Counsel chvotkin@pscouncil.org Cate Benedetti Vice President, Government Relations benedetti@pscouncil.org Joe Carden, CAE Vice President, Marketing & Membership carden@pscouncil.org

Professional Services Council

Paul Foldi Vice President, International Development foldi@pscouncil.org Ryan McDermott Vice President, Defense & Intelligence mcdermott@pscouncil.org Melissa R. Phillips, CMP Vice President, Events & Operations phillips@pscouncil.org Robert Piening, CPA, CGMA Vice President, Accounting & Finance piening@pscouncil.org

Bradley Saull Vice President, Civilian Agencies saull@pscouncil.org Matthew Busby Director, Membership busby@pscouncil.org Michelle Jobse Director, Vision Forecast jobse@pscouncil.org Cassie Katz Director, Marketing katz@pscouncil.org Andrea Ostrander Director, Events ostrander@pscouncil.org

Pheniece Jones Director, Media Relations jones@pscouncil.org Jean Tarascio Senior Manager, Events tarascio@pscouncil.org Donald Baumgart Manager, Vision Forecast baumgart@pscouncil.org Karen Holmes Office Manager holmes@pscouncil.org Christian Larsen Senior Associate, Public Policy larsen@pscouncil.org

Sebastian Herrick Senior Associate, Public Policy herrick@pscouncil.org Amanda Goff Associate, Research & Analysis goff@pscouncil.org Daniel Catlin Associate, Membership catlin@pscouncil.org Alexandra Gomez Executive Assistant gomez@pscouncil.org Allison Weinstock Associate, Digital Marketing weinstock@pscouncil.org

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 3

PRESIDENT ’S LETTER

A

t PSC, we begin work on the next issue of Service Contractor magazine as soon as we deliver the previous one. When the Winter 2020 issue was distributed at January’s CEO Leadership Summit, we had early reports of a coronavirus outbreak, but we did not anticipate the dramatic upheaval it would create for our members, the federal contractor industry, and our government customers.

That upheaval has already had far-reaching consequences, and at PSC our priorities have been: • Keep the entire federal government operating (not just the parts addressing Covid-19) • Keep our member companies working to support those operations • Keep companies and employees paid.

Like most of you, PSC has made significant adjustments to our daily rhythms and to the ways we bring value to our members.

The Coronavirus Resource Center on the PSC web site is a curated repository of government guidance documents, rule changes, and updates for contractors. Begin each day with the PSC Daily’s list of overnight updates to this resource center.

If you don’t get the Daily, you can subscribe at pscouncil.org; it’s easy to set up an account if you don’t have one already.

This Spring edition of our magazine offers new perspectives on ways we’ve responded to Covid-19.

Leaders from PSC members offer insights relevant to both our current situation and for the long run. Check out the articles by Perspecta’s Josh Verville on IT ecosystems (page 32) and Noblis’ T.C. Folkedal on tech transformation (page 14).

Covid-19 has provided the motivation for success stories in our industry. Our Council of International Development Companies (CIDC) lead the way in reporting success stories, and one such example is Panagora Group’s “From the Field” report on page 10.

4 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

We welcome your submissions across all agencies and types of work for future editions.

Successes come because technical and professional services contractors are in this business for the long run. What will that long run look like? I offer some considerations and key questions in “What Happens Next?” on page 8.

Our members rely on PSC for market intelligence and policy insights. You will find that in Alan Chvotkin’s policy spotlight (page 7).

We are now delivering insights and access to you via virtual sessions instead of in-person ones. As with the resource center, the PSC Daily is your best way to be aware of and register for these events.

Our conferences are another way members gain value from PSC. The recap of the Law Enforcement conference is on page 38. It turns out to be our last in-person conference for a while, as we moved some conferences from the spring to later this year.

One such move was the signature PSC Annual Conference, now in late October at the Greenbrier. Get the latest from planning committee chair Bill Vantine of SPA (page 13).

PSC’s Andrea Ostrander shares additional information on upcoming events on page 12.

More than ever, Covid-19 shows that government contractors are dedicated to supporting public service across all agencies. At PSC, we are committed to helping our members as they do this every day. As always, we need and welcome your input, your perspectives, and your support. Thank you!

David J. Berteau

Professional Services Council

SEE THE COMPLETE PICTURE WHEN YOU PUT YOUR DATA TO WORK When you don’t know what you don’t know, it’s hard to feel confident making decisions, big or small. Unanet delivers a more complete picture of your data, integrating your direct-input and thirdparty sources into a single seamless toolkit.

With a full view into your project progress, margins, team capacity, and detailed efficiency, your entire team is equipped to take bold, coordinated steps that will keep your company strong.

Explore more at unanet.com

Where Information Means Insight Professional Services Council

Servicewww.unanet.com Contractor / Spring 2020 / 5

$1,795,000,000

$285,000,000

$111,750,000

Senior Secured Credit Facilities Joint Lead Arranger and Joint Bookrunner

Senior Secured Credit Facilities Left Lead Arranger

Senior Secured Credit Facilities Left Lead Arranger, Bookrunner and Administrative Agent

Aerospace experience you can rely on.

The dedicated team you deserve.

Our experienced team understands excellence is in the details.

Regions Securities® provides dynamic companies with executive-level experience and quality service from relationship-oriented bankers. That means you will gain a highly responsive team of bankers who know your industry. We listen first, and then provide efficient solutions tailored to help meet your company’s strategic and financial objectives. From sophisticated risk management solutions to advisory and capital-raising services, our team focuses on the details of today while delivering on your vision for tomorrow.

regions.com/securities

Greg Jones Defense, Aerospace & Government Services Group Head 704.941.6633 | greg.jones@regions.com

Industry Expertise | Corporate Banking | Capital Markets & Advisory Services | Comprehensive Financing Solutions

Investment, Annuities and Insurance Products Are Not FDIC Insured | Are Not Bank Guaranteed | May Lose Value Are Not Deposits | Are Not Insured by Any Federal Government Agency Are Not a Condition of Any Banking Activity

Securities activities and Merger and Acquisition advisory services are provided by Regions Securities LLC, 1180 W. Peachtree St. NW, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30309, 404-279-7400. Member FINRA and SIPC.

6 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Banking products and services, including lending, financial risk management, and treasury and payment solutions, are offered by Regions Bank.

Deposit products are offered by Regions Bank, Member FDIC. © 2020 Regions Bank. All rights reserved. Regions Securities is a registered service mark of Regions Bank and is used under license for the corporate and investment banking services of subsidiaries of Regions Financial Corporation. Regions, the Regions logo and Regions Securities are registered trademarks of Regions Bank and are used by its affiliates under license. The LifeGreen color is a trademark of Regions Bank.Services Council Professional

Policy Spotlight

PSC Advocacy

at the Speed of COVID-19

by Alan Chvotkin, PSC Executive Vice President and Counsel

A

t the December 2019 PSC Board of Directors meeting, the PSC staff presented our advocacy plan for 2020. It included a set of legislative and regulatory initiatives that built on the successes we had in 2019 and that responded to what we had heard from our members, from federal agencies, and from members and staff on Capitol Hill.

We could not have planned for the titanic shift in the way we work or in our agenda caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But from the outset of the outbreak, we saw the disruptive force it was having across our membership, our markets, and our Nation.

We also knew how to pivot our advocacy work to be sure we were engaged on the COVID-19 issues that mattered most to our members.

With the engagement of the PSC Executive Committee, and extensive outreach to our Board of Directors and membership, we focused on three main COVID-19 advocacy priorities: (1) keep federal agencies working; (2) keep contractors working; and (3) ensure that contractors were paid for the work they were doing. These PSC COVID-19 priorities were similar to PSC’s priorities adopted during the run up to, and during, the 20182019 partial federal shutdown.

With our deep and long-standing relationships on Capitol Hill, we were on the receiving end of dozens of urgent calls from members and staff to help them craft a set of responses to the growing COVID-19 health emergency. Over a thirtyday period, we sent numerous letters to the Hill outlining our recommendations and held dozens of teleconferences with congressional staff. The first legislative “solution” came in the form of supplemental appropriations to federal agencies. That was followed by legislation to provide for emergency medical and sick leave for Americans affected by the coronavirus, and we worked with congressional offices to address issues facing federal contractors and their employees who were being affected.

We continued working with numerous committees and offices in crafting several of the provisions in the third supplemental, including specifically what became Section 3610 of the “CARES” Act, while also helping congressional offices draft other provisions; some of those provisions were included in the CARES Act and some were not adopted – yet.

Our advocacy work continues apace as Congress and the Executive Branch are evaluating the size, scope, and shape of a Phase Four of the COVID-19 response, and maybe subsequent actions. Again, based on the experiences and recommendations of our members, we provided the Hill with a number of additional options for action covering contracting policies, work rules, Professional Services Council

requests for supplemental appropriations, and tools to provide for the prompt recovery for contractors.

In parallel, we engaged extensively with the Executive Branch on their action/reaction plans and on the treatment of contractors – while focusing on our main priorities. We have been participating in thrice weekly calls sponsored by Ellen Lord, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.

These are not mere information exchanges, although that is a valuable part of the discussions. More importantly, these are action-oriented calls designed to rapidly surface emerging issues and identify and work collaboratively to solve them. Solutions have come in the form of updated DoD-wide policies, contract class deviations, changes to operational methods, and more.

We also talk regularly with senior staff from the Office of Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Homeland Security, USAID, several other civilian agency components, and more. Each of these discussions is designed to highlight the importance to PSC of consistent and uniform government approaches for contractors from the government’s COVID-19 actions and plans.

We are still providing, and seeking, information from our members, Within the first days of the COVID-19 outbreak, we stood up a COVID-19 Resource Center on our website for our members, providing them with timely and up-to-date access to government policy directions and contracting information.

PSC Board member Paul Leslie noted that, “I (as well as the rest of our industry leaders) really appreciate everything the PSC team is doing during this difficult time. Your updates and overall communications, keeping us well informed regarding policy changes and government actions, have been just outstanding. The development of the PSC Coronavirus Resource Center has been an exceptional resource for us.”

We also continuously collect information from our members about their work situations and how PSC can be of assistance.

Finally, we are a sought-after source of information for the media. In March 2020 alone, PSC did 14 radio and TV interviews and were quoted in 38 news stories, including by the Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, Federal News Network and NextGov. We are proud of how PSC members and staff have used our resources and expertise to respond to the tragedy of COVID-19.

For as long as the COVID-19 emergency impacts federal agencies and contractors, PSC’s advocacy on behalf of our members will remain our number one priority. 3

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 7

COVID-19:

What Happens Next?

F

by David J. Berteau, PSC President and CEO

rom the time of the earliest federal building closure in King County, Washington, because of coronavirus infections, we have asked the question of what will happen when the epidemic starts to recede.

At PSC, we are looking at that question from two perspectives. One is a question of how do companies prepare for what happens next.

The second is the question of what the government does and how it affects federal services contracts.

We can’t predict the success or timing of the needed Covid-19 treatments, vaccines, immunities, or preventions, but we can prepare better to meet the government’s needs for vital contractor support.

Let’s look at both of these questions.

8 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Professional Services Council

What Companies Are Thinking

Every company is concerned for the health and safety of its workers and their households and families. For them, what matters are federal and state guidelines.

Of course, adherence to these guidelines may require changes to work space, work schedules, and work systems and processes.

New practices may be required, such as taking and recording temperatures of arriving workers, scheduling who gets to use the kitchen and when, or providing masks and wipes.

Beyond that, companies may look at individual circumstances, including the age and health of employees, home and family situations (such as children without daycare, care for elderly or ill family members, etc.), access to transportation, and the viability of alternative work arrangements.

What Uncle Sam Is Thinking

If worker health and safety is vitally important, the question is how the government’s next steps will be consistent with that. For that, we need to look at the second question, what are the government’s next steps and how they affect federal services contractors.

In an April memorandum, the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management listed key characteristics for agencies to consider before repopulating their facilities. These memos, however, provided little information about measuring those characteristics or making results visible either to the federal civilians or their supporting contractors.

PSC has raised questions with agencies regarding input from affected contractors, including safety, performance, cost recovery, and liability. However, it’s possible that agency answers may appear as government decisions and actions without input from affected companies and their workers. In our view, that would be a mistake.

What do you do in the meantime?

PSC recommends that you engage early and often with your current customers, program managers, and contracting officers.

Ask that they include you and your workers and subcontractors as they develop plans for what’s next.

Combining the constraints of many federal buildings with existing guidelines and social distancing may mean that not every worker who was there before the COVID-19 emergency can go back. In that case, what does the government do? Keep contractors out?

For operations that cannot be performed remotely, such as touch labor or accessing government systems and information (including classified data and systems), some agencies already restrict contractor access and performance.

Such restraints could expand as more facilities re-population adheres to CDC guidelines.

Teleworking Is Succeeding

Most federal agencies have maximized the ability of contractors to work remotely, and many of our members report

Professional Services Council

that measurable productivity has increased with teleworking.

Maybe those agencies should maintain the increased flexibility that expanded teleworking has already delivered.

There are some real advantages for that increased flexibility.

Companies might be better able to recruit and retain new or younger workers. Workers would have greater flexibility if they are affected by school closures, no childcare, or the need to care for sick or vulnerable family members.

Technology Investments Are Needed

For that to be sustained, the federal government needs substantial investment in systems, far greater than already provided under the Modernizing Government Technology Act that PSC supported in 2018. Congress could provide substantial increases in technology funding for federal agencies as part of the next COVID-19 supplemental.

Keep Workers Working

A priority since the of the emergency has been to maximize continued employment of the workforce. For federal contractors, this comes from keeping all of the government operating, a PSC priority from the beginning. There are two important steps here.

One is to ensure agencies obligate their full Fiscal Year 2020 appropriations, in accordance with the FY20-21 budget cap increases enacted last summer.

This means agencies need to keep evaluating and awarding contracts from existing proposals while promulgating solicitations for new contracts. Federal work to meet the needs of the American people is important and fully funded, but contracts have to be awarded to keep the workforce on the payroll and fully engaged.

The second important step is for Congress to enact timely, full-year appropriations for Fiscal Year 2021. Appropriations subcommittees in the House of Representatives have already received their allocations, consistent with those higher budget caps.

The Senate should follow their lead, and quickly.

With agreement on the total dollars and allocation by appropriation subcommittee, Congress should swiftly be able to mark up and passed legislation in time for the start of the fiscal year. This would remove uncertainty in the agencies, avoid the negative impact of Continuing Resolutions, and eliminate the threat (however small) of a government shutdown, all while supporting full employment in the federal sector.

What Happens Next?

In the end, we don’t know. What we do know is that the government needs to keep operating, that contractors are essential for that to happen, and that our member companies and everyone in the industry has stepped up and will continue to play that role to the fullest extent possible.

One thing sure to happen next is that, at PSC, we will continue to advocate for the proper funding, agency-level guidance, procurement rules, and timely progress on awarding contracts. 3

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 9

Panagora Group Helping USAID/Philippines Office of Health to Pivot to Virtual Management of its COVID-19 Response and Ongoing Health Programming

by Betsy Bassan, President and CEO, Panagora Group

W

hen the COVID-19 crisis emerged and developed into a global pandemic, Panagora’s CLAimHealth team in the Philippines—trusted within the Filipino health community for delivering successful virtual meetings and webinars prior to COVID-19—was able to quickly leverage their expertise to support USAID/Philippines Office of Health and implementing partners in pivoting to virtual management for both its COVID-19 response and ongoing health programming.

CLAimHealth, a USAID activity that stands for Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting for Improved Health, provides technical assistance, advisory services, capacity building, and related logistical support to USAID/Philippines Office of Health to strengthen strategic collaboration with partners, scale up good practices, and adapt programs based on data-driven recommendations.

A trusted partner in building capacity for using virtual platforms for effective collaboration. As a leader in CLA (collaborating, learning, and adapting), CLAimHealth has had broad experience leveraging virtual platforms for activity management. We engage the audience by using the full functionality of the platform. In this way, we foster a culture that supports CLA and builds capacity of USAID/Philippines Office of Health and implementing partners for collaborative virtual work.

In the current environment of “digital first” meetings, our CLAimHealth team is supporting the USAID/Philippines Office of Health and other implementing partners in adapting their work cultures and management for more effective fulltime remote work.

10 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Our CLAimHealth team facilitating a TB cluster workshop, which included 48 participants from the Philippines Department of Health National TB Control Program, USAID/Philippines Office of Health TB Cluster, and WHO.

Using our CLA capabilities to advance COVID-19 responses and other health program management on virtual platforms. Using virtual platforms for our activity management has been a best practice for CLAimHealth. To keep client and partners engaged and keep work efficient, the team is leveraging the functionality of trusted video conferencing software to best emulate face-to-face meetings, trainings, and workshops.

For COVID-19 response support, CLAimHealth hosts two weekly virtual meetings for USAID and all its partners to coordinate response information and actions, with one meeting for health partners and one for all other USAID partners. Our Professional Services Council

Our team is using virtual breakout rooms and polls—along with CLA and knowledge sharing best practices—to engage attendees, spark discussion, and document conversations.

CLAimHealth team also supported a training on Infection Prevention Control Training as well as a Q&A that USAID/ Philippines Office of Health held with its partners on their COVID-19 response.

To support other health programming for the USAID/ Philippines Office of Health during this period, in late March our team supported two major workshops with USAID, the Philippines Department of Health, and implementing partners. CLAimHealth facilitated a virtual Tuberculosis Gender Analysis Workshop for a USAID implementing partner, TB Interventions and Health Systems Strengthening, and we piloted successfully both Zoom’s breakout room and in-meeting polling functions to engage participants and spark discussion. We also facilitated a TB Cluster Workshop for the Philippines Department of Health National TB Control Program. This workshop involved 48 participants from the Philippines Department of Health National TB Control Program, USAID/Philippines Office of Health TB Cluster, and WHO. One WHO participant deemed it a huge success: “I am attending many telemeetings these days. These telemeetings of the NTP are the best compared to them by a huge, huge margin.”

Our CLAimHealth team also supported the USAID/ Philippines Office of Health to host the 7th CLA technical work group meeting with its implementing partners, which included around 50 participants. The work group focused on reviewing how implementing partners are maintaining health services and collecting data during COVID-19, challenges they are facing, and solutions to adapt to this

Professional Services Council

“I am attending many telemeetings these days.

These telemeetings of the NTP are the best compared to them by a huge, huge margin.”

– WHO participant from a recent virtual TB Cluster Workshop unique situation. This work group meeting is typically held in-person, so our team worked hard to support USAID/ Philippines virtually organize this important opportunity to share knowledge and adjust to meet targets for the next quarter during these uncertain times.

Supporting USAID/Philippines Office of Health to collaborate remotely in critical partnerships for combatting COVID-19 while continuing its health programming. CLAimHealth’s role as a leader in CLA and virtual facilitation has helped USAID/Philippines Office of Health continue its work to address critical health challenges.

Collaterally, CLAimHealth is establishing best practices and building capacity within USAID/Philippines Office of Health and among implementing partners in using remote communication and management tools effectively. USAID and its implementing partners will be able to use the tools and best practices that CLAimHealth has provided as proven resources for successful CLA practices in a virtual environment during this current crisis and beyond. 3

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 11

PSC Update on Events

by Andrea Ostrander, PSC, Director of Events

PSC

has been closely monitoring the rapidly changing situation related to the Coronavirus outbreak. The health and welfare of our attendees, speakers and staff is our number one priority.

For the time being, all PSC meetings will be online only.

PSC is very prepared for this change and there will still be ample opportunities for members to interact with staff and featured speakers through our online meeting platform.

As such, we have made the following adjustments to our marquee in-person event schedule:

• The FedHealth Conference is now Sept. 15 in Silver Spring, MD. New registrations are being accepted!

• The Vision Federal Market Forecast Conference is now Nov. 9-10 in Falls Church, VA. Registration is now open!

• This year only we will replace the annual Tech Trends conference held in September with additional tech-related PSC virtual events as well as speaker sessions after we return to in-person events.

• The April 26-28, 2020, Annual Conference has been rescheduled to October 21-23, still at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV. Existing registrations will carry over. New registrations are being accepted!

Visit https://www.pscouncil.org/psc/Events for the most up-to-date events calendar and registration information.

E NEW DAT CED! ANNOUN

September 15, 2020 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Silver Spring, MD www.fedhealthconference.org 12 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Professional Services Council

E NEW DAT CED! ANNOUN

October 21 – 23, 2020

Greenbrier • West Virginia

A letter from Bill Vantine, Chair of the Annual Conference Planning Committee These days we are all pressing pause on our traditional nature of assembly in order to support the health and wellbeing of ourselves and those around us. As such, the 2020 PSC Annual Conference, originally scheduled to take place at the end of April, will now take place October 21-23 at the Greenbrier.

The efforts of our planning committee over the past seven months do not go unnoticed nor without gratitude. The agenda we have worked hard to put together remains compelling and the challenges we face in our current environment may give us new critical issues to address.

While we all continue to focus on our social responsibility of flattening the curve, let’s also look forward to assembling once again as industry leaders, colleagues, and friends of the PSC community.

More information about the 2020 PSC Annual Conference can be found at www.pscouncil.org/annual.

Stay safe and healthy, and I look forward to seeing you in October.

Bill Vantine Chair, Annual Conference Planning Committee CEO, Systems Planning & Analysis

Learn more at www.pscconference.org Professional Services Council

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 13

Valuing the Butterfly: Seven Steps Government Agencies Can Use to Get Better Returns on Technology Transformations

by T.C. Folkedal, Senior Principal, Noblis Technology renovations are more critical than ever as agency reliance on IT systems increases with more operations being conducted digitally as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A

butterfly emerging from a chrysalis is often used as an example of transformation. Enterprise technology transformation is no less dramatic though its performance capability in a government agency is dependent on the ability to leverage the benefits of a new technology to take metaphorical flight in your organization.

Now more than ever, the right technology has the potential to transform government enterprises for the better.

A group of technology associations recently wrote a letter1 to Congress urging support for stimulus relief funding for IT modernization to enhance governments’ ability to “carry out coronavirus-related missions, maximize productivity, improve service delivery to citizens, and enhance cybersecurity protections for critical systems.” The group said, “Outdated government IT systems and processes already hinder some federal and state agencies’ ability to deliver aid to new applicants for small business loans and unemployment insurance.”

Many agencies have already successfully transitioned to digital platforms and realized significant cost savings and greater efficiency. Digital and cloud technology offer many benefits including rapid provisioning, scaling and integrated control.

But just because a technology promises benefits and adoption is increasing, there is no guarantee that an agency will be more successful by virtualizing their operations.

To reap the benefits of the new digital environment, agencies will need to significantly change operations and software and be prepared to embrace opportunities for automation. Simply ‘lifting

and shifting’ on-premise operations into a cloud virtual store and compute environment will not enable the scaling of services required to meet consumer demand or significantly reduce cost.

To enjoy those benefits, the design, strategy and business logic for

1 “Re: Support for IT Modernization to Improve COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Relief Efforts,” April, 15, 2020. https://www.itic.org/policy/ ITIMultiassociationLettertoCongress_ITPrinciplesforFutureStimulus.pdf

14 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Professional Services Council

continued page 16 Professional Services Council

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 15

from page 15

“The right technology has the potential to transform government enterprises for the better … To reap the benefits of the new digital environment, agencies will need to significantly change operations and software and be prepared to embrace opportunities for automation.” an online mission model will need to be significantly altered from hardware-based processes and operations.

To understand the potential benefits of a technology to your enterprise, it is worth considering your organization’s motivation for change. At a fundamental level, the incentive for transformation is often a response to perceived disruption and uncertainty. Indirect costs may be rising, budgets decreasing, legacy systems may be obsolete, and hardware-based operations may become less efficient and overloaded. Consolidation and savings are often cited as transformation goals. But they are not ends in themselves, nor do they fully describe what an organization hopes to achieve from enterprise transformation.

A better measure of transformation is grounded in the understanding of how specific technology features would be expected to help an organization achieve strategic objectives and to ask, “What will consolidation and savings help your enterprise accomplish?”

Surprisingly, seeking to understand how technology can help your enterprise achieve planned outcomes is not a common practice. Government technology assessment approaches tend to focus on the ability of a technology vendor to meet technical requirements and the cost of delivering the technology. Both are valuable assessment criteria, but they do not illuminate how technology will mitigate risks or contribute to mission success.

It could be argued that assessment against requirements should reflect needs against mission. The line of sight between design and mission outcomes is usually not clear which means that it is not easily measured or managed. You may end up getting a good price for specifications but gain no insight into how the technology will transform your enterprise or evolve service structures to meet your needs

The current crisis and reliance on digital technology reminds us of the importance of a robust and resilient IT infrastructure.

To address this valuation gap, an agency considering acquiring new technology will need to add a transformational perspective to their acquisition processes. This starts by re-thinking how enterprise technology is valued in your organization. For most technologies, some features will be more important than others relative to how you expect the technology to influence mission performance. For example, auto-scaling may be the most important feature for your enterprise if there is

16 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

a lack of predictability in your demand cycle or as a result of the pandemic, your enterprise is critically over capacity.

To build out a new understanding of the link between potential technology and expected mission performance, you will need to follow a seven-step Feature Valuation Process.

By completing the Feature Valuation Process, a government agency will be able to not only compare features that are most relevant to transformational objectives during source selection, but also create linkages that can be used to manage technology and set clear expectations for assessment of contract performance after award. The graphic shown on the previous page highlights the reinforcing value links that will result in increased transparency and line of sight throughout the mission value chain.

Every enterprise transformation must be carefully planned, nurtured and managed to succeed. Digital technology offers significant promise for enterprises seeking to consolidate, save and effectively scale to meet demand for virtual services. To achieve transformation, an enterprise must embrace new technology assessment approaches that consider technology features potential contributions to mission outcomes.

Incorporating a technology feature valuation process and mission performance indicators into your enterprise technology evaluation and management process will help ensure that if and when we face another large-scale crisis or pandemic, you get the transformation you planned and don’t get stuck with just another technology caterpillar. 3 T.C. Folkedal is a senior principal at Noblis, a leading provider of science, technology and strategy services to the federal government. He has over 25 years of experience advising government and commercial clients on valuation, mission delivery, investment management and resource optimization. His work has focused on providing analytic insight into the downstream impact of decisions to better inform strategic planning and enterprise transformation. Folkedal leads the Noblis Economic Analytics for Decision Support Center of Excellence focused on helping clients meet the challenge of upgrading enterprise services and reducing costs without cutting mission critical activities.�

Professional Services Council

TO THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS WORKING THROUGH THIS CRISIS

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

Bill Tracker: 116th Congress-Second Session (2020) NEW

Newly introduced since last issue

Major action taken since last issue

Bill became law since last issue

H.R. 190 Expanding Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses Act, Marshall (R-KS)

SUMMARY Would raise the threshold for sole-source contracts to disadvantaged small businesses to $7 million for manufacturing and $4 million for others, and eliminate option years from the cost consideration.

STATUS Passed the House (415-6) on 1/16/19. Related bill: S.673.

Encouraging Small Business Innovation Act, Rouda (D-CA)

H.R. 206

SUMMARY

STATUS

Would allow Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) to invest in small businesses that participate in SBIR and STTR programs; and allow SBA to increase the past performance rating of contractors in SBIR and STTR programs and mentor a business seeking to participate in one of those programs.

Passed the House (voice vote) on 1/14/19.

H.R. 226 Clarity on Small Business Participation in Category Management Act,Velazquez (D-NY)

SUMMARY

STATUS

Would require the SBA Administrator to report federal spending on best-in-class vehicles and the number and the dollar amount of small business contracts.

Passed the House (414-11) on 1/9/19. Text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92.

SUMMARY

STATUS

Allows prime contractors to choose to count lower-tier contracts with small businesses toward their goals, requires federal agencies to collect additional data on subcontracting goals, and establish a dispute resolution process for payment issues between subcontractors and prime contractors.

Passed the House (voice vote) on 1/8/19. Modified text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92

H.R. 227 Incentivizing Fairness in Subcontracting Act,Velazquez (D-NY)

H.R. 246 Stimulating Innovation through Procurement Act, Finkenauer (D-IA)

SUMMARY Allows federal agencies to help businesses that participate in the SBIR or STTR programs with

commercializing their research and to provide those small businesses with technical assistance on bids.

STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 1/14/19. Modified text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law

on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92.

H.R. 247

Federal CIO Authorization Act, Hurd (R-TX)

SUMMARY Establishes the federal chief information officer and chief information security officer positions,

making both presidential appointees, and directs the CIO to submit a proposal to Congress for consolidating and streamlining IT across federal agencies.

STATUS

Passed the House (voice vote) on 1/15/19.

Low-Wage Federal Contractor Employee Back Pay Act, Norton (D-DC)

H.R. 339

Would require the federal government to compensate employees of federal contractors that provide retail, SUMMARY

food, custodial, or security services who are placed on unpaid leave as a result of a lapse in appropriations.

STATUS

Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform on 1/8/19.

H.R. 424

Department of Homeland Security Clearance Management and Administration Act,

Thompson (D-MS)

SUMMARY Would require DHS to review and adjust, as necessary, all sensitivity level designations for security clearances throughout the department, and conduct additional reviews every five years.

STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 1/29/19.

18 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Professional Services Council

Bill Tracker: 116th Congress-Second Session (2020) NEW

Newly introduced since last issue

Major action taken since last issue

Bill became law since last issue

H.R. 499 Service-Disabled Veterans Small Business Continuation Act, Chabot (R-OH)

SUMMARY Would allow all surviving spouses of service-disabled veterans to retain the federal contracting preference, amending current law which allows for the contracting preference for spouses of 100% service-disabled veterans.

STATUS Passed the House (423-0) on 11/13/19. Text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92. Related bill: S.3008

require federal agencies to consider contractor training programs during contract

H.R. 533 Toawards,

Brown (D-MD)

SUMMARY

STATUS

Would require the head of each executive agency to consider the existence of comprehensive training and education programs to develop a contractor’s workforce in the evaluation of offers for any contract in an amount greater than $25 million.

Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform on 1/14/19. Text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92.

A bill to establish the Office of Critical Technologies and Security, Ruppersberger (D-MD) H.R. 618

Would establish an Office of Critical Technology and Security in the Executive Office of the SUMMARY

STATUS

President to coordinate policy and actions that will maintain United States technological leadership with respect to critical emerging, foundational, and dual-use technologies and ensure supply chain integrity and security for such technologies.

Referred to the Committees on Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence on 1/24/19.

Related bill: S.29.

Fair Compensation for Low-Wage Contractor Employees Act, Pressley (D-MA)

H.R. 678

Would provide back pay to certain low-wage contractor employees from the lapse in SUMMARY

appropriations that began on December 22, 2018.

STATUS Referred to the Committees on Appropriations, and Oversight and Reform on 1/17/19. Related bill: S.162.

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Courtney (D-CT)

H.R. 748

Authorizes $2 trillion in funding and makes policy changes in response to the COVID-19 (i.e., SUMMARY

coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak and its impact on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses.

STATUS Signed into law on 3/27/20; P.L. 116-136.

Fairness for Federal Contractors Act, Norcross (D-NJ)

H.R. 824

SUMMARY Would provide back pay to certain contractor employees from the lapse in appropriations that began on December 22, 2018.

STATUS

Referred to the Committees on Appropriations, and Oversight and Reform on 1/28/19.

H.R. 1016 Pay Workers What They’ve Earned Act, Horsford (D-NV)

SUMMARY

STATUS

Would cover certain costs incurred by federal employees and contractors as a direct result of a covered lapse in appropriations, including expenses for loans and credit cards, and any fees, fines, or interest.

Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform on 2/6/19.

Professional Services Council

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 19

Bill Tracker: 116th Congress-Second Session (2020) NEW

Newly introduced since last issue

Major action taken since last issue

Bill became law since last issue

Social Media Use in Clearance Investigations Act, Lynch (D-MA)

H.R. 1065

Would direct the Office of Management and Budget to report on the feasibility and legality of SUMMARY

allowing the federal government to examine social media activity during security clearance investigations.

STATUS Passed the House (377-3) on 2/11/19.

Fair Chance Act, Cummings (D-MD)

H.R. 1076 Would “ban the box”, by prohibiting the federal government and federal contractors from

SUMMARY

STATUS

requesting that an applicant disclose criminal history record information before the applicant has received a conditional offer.

Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Oversight and Reform on 3/26/19. Text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92. Related bill: S.387.

Advanced Streamlined Electronic Services for Constituents Act, Graves (R-LA) H.R. 1079 Creating Requires the Office of Management and Budget, within one year after the date of enactment, SUMMARY

STATUS

to issue guidance that requires each agency to accept electronic identity proofing and authentication processes to qualify for prior written consent for the disclosure of the individual’s records when requested by a Member of Congress.

Signed into law on 8/22/19; P.L. 116-50.

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, McCaul (R-TX)

H.R. 1158 Provides Fiscal Year 2020 Appropriations for the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security,

SUMMARY

Commerce and Justice, as well as the science-related agencies and those covered by the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill.

STATUS Signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-93.

H.R. 1177

Stop the Shutdowns Transferring Unnecessary Pain and Inflicting Damage In The Coming Years (Stop STUPIDITY) Act, Spanberger (D-VA)

SUMMARY

STATUS

Would automatically renew funding for federal departments and agencies, at the previous year’s funding levels, in the event of a future lapse in appropriations, with the exceptions of the legislative branch and the Executive Office of the President.

Referred to the Committee on Appropriations on 2/13/19. Related bill: S. 198.

H.R. 1204

OIRA Insight, Reform, and Accountability Act, Mitchell (R-MI) SUMMARY Would codify current practices at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for centralized

review of regulations and expand OIRA reviews to previously excluded agencies.

STATUS Referred to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, and Judiciary on 2/13/19.

Federal Contract Deadline Fairness Act, Thompson (D-CA)

H.R. 1212 Would prohibit agencies from including a contractor’s inability to deliver goods or complete work

SUMMARY

on schedule as a result of a lapse in federal appropriations in any past performance database.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform on 2/13/19.

H.R. 1213

Federal Contract Worker Fairness Act, Thompson (D-CA)

SUMMARY Would provide that each federal contract worker impacted by a lapse in appropriations in the Federal

Government shall receive compensation.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform on 2/13/19.

20 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Professional Services Council

Bill Tracker: 116th Congress-Second Session (2020) NEW

Newly introduced since last issue

Major action taken since last issue

Bill became law since last issue

VA Procurement Efficiency and Transparency Act, Wittman (R-VA)

H.R. 1577

Would require the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary to record information in FPDS on the SUMMARY

amount of any cost or price savings realized by using competitive procedures in awarding such contract.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Veterans Affairs on 3/6/19. Related bill: S. 341.

Verification Alignment and Service-Disabled Business Adjustment (VA-SBA) Act, Kelly (R-MS)

H.R. 1615 Would move the certification of SDVOSB applications from the Department of Veterans Affairs to

SUMMARY

the Small Business Administration.

STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 11/13/19.

The Small Business Advanced Cybersecurity Enhancements Act, Chabot (R-OH)

H.R. 1648

Would establish small business cybersecurity assistance units within each small business SUMMARY

development center to receive and share cyber threat indicators and defensive measures.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Small Business on 3/8/19.

The Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act, Kelly (D-IL)

H.R. 1668

Would require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop SUMMARY

recommendations for appropriate use and management of Internet of Things devices and require OMB to issue guidance that agencies and contractors must meet based on NIST’s recommendations.

STATUS Ordered to be Reported by the Committee on Oversight and Reform on 6/12/19. Related bill: S.734.

Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, Pascrell (D-NJ)

H.R. 1865 Consolidated eight Fiscal Year 2020 Appropriations bills and provided funding for agencies

SUMMARY

including Health and Human Services, State and USAID, and Transportation.

STATUS Signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-93.

H.R. 1912

DHS Acquisition Documentation Integrity Act, Torres Small (D-NM) SUMMARY Would require the Department of Homeland Security to maintain acquisition documentation that

is complete, accurate, timely and valid for each major acquisition program (defined as having total expenditures of at least $300 million over its life-cycle costs).

STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 5/14/19.

The ESOP Business Act, Bucshon (R-IN)

H.R. 2022 Would deem certain Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) companies as a small business concern

SUMMARY

for the purposes of any Federal procurement programs.

STATUS

Referred to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, Armed Services, and Small Business on 4/2/19.

Homeland Procurement Reform Act, Correa (D-CA)

H.R. 2083 Would require the Secretary of DHS to procure one-third of items for a frontline operational

SUMMARY

component from small businesses, to the maximum extent possible.

STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 6/10/19. Related Bill: S. 1055.

Boosting Rates of American Veteran Employment (BRAVE) Act, Rice (D-NY)

H.R. 2109 Would allow the VA Secretary when awarding contracts to give preference to companies that

SUMMARY

employ veterans on a full-time basis. Any misrepresentation of status may result in debarment from VA contracting for not less than five years.

STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 6/24/19. Related bill: S. 1621.

Professional Services Council

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 21

Bill Tracker: 116th Congress-Second Session (2020) NEW

Newly introduced since last issue

Major action taken since last issue

Bill became law since last issue

Shutdown Guidance for Financial Institutions Act, Wexton (D-VA)

H.R. 2290

Would require financial regulators to issue guidance encouraging financial institutions to work with SUMMARY

consumers and businesses affected by a Federal Government shutdown.

STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 9/19/19. Related bill: S.2919.

Accelerated Payments for Small Businesses Act, Balderson (R-OH)

H.R. 2322

Would permanently restore prompt payments to small businesses and small business subcontractors SUMMARY

government-wide.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform on 4/15/19. Text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92. Related bill: S.2852.

H.R. 2342 Retain Act, Ryan (D-OH)

SUMMARY Would provide a contracting preference for an offeror that certifies they will retain jobs performed in the U.S. and uses products substantially manufactured in the U.S.

STATUS Referred to Armed Services and Oversight and Reform Committees on 4/18/19.

Small Business Payment for Performance Act, Stauber (R-MN)

H.R. 2344

Would permit contractors to submit an invoice after a federal agency issues a unilateral change order SUMMARY

on a construction project and request the agency pay 50 percent of the billed costs when the change order is complete.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Small Business on 4/18/19. Related bill: S. 2853.

H.R. 2345 Clarifying the Small Business Runway Extension Act, Stauber (R-MN)

SUMMARY Would require the Small Business Administration to issue a final rule implementing the Small Business Runway Extension Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–324) by December 17, 2019.

STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 7/15/19.

H.R. 2500 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, Smith (D-WA)

SUMMARY Authorizes appropriations for Fiscal Year 2020 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths, and for other purposes.

STATUS Passed the House (220-197) on 7/12/19. Related bill: S. 1790, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92.

H.R. 2575 AI in Government Act, McNerney (D-CA)

SUMMARY Would establishes the AI Center of Excellence within the General Services Administration and requires OMB to issue guidance on the use of AI for federal agencies.

STATUS Ordered to be reported by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on 12/19/19. Related bill: S. 1363.

H.R. 2794 Defense Small Business Advancement Act, Torres Small (D-NM)

SUMMARY

STATUS

Would permanently reauthorize the Department of Defense’s Mentor-Protégé Program and require DoD’s Office of Small Business Programs to establish performance goals and conduct periodic reviews of approved agreements between mentors and proteges.

Referred to the Committee on Armed Services on 5/16/19. Modified text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92. Related bill: S. 1320.

SUMMARY

STATUS

Would require the President, in consultation with relevant federal agencies, to develop (1) a strategy to secure and protect U.S. fifth and future generations (5G) systems and infrastructure, and (2) an implementation plan for the strategy.

Passed the House (413-3) on 1/8/20. Related bill: S.893.

H.R. 2881 Secure 5G and Beyond Act, Spanberger (D-VA)

22 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Professional Services Council

Bill Tracker: 116th Congress-Second Session (2020) NEW

Newly introduced since last issue

Major action taken since last issue

Bill became law since last issue

Training Acquisition Leaders and Elevating New Talent Act (TALENT Act), Cisneros (D-CA)

H.R. 2944 Would establish a public-private exchange program for the acquisition workforce to temporarily

SUMMARY

STATUS

assign a member of the acquisition workforce to a private-sector organization or an employee of a private-sector organization to the Department of Defense.

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services on 5/23/19. Modified text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92.

Accelerating Defense Innovation Act, Thornberry (R-TX)

H.R. 3014 Would create a pilot project within the DOD’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to

SUMMARY

allow companies with more than 50 percent venture capital ownership to participate in the program.

STATUS Referred to the Committees on Armed Services, Small Business, and Science, Space, and Technology on

5/23/19. Modified text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92.

Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and

H.R. 3401 Emergency

Security at the Southern Border Act, Lowey (D-NY)

SUMMARY

STATUS

Provides emergency funding and policy direction for Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for operations at the southern border.

Signed into law on 7/1/19; P.L. 116-26.

SUMMARY

STATUS

Would provide certain acquisition authorities for the Under Secretary of Management at DHS, including designating the USM as the Department’s Chief Acquisition Officer responsible for approving, pausing, modifying, or canceling major acquisition programs.

Passed the House (380-4) on 2/10/2020.

H.R. 3413 DHS Acquisition Reform Act, Crenshaw (R-TX)

Contracting Credit Equality Act, Velazquez (D-NY)

H.R. 3428

Would provide prime contractors with the ability to double the value of a subcontract for purposes of SUMMARY

the subcontracting goals when they contract with a business in Puerto Rico.

STATUS Referred to the House Committee on Small Business on 6/12/19. Modified text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92.

H.R. 3494

Damon Paul Nelson and Matthew Young Pollard Intelligence Authorization Act

for Fiscal Year 2020, Schiff (D-CA)

SUMMARY Authorizes appropriations and policy for the intelligence community’s programs for Fiscal Years 2018, 2019 and 2020.

STATUS Passed the House (397-31) on 7/17/19. Modified text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92. Related bill: S.1589.

Women and Minority Equity Investment Act, Kelly (D-IL)

H.R. 3633 Would amend participation requirements for SBA’s 8(a) and 8(m) programs to allow a socially or

SUMMARY

economically disadvantaged individual or individuals to retain 51 percent or more ownership stake to qualify.

STATUS Referred to the House Committee on Small Business on 7/9/19. Related bill: S. 1981.

Small Business Acquisition Transparency Act, Houlahan (D-PA)

H.R. 3638 Would allow contracting officers with the ability to provide unsuccessful offerors of certain

SUMMARY

task or delivery orders a brief explanation as to why the offeror lost the award.

STATUS Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on 7/9/19. Text included in S.1790/ FY20

NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92.

Professional Services Council

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 23

Bill Tracker: 116th Congress-Second Session (2020) NEW

Newly introduced since last issue

Major action taken since last issue

Bill became law since last issue

Promoting United States International Leadership in 5G Act, McCaul (R-TX)

H.R. 3763 Would direct the President to establish an interagency working group to provide assistance and

SUMMARY

technical expertise to enhance U.S. leadership in international bodies that set standards for 5th and future generations of mobile telecommunications (5G) technology

STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 1/9/20.

American Business for American Companies Act, DeLauro (D-CT)

H.R. 3802

SUMMARY Would prohibit the head of a federal agency from awarding a contract to any foreign incorporated entity that is an inverted domestic corporation or any subsidiary, or any joint venture if more than 10 percent of the joint venture is held by a foreign incorporated entity that is an inverted domestic corporation.

STATUS Referred to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, and Armed Services on 7/17/19. Related bill: S.2139.

Bipartisan Budget Act, Yarmuth (D-KY)

H.R. 3877 Increased the FY2020 and FY2021 discretionary budget caps on defense and nondefense spending

SUMMARY

implemented by the Budget Control Act of 2011, and suspended the public debt limit through July 31, 2021.

STATUS Signed into law on 8/2/19 (P.L. 116-37).

FedRAMP Authorization Act, Connolly (D-VA)

H.R. 3941

Would codify the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program within GSA and make certain SUMMARY

changes designed to enable the government to better leverage cloud computing services.

STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 2/5/2020.

Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, Sensenbrenner (R-WI)

H.R. 3972

SUMMARY Provides that major executive branch rules shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of

approval is enacted into law.

STATUS Referred to the Committees on the Judiciary, Rules, and the Budget on 7/25/19. Related bill: S.92.

Whistleblower Act, Connolly (D-VA)

H.R. 4147 Would extend current whistleblower protections for federal contractors and grantees to

SUMMARY

subcontractors and subgrantees.

STATUS Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on 8/2/19. Related bill: S.2315.

Department of Defense Ethics and Anti-corruption Act, Speier (D-CA)

H.R. 4277

Would impose new requirements on government contractors, including extended employment SUMMARY

STATUS

bans for DoD and industry, additional reporting on lobbying activities, and subjecting defense contractors to FOIA. Referred to the Committees on Armed Services, Judiciary, and Oversight and Reform on 9/10/19.

Related bill: S.1503.

Protecting Innocent Consumers Affected by a Shutdown Act, Waters (D-CA)

H.R. 4328 Would amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prevent adverse actions against federal, DC, and

SUMMARY

contractor employees impacted by partial government shutdowns with respect to their credit reports.

STATUS

Ordered to be Reported by the House Committee on Financial Services on 9/20/19.

Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Health Extenders Act of 2019, Lowey (D-NY)

H.R. 4378

Provided continuing FY20 appropriations to all federal agencies through November 19, 2020.

SUMMARY

STATUS

Signed into law on 9/27/19; P.L. 116-59.

24 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Professional Services Council

Bill Tracker: 116th Congress-Second Session (2020) NEW

Newly introduced since last issue

Major action taken since last issue

Bill became law since last issue

Department of Homeland Security Mentor-Protege Program Act, McEachin (D-VA)

H.R. 4727

Would authorize a DHS mentor-protégé program for the purpose of assisting the protégé firm to SUMMARY

compete for prime contracts and subcontracts of the Department.

STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) 12/9/19.

Congressional Budget Justification Transparency Act, Quigley (D-IL)

H.R. 4894

Would require federal agencies to make budget justification materials available to the public.

SUMMARY

STATUS

Ordered to be Reported by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on 3/4/20. Related Bills: S.2560.

Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, Pallone (D-NJ)

H.R. 4998

Would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publish a list of companies deemed SUMMARY

by federal authorities as posing national security risks to telecom networks and prohibits federal funding to purchase, rent, lease, or otherwise obtain any covered communications equipment or services from companies on that list.

STATUS

Signed into law on 3/12/20; P.L. 116-124.

Capturing All Small Businesses Act, Veasey (D-TX)

H.R. 5130

Would double the lookback period for small businesses that use the employee-based size standard SUMMARY

from 12 to 24 months for manufacturing companies.

STATUS

Passed the House (voice vote) on 1/8/20.

Unlocking Opportunities for Small Businesses Act, Hagedorn (R-MN)

H.R. 5146

Would require contracting officers to consider the past performance of a joint venture when SUMMARY

evaluating a participant’s offer for a federal prime contract.

STATUS

Passed the House (voice vote) on 1/8/2020.

Stop Unfair Bid Shopping (SUBS) Act, Peters (D-CA)

H.R. 5247

Would require prime contractors to list certain subcontractor agreements and post-award SUMMARY

modifications for Army Corps of Engineer contracts. Subcontract changes that result in over 10% cost reduction may be returned to the federal government.

STATUS

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on 11/21/19.

Freedom from Government Competition Act, Steube (R-FL)

H.R. 5329

Establishes a policy that the Government should refrain from providing a product or service if it can be SUMMARY

procured more economically from a commercial source.

STATUS

Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform on 12/5/19. Related bill: S.2990.

Modernization Centers of Excellence Program Act, Khanna (D-CA)

H.R. 5901

Would require the General Service Administration’s Technology Transformation Services to establish NEW

SUMMARY

a Modernization Centers of Excellence Program to facilitate the adoption of modern technology by executive agencies.

STATUS

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on 2/13/2020.

Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, Lowey (D-NY)

H.R. 6074

Provides $8.3 billion in emergency funding for federal agencies to respond to the coronavirus outbreak.

SUMMARY

STATUS

Signed into law (P.L. 116-123) on 3/6/20.

Professional Services Council

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 25

Bill Tracker: 116th Congress-Second Session (2020) NEW

Newly introduced since last issue

Major action taken since last issue

Bill became law since last issue

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, Lowey (D-NY)

H.R. 6201

Provides paid sick leave, tax credits, and free COVID-19 testing; expanding food assistance and SUMMARY

unemployment benefits; and increased Medicaid funding in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

STATUS

Signed into law (P.L. 116-127) on 3/18/20.

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, Smith (D-WA)

H.R. 6395

Would authorize appropriations and policy for fiscal year 2021 for the Department of Defense.

NEW

SUMMARY

Known as the “by request” version of the NDAA, this bill includes the funding levels requested by DoD.

STATUS

S. 24

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services on 3/26/2020 Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, Cardin (D-MD)

SUMMARY Provides furloughed federal employees with back compensation for any lapse in appropriations that begins on or after December 22, 2018.

STATUS Signed into law on 1/16/19; P.L.116-1.

A bill to establish the Office of Critical Technologies and Security, Warner (D-VA)

SUMMARY Would establish an Office of Critical Technology and Security in the Executive Office of the President to coordinate policy and actions that will maintain United States technological leadership with respect to critical emerging, foundational, and dual-use technologies and ensure supply chain integrity and security for such technologies.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 1/4/19.

Related bill: H.R.618.

S. 29

S. 92

Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, Paul (R-KY)

SUMMARY Provides that major executive branch rules shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law.

STATUS

Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 1/10/19. Related bill: H.R.3972.

End Government Shutdowns Act, Portman (R-OH) S. 104 Would provide continuing appropriations to prevent a government shutdown if appropriations

SUMMARY

STATUS

bills or a continuing resolution has not been enacted. The bill would reduce the appropriations by 1% after the first 120-day period and by an additional 1% for each subsequent 90-day period until appropriations legislation is enacted.

Referred to the Committee on Appropriations on 1/10/19.

Freedom to Compete Act, Rubio (R-FL)

S. 124

Would prohibit employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act from using non-compete SUMMARY

agreements in employment contracts.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on 1/15/19.

S. 154

Department of Veterans Affairs Contract, Leadership, and Ensuring Accountability and

Reform (CLEAR) Act, Tester (D-MT)

SUMMARY Would require VA services contracts to include measurable metrics regarding cost, schedule, and

fulfillment of contract requirements, and a plan of action and milestones for the provision of the service.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on 1/16/19.

Fair Compensation for Low-Wage Contractor Employees Act, Smith (D-MN)

S. 162 Would provide back pay to certain low-wage contractor employees from the lapse in

SUMMARY

appropriations that began on December 22, 2018.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 1/16/19. Related bill: H.R.678.

26 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Professional Services Council

Bill Tracker: 116th Congress-Second Session (2020) NEW

Newly introduced since last issue

Major action taken since last issue

Bill became law since last issue

S. 198

Stop the Shutdowns Transferring Unnecessary Pain and Inflicting Damage In The Coming

Years (Stop STUPIDITY) Act, Warner (D-VA)

SUMMARY Would automatically renew funding for federal departments and agencies, at the previous year’s

funding levels, in the event of a future lapse in appropriations, with the exceptions of the legislative branch and the Executive Office of the President.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Appropriations on 1/22/19. Related bill: H.R. 1177.

Modernizing the Trusted Workforce for the 21st Century Act, Warner (D-VA)

S. 314

SUMMARY Would require agencies to update procedures for security clearances that will help to reduce the

backlog and wait times, enable better information sharing with industry, expand innovative techniques and remote technologies for investigations, and support a shift to continuous evaluation.

STATUS Referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence on 1/31/19. Text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into

law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92.

VA Procurement Efficiency and Transparency Act, Gardner (R-CO)

SUMMARY Would require the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary to record information in FPDS on the amount of any cost or price savings realized by using competitive procedures in awarding such contract.

S. 341

STATUS

Referred to the Committee on Veterans Affairs on 2/5/19. Related bill: H.R.1577.

Fair Chance Act, Booker (D-NJ)

S. 387 Would “ban the box,” by prohibiting the federal government and federal contractors from

SUMMARY

STATUS

requesting that an applicant disclose criminal history record information before the applicant has received a conditional offer.

Reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 4/10/19. Text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92. Related bill: H.R.1076.

Cyber Security Exchange Act, Klobuchar (D-MN) S. 429 Would establish a voluntary exchange program between applicable federal agencies and private

SUMMARY

sector institutions for cybersecurity positions.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 2/7/19.

S. 469 Emergency Relief for Federal Contractors Act, Cortez Masto (D-NV)

SUMMARY Would allow certain contractor employees to take penalty-free distributions from retirement accounts during a lapse in appropriations in the federal government.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Finance on 2/13/19.

S. 492

Disabled Veterans Rebuilding Infrastructure to Vitalize our Economy Act, Peters (D-MI) SUMMARY Would create a goal that five percent of certain transportation spending be extended to Service-

connected Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works on 2/14/19.

S. 673

Expanding Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses Act, Ernst (R-IA)

SUMMARY Would raise the threshold for sole-source contracts to disadvantaged small businesses to $7 million for manufacturing and $4 million for others, and eliminate option years from the cost consideration.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on 3/6/19. Related bill: H.R.190.

S. 734

The Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act, Warner (D-VA)

SUMMARY Would require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop recommendations for appropriate use and management of Internet of Things devices and require OMB to issue guidance that agencies and contractors must meet based on NIST’s recommendations.

STATUS Reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 9/23/19. Related bill: H.R.1668.

Professional Services Council

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 27

Bill Tracker: 116th Congress-Second Session (2020) NEW

Newly introduced since last issue

Major action taken since last issue

Bill became law since last issue

S. 893 Secure 5G and Beyond Act of 2020, Cornyn (R-TX)

SUMMARY

STATUS

Would require the President, in consultation with relevant federal agencies, to develop (1) a strategy to secure and protect U.S. fifth and future generations (5G) systems and infrastructure, and (2) an implementation plan for the strategy.

Signed into law on 3/23/20; P.L. 116-129. Related bill: H.R. 2881.

S. 1055 Homeland Procurement Reform Act, Shaheen (D-NH)

SUMMARY

STATUS

Would require the Secretary of DHS to procure one-third of items for a frontline operational component from small businesses, to the maximum extent possible.

Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 4/4/19.

Related Bill: H.R. 2083.

SUMMARY

STATUS

Would create a pilot program where each Service Acquisition Executive recommends a major defense acquisition program for a “skunk works” pilot program as described in the Department of Defense’s Better Buying Power 3.0 memorandum.

Referred to the Committee on Armed Services on 5/1/19. Modified text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92.

S. 1271 Defense Acquisition Decision Making Streamlining Act, Rounds (R-SD)

S. 1320 Defense Small Business Advancement Act, Heinrich (D-NM)

SUMMARY

STATUS

Would permanently reauthorize the Department of Defense’s Mentor-Protégé Program and require DoD’s Office of Small Business Programs to establish performance goals and conduct periodic reviews of approved agreements between mentors and proteges.

Referred to the Committee on Armed Services on 5/6/19. Modified text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92. Related Bill: H.R.2794.

S. 1385 Contracting and Tax Accountability Act, Kennedy (R-LA)

SUMMARY Would prohibit government from awarding a contract or grant unless the contractor or grantee

certifies in writing that the contractor or grantee has no seriously delinquent tax debts.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 5/9/19.

S. 1434 Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement Act of 2019, Portman (R-OH)

SUMMARY Would prohibit the use of reverse auctions for awarding federal contracts for construction and

design services.

STATUS

Passed the Senate on 12/23/2019. Related Bills: H.R.5644

S. 1503 Department of Defense Ethics and Anti-corruption Act, Warren (D-MA)

SUMMARY

STATUS

S. 1589

SUMMARY

STATUS

Would impose new requirements on government contractors, including extended employment bans for DoD and industry, additional reporting on lobbying activities, and subjecting defense contractors to FOIA. Referred to the Committee on Armed Service on 5/16/19. Related bill: H.R.4277.

Damon Paul Nelson and Matthew Young Pollard Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, and 2020, Burr (R-NC) Authorizes appropriations for the intelligence community’s programs for Fiscal Years 2018-2020 and includes provisions to reform and modernize the security clearance process.

Reported by the Select Committee on Intelligence on 6/11/19. Text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92. Related bill: H.R. 3494.

28 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Professional Services Council

Bill Tracker: 116th Congress-Second Session (2020) NEW

Newly introduced since last issue

Major action taken since last issue

Bill became law since last issue

DIGIT Act, Fischer (R-NE)

S. 1611

Would take steps to help develop a national strategy to encourage the development of the SUMMARY

Internet of Things (IoT).

STATUS Passed the Senate on 1/8/2020.

S. 1621 Boosting Rates of American Veteran Employment (BRAVE) Act, Baldwin (D-WI)

SUMMARY

STATUS

Would allow the VA Secretary when awarding contracts to give preference to companies that employ veterans on a full-time basis. Any misrepresentation of status may result in debarment from VA contracting for not less than five years.

Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on 5/22/19. Related bill: H.R. 2109.

S. 1790

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, Inhofe (R-OK)

SUMMARY Authorizes appropriations for Fiscal Year 2020 for military activities of the Department of Defense,

for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, and for other purposes.

STATUS Signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92. Related Bill: H.R. 2500.

Government Shutdown Accountability Act, Lankford (R-OK)

S. 1877

Would impose an automatic continuing resolution in the event of a lapse in appropriations and SUMMARY

prohibit Members of Congress from receiving salaries and conducting unrelated floor actions until appropriations legislation is enacted.

STATUS Reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 6/19/19.

Women and Minority Equity Investment Act, Cantwell (D-WA)

S. 1981

Would amend participation requirements for SBA’s 8(a) and 8(m) programs to allow a socially or SUMMARY

economically disadvantaged individual or individuals to retain 51 percent or more ownership stake to qualify.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on 6/26/19. Related bill: H.R.3633.

S. 2139 American Business for American Companies Act, Durbin (D-IL)

SUMMARY

STATUS

S. 2315

Would prohibit the head of a federal agency from awarding a contract to any foreign incorporated entity that is an inverted domestic corporation or any subsidiary, or any joint venture if more than 10 percent of the joint venture is held by a foreign incorporated entity that is an inverted domestic corporation.

Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 7/17/19. Related bill: H.R.3802.

Whistleblower Act, Braun (R-IN)

SUMMARY Would extend current whistleblower protections for federal contractors and grantees to subcontractors and subgrantees.

STATUS Reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 6/19/19.

Investment, and Controls Review for Computer Hardware, Intellectual

S. 2316 Manufacturing,

Property, and Supply Act, Crapo (R-ID)

SUMMARY Would require a plan for strengthening the supply chain intelligence function and would establish a National Supply Chain Intelligence Center.

STATUS Referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence on 7/30/19.

S. 2336 Department of Veterans Affairs Information Technology Reform Act, Tester (D-MT)

SUMMARY Would improve the management of information technology projects and investments of the

Department of Veterans Affairs

STATUS Ordered to be Reported by the Committee on Veterans Affairs on 2/13/20.

Professional Services Council

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 29

Bill Tracker: 116th Congress-Second Session (2020) NEW

Newly introduced since last issue

Major action taken since last issue

Bill became law since last issue

Disaster Contract Transparency Act, Scott (R-FL)

S. 2421

Would require state and local governments to have an advance contract for debris removal SUMMARY

services to be eligible for assistance for debris removal under the Stafford Act.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 8/1/19.

Congressional Budget Justification Transparency Act, Peters (D-MI)

S. 2560

Would require federal agencies to make budget justification materials available to the public.

SUMMARY

STATUS Reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 3/2/20.

Related bill: H.R. 4894 Accelerated Payments for Small Businesses Act, McSally (R-AZ)

S. 2852

Would permanently restore prompt payments to small businesses and small business SUMMARY

subcontractors government-wide.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 11/13/19. Text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92. Related bill: H.R. 2322.

S. 2853

Small Business Payment for Performance Act, McSally (R-AZ)

SUMMARY Would permit contractors to submit an invoice after a federal agency issues a unilateral change order on a construction project and request the agency pay 50 percent of the billed costs when the change order is complete.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on 11/13/19. Related bill: H.R. 2344.

Shutdown Guidance for Financial Institutions Act, Van Hollen (D-MD) S. 2919

Would require financial regulators to issue guidance encouraging financial institutions to work SUMMARY

with consumers and businesses affected by a Federal Government shutdown.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on 11/20/19. Related bill: H.R.2290.

Freedom from Government Competition Act, Thune (R-SD) S. 2990

Establishes a policy that the Government should refrain from providing a product or service if it SUMMARY

can be procured more economically from a commercial source.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 12/5/19. Related bill: H.R.5329.

Service-Disabled Veterans Small Business Continuation Act, Cornyn (R-TX) S. 3008

Would allow all surviving spouses of service-disabled veterans to retain the federal contracting SUMMARY

STATUS

preference, amending current law which allows for the contracting preference for spouses of 100% service-disabled veterans.

Referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship on 12/10/19. Text included in S.1790/ FY20 NDAA, signed into law on 12/20/19; P.L. 116-92. Related bill: S.499.

Protecting Business Opportunities for Veterans Act, Cassidy (R-LA)

S. 3282

Would apply certain small business subcontracting limitations to contracts that the Department of NEW

SUMMARY

Veterans Affairs awards to a small business concern owned and controlled by a veteran or a veteran with a service-connected disability.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on 2/12/20. Related Bills: H.R.561.

S. 3448 Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Act, Smith (D-MN)

NEW

SUMMARY Would impose new requirements on federal contractors and their workplaces, with regard to labor

standards and working conditions.

STATUS Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on 3/11/20.

30 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Professional Services Council

The Greater Washington GovCon Awards

APPLICATIONS OPEN! Deadline for submissions is June 12, 2020

Awards Categories

Contractor of the Year Contractor of the Year (up to $25 million) Contractor of the Year ($25 to $75 million) Contractor of the Year ($75 to $300 million) Contractor of the Year (greater than $300 million) Executive of the Year Executive of the Year (up to $75 million) Executive of the Year ($75 to $300 million) Executive of the Year (greater than $300 million) Program of the Year The Program of the Year Award is the most exemplary contracted program among all programs described within Contractor of the Year applications. In order to be considered for this award, you must apply for Contractor of the Year in any of the four revenue categories. The winner is recommended by the Selection Committee through a combination of mission achievement, financial success and customer recognition.

Professional Services Council

Public Sector Partner of the Year This award recognizes outstanding procurement professionals for demonstrated leadership and vision in building a spirit of partnership with the private sector and leading change in the procurement community.

The Public Sector Partner of the Year is nominated and chosen by the Selection Committee.

Hall of Fame Honoree The Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards™ Hall of Fame inducts one honoree each year for unparalleled professional excellence and life-long contributions to the community and the government contracting industry. The Hall of Fame honoree is nominated and chosen by the Selection Committee.

APPLY HERE:

www.novachamber.org/gov-con-awards.html Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 31

Maximizing the IT Ecosystem in Times of Crisis to Support Government Customers

by Joshua Verville, Senior Strategist, Perspecta

The new normal

Our daily lives as we knew them have drastically changed over the last several months. Our nation is taking preventive measures to reduce the spread of novel coronavirus, test and treat those affected, and support our nation’s health care system. In doing so federal, state and local governments are activating continuity of operation (COOP) plans in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emergency declarations, stay-at-home orders, essential services only, testing, quarantines, flattening the curve and telework have become the new normal. This “new normal” forces government and industry to maintain critical and essential services, while also balancing employee health and limited resources.

Unprecedented measures

Adapting

Responding to COVID-19 requires leveraging existing plans while also adapting to unique strategies that allow for 1

sustained operations to support response and relief efforts.

Data from the Federal Procurement Data System1 shows $6.5 Billion in COVID-19 spend since March. A large portion of the spending focuses on health equipment such a personal protective equipment (PPE), gloves, N95 masks, gowns, ventilators, etc.

However, there are other trends with the IT spend related to the COVID-19 response as well: 1. More than $1 billion in IT related spend currently being procured specific to COVID-19, since March 1, 2020; 2. The IT spend represents over 15% of the overall COVID-19 spend from the federal government; and 3. Many federal agencies have submitted contract modifications to allow for telework for contractors due to the COVID-19 response, including some who have traditionally avoided it.

These numbers represent only the spend data entered and tagged in FPDS using the National Interest Action value “COVID-19 2020” or code “P20C”; DOD reports spending

Data from the Federal Procurement Data System as of April 24, 2020.

32 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Professional Services Council

shutterstock.com / Andrey_Popov

Businesses and governments are confronting significant and unique challenges. Our country has witnessed an unprecedented mobilization of public and private resources to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have also seen significant policy changes. The president of the United States has invoked the National Defense Production Act. The Department of Defense (DOD) issued a memo increasing the allowable amounts and relaxing the reporting requirements for Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs). On April 15, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a Commercial Solutions Opening Pilot (CSOP) for Innovative Commercial Products in Support of COVID-19, which will serve as an umbrella rapid acquisition structure for DHS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In addition, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides stimulus to individuals, businesses and hospitals during the pandemic, including appropriations and provisions to help government respond to the pandemic.

data on a 90-day delay, so the actual spend in response to the COVID-19 pandemic will be significantly higher when all data are available.

The reported data shows increased spending for telework or remote work capabilities, cybersecurity services, end-user devices (laptops, mobile devices, etc.), hardware and software, network services and analytics, to name a few. The data demonstrates that IT is playing a significant role as agencies adapt to the pandemic.

These technologies have already saved countless jobs, helped slow the spread of the virus by supporting shelter-in-place orders, and allowed businesses and government to maintain a level of normalcy during the crisis.

Moving forward

While overall spend and IT spend in response to the pandemic is trending upwards daily, the real question is what will happen when the COVID-19 pandemic ends? Our analysis suggests this pandemic created a tipping point for digital transformation in the workplace, for both industry and government. Moving forward we expect to see: 1. Where practicable, a significant increase in telework and remote work 2. Modernization of existing IT infrastructure, applications, and tools in order to meet the demands of a more

mobile workforce, which has allowed many businesses and government agencies to pivot their typical place of performance 3. Expansion of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) for the entire federal government and leveraging a zero-trust framework as the new standard for cybersecurity; and 4. Increased use of data by leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, visualization and data science to inform policy and practice.

The post-pandemic world

COVID-19 has had unprecedented impacts on the United States and the world. As we move past the initial impacts of COVID-19, the “new normal” will require agile working models, a greater affinity for more secure anytime/anywhere access to IT, using data more frequently to gain insights, and allowing agencies and the public to be better prepared for the next crisis—all made possible by technology. 3 Joshua is a senior strategist in Perspecta’s civilian, state and local business group and has 20 years of experience in public, private and non-profit organizations.

Your Trusted Advisors Providing Strategic Employee Benefits Solutions BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION | COST CONTAINMENT REGULATORY & COMPLIANCE | HOURLY FRINGE ACCOUNTING WELLBEING SOLUTIONS | VOLUNTARY BENEFITS | PHARMACY CONSULTING

Gary Leavitt | 801.201.9324 | gleavitt@cbiz.com CBIZ Government Contracting Practice A division of CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services, Inc. © Copyright 2019. CBIZ, Inc. NYSE Listed: CBZ. All rights reserved.

Professional Services Council

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 33

MEMBER NEWS PSC Names Doug Lane to PSC Board of Directors

On March 20, PSC appointed Doug Lane, President and CEO of Capgemini Government Solutions, to the PSC Board of Directors. As a board member, Lane will provide input on priority issues for the association, working closely with PSC leadership and staff to accomplish the association’s goals and objective.

Prior to joining URC, Gast served as Executive Vice President for Programs at Creative Associates, leading the implementation of all programs across more than 30 countries. He previously served as Senior International Advisor for the global law firm, Covington & Burling, LLP, where he advised many of the largest U.S. and international companies on their investment strategies.

AMERICAN SYSTEMS Celebrates 45 Years as a Leading Government IT and Engineering Solutions Provider

Jennifer Felix of ASRC Federal has been promoted to president and CEO of the Beltsville, Md.-based government services contractor. She joined the company in November 2019 and previously served as ASRC Federal’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, where she led its business operations, client delivery execution, business strategy and growth initiatives.

AMERICAN SYSTEMS, a government IT and engineering solutions provider and one of the top 100 employee-owned companies in the U.S., is marking the 45th anniversary of its founding this year. This year also marks its 30th year as an employee-owned company. The company, under the leadership of President and CEO Peter Smith, is a broad-based provider of IT and engineering services and solutions to government customers in support of national priority programs and has grown to include more than 1,400 employees and annual revenue in excess of $375 million. Smith first joined AMERICAN SYSTEMS 40 years ago to work on the TRIDENT submarine program.

Former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Sue Gordon, Appointed to E3/Sentinel Board of Directors

Boscobel Marketing Communications Ungates Its Marketing and PR Resources

Jennifer Felix Promoted to President and CEO of ASRC Federal

E3/Sentinel has appointed Sue Gordon, former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, to its Board of Directors.

Prior to joining E3/Sentinel’s board, Gordon was the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence (DNI) driving innovation, expanding outreach and partnership, and advancing integration across the intel community. She also served as the Deputy Director of the National GeospatialIntelligence Agency (NGA) where she championed agile governance, recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce, and the expansion of geospatial intelligence services to the open marketplace. Earlier in her career, Gordon served at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), rising to senior executive positions in each of the Agency’s four directorates: operations, analysis, science and technology, and support.

Gordon joins E3/Sentinel Board representatives LG (Ret.) J. Kevin, McLaughlin, Skip Maner, Jim Ashton and Lee Garber.

Earl Gast Named President of URC

Global development leader Earl Gast has been appointed the new President of University Research Co., LLC (URC).

With 30 years of experience in government and private industry, Gast is a talented professional with proven expertise in the public and private sector leading strategic, results-driven programming.

34 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Boscobel Marketing Communications announced it has ungated its online resources for communications professionals. The library of white papers, M&A checklists, industry awards information and other practical assets are designed to support government contractors in promoting their companies and thought leaders in the government marketplace. All digital resources are available at the Boscobel website.

PSC Seeks Nominations for

2020 WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards PSC is seeking nominations from all sources for the WITSA Global Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Excellence Awards. These awards recognize organizations that have demonstrated exceptional achievements in using information technology to benefit both the public and private sectors. Visit www.pscouncil. org for more information on the award categories and the evaluation criteria. The deadline to submit nominations is May 31, 2020.

Have a story for Service Contractor’s Member News section?

E-mail jones@pscouncil.org

Professional Services Council

8

9

Welcome New Q1 PSC Members!

AC Leslie Consulting LLC

Membership Engagement by Role

There is a membership path for a variety of roles within each member company. View the snapshot below and learn more in the PSC Member Engagement by Company Role handbook.

• C-Suite and Senior Executives • Strategy, Management and Operations

View all the way you can engage with PSC based on your company role in the PSC Member Engagement by Company Role .

Handbook

• Business Development • Marketing and Communications • Government Relations • Contracts and Legal • Human Resources and Security • Information Technology and Cybersecurity Visit www.pscouncil.org/engage_by_role

For more information on PSC membership, contact membership@pscouncil.org.

Professional Services Council

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 35

Event Spotlight

1

2

3

4

5

PSC’s Council of International Development Companies once again held its #CIDContheHill event on February 5, 2020 (1). The event highlighted PSC’s continued engagement with Congress.

Lengthy drop-bys with Representatives Gerry Connolly (2), Don Beyer and Jamie Raskin (3) allowed them to hear first-hand work their constituents are engaged in. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel also spent considerable time in discussion with participants in between his two hearings.

36 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Participants started the day with a closed-door meeting with House Foreign Affairs Committee member Congressman Ami Bera (4) who addressed issues related to China’s ever-growing presence and concerns over funding pressures on the 150 Account. Throughout the day, our well-staffed tables then found themselves inundated with congressional staff eager to learn more about CIDC projects and activities (5).

Professional Services Council

Event Spotlight

1

2

3

4

5

More than 100 C-suite executives attended PSC’s invitation-only 2020 Leadership Summit from January 26-27, 2020. To start the event on Sunday, January 26, guests enjoyed a cocktail reception and dinner with commentary by guest speaker, Allan Lichtman (1), Distinguished Professor of History at American University.

To start off the day (2) on Monday, January 27, PSC welcomed Lieutenant General Jack Shanahan (3), DoD’s Director of Joint Artificial Intelligence who gave a keynote. Hon. Katharina McFarland, Member National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence and Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, followed with remarks on AI. After a high-energy

Professional Services Council

networking break, Hon. Emily Murphy (4), Administrator, GSA, provided keynote remarks on government trends and GSA’s platforms. We were also joined by Kristen Silverberg, Executive Vice President of Policy at Business Roundtable, who discussed the purpose of a corporation. (5) PSC President and CEO David Berteau, Leidos Chairman and CEO, and PSC Chairman of the Board of Directors, Roger Krone, and Robert Hoffman, Managing Director of Government Relations, Accenture North America, also provided commentary on the purpose of a corporation. To wrap up the conference, Berteau and Krone discussed PSC’s priorities for the year and requested feedback from attendees.

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 37

Event Happenings

1

2

5

The 2020 PSC Law Enforcement Conference (1-2) was held on February 25, 2020, in Arlington, VA. Senior executives from the government and professional services industry convened to hear from top government officials across federal law enforcement agencies, including Regina Lombardo (3), Acting Director, ATF; Angela Bailey, Chief Human Capital Officer, DHS; Vice Admiral Daniel B. Abel (4), Dep Commandant for Operations, USCG; Patty Cogswell, Acting Deputy Administrator, TSA; Matt Donahue, Deputy Chief for Operations, DEA; and Jeffrey S. Sallet, Associate Executive Assistant Director, Finance and Facilities Division, FBI,

38 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

3

4

6

7

and more. Andrea McCarthy (5), President, HARP, and Chair of the 2020 Law Enforcement Conference Planning Committee, gave opening remarks.

On March 4, 2020, PSC’s Council of International Development Companies (CIDC) hosted a FY21 Foreign Assistance Budget Briefing (6-7) with guest speaker Jim Richardson, Director, Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance Resources. Richardson presented the administration’s foreign assistance budget priorities and funding level requests.

Professional Services Council

BRINGING IDEAS THAT DELIVER VALUE FOR OUR AEROSPACE, DEFENSE & GOVERNMENT SERVICES PROVIDERS The capital to finance growth, M&A opportunities or business transformation. The industry expertise to deliver good ideas that drive value in a complex industry landscape.

Tap our proven ability to deliver value, as these industry leaders recently have:

SENIOR CREDIT FACILITIES

SENIOR CREDIT FACILITIES

SENIOR CREDIT FACILITIES

SENIOR CREDIT FACILITIES

FEBRUARY 2020

FEBRUARY 2020

JANUARY 2020

DECEMBER 2019

Joint Lead Arranger

Joint Lead Arranger

Lead Arranger, Joint Bookrunner and Administrative Agent

Joint Lead Arranger and Joint Bookrunner

AND C O N S U LT I N G G R O U P

SENIOR CREDIT FACILITIES

SENIOR CREDIT FACILITIES

SENIOR CREDIT FACILITIES

SENIOR CREDIT FACILITIES

DECEMBER 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019

AUGUST 2019

JULY 2019

Joint Lead Arranger and Joint Bookrunner

Sole Lead Arranger, Sole Bookrunner and Administrative Agent

Lead Arranger, Bookrunner and Administrative Agent

Lead Arranger, Joint Bookrunner and Administrative Agent

To find out more, please call us or visit CitizensADG.com.

Dillon Bowles

Jack Lowe

Dan Darnell, Jr.

Dan Laurenzi

Managing Director, Corporate Finance 704-496-5812 dillon.bowles@citizensbank.com

Managing Director, Corporate Finance 704-496-5861 jack.lowe@citizensbank.com

Managing Director, Corporate Banking 703-245-7033 daniel.darnell@citizensbank.com

Director, Corporate Banking 703-245-7027 dan.laurenzi@citizensbank.com

©2020 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Citizens Commercial Banking is brand name of Citizens Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.

Professional Services Council

Service Contractor / Spring 2020 / 39

Professional Services Council 4401 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1110 Arlington, VA 22203

100% VIRTUAL July 13, 2020 • 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

What are the trends shaping federal acquisition policies and their effects on federal agencies and contractors?

How has COVID-19 changed the landscape for government and industry?

What are the acquisition implications of new supply chain and cybersecurity measures?

Get these answers and more!

Register at www.fedacquisition.org 40 / Service Contractor / Spring 2020

Professional Services Council