Browse Ideas with tag 'contracts':

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  Minimize or Cancel Aviation Contracts Overseas

  Aviation and Mechanical (tactical vehicle) contractors making 3x the amount of Soldiers to do 3x less work, sometimes making more work for the Soldiers. This is overseas and in the middle east. If contractors are there to do the work, then bring Soldiers home; otherwise, save the money and send the contractors home to the states. It's very wasteful to have both there (Europe and downrange) at the same time doing the ...more »

  Aviation and Mechanical (tactical vehicle) contractors making 3x the amount of Soldiers to do 3x less work, sometimes making more work for the Soldiers. This is overseas and in the middle east. If contractors are there to do the work, then bring Soldiers home; otherwise, save the money and send the contractors home to the states. It's very wasteful to have both there (Europe and downrange) at the same time doing the same job.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Eliminate Cleaning Contracts, Implement Chores

  I work in an agency with tons of SCIFs. There is a day shift and a night shift of cleaning personnel, all of whom must be cleared at a level that seems ridiculous given the work that they are performing. We should eliminate cleaning contracts and instead pick up after ourselves, take our trash out, and vacuum once or twice a week. Bathroom duty could be given by drawing straws, or maybe given to poor performers! I imagine ...more »

  I work in an agency with tons of SCIFs. There is a day shift and a night shift of cleaning personnel, all of whom must be cleared at a level that seems ridiculous given the work that they are performing.

  We should eliminate cleaning contracts and instead pick up after ourselves, take our trash out, and vacuum once or twice a week. Bathroom duty could be given by drawing straws, or maybe given to poor performers! I imagine this idea seems below many federal workers, but if it was implemented by offices and groups of workers in the same spaces it would become an accepted part of the weekly routine. It would be hard for the public to consider us spoiled if we cleaned up after ourselves and our spaces to save the taxpayers money.

  The chores approach will lead to less access to classified and SBU material, result in less background checks and security adjudications, less bloated contracts (cleaning staff paid as much as local police officers solely because they need a clearance to clean in the building they are assigned), more pride in our work environments, and really would not consume many man-hours if implemented correctly.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Revamp DTS Re:overpriced flights & emilinate travel agents

  The last time I traveled it was from Maryland to Nevada. Because DTS is difficult to use, I initially started finding flights through commercial airline websites. When I found a few flights that would work, I located them in DTS. A roundabout way, sure, but much easier and quicker in the long run than dealing with the ever-crashing DTS system, inconsistent information, confusing layout design, etc. When I found my flight ...more »

  The last time I traveled it was from Maryland to Nevada. Because DTS is difficult to use, I initially started finding flights through commercial airline websites. When I found a few flights that would work, I located them in DTS. A roundabout way, sure, but much easier and quicker in the long run than dealing with the ever-crashing DTS system, inconsistent information, confusing layout design, etc.

  When I found my flight onlined I noticed the price jumped from $190 as offered by the commericial airline's website to $950 on DTS.

  SAME exact flight number, date, time, airline, seat, everything...but almost $800 more. Why? I'm not getting special treatment, just a normal trip.

  (And this wasn't the first time I noticed the drastic difference in price.)

  Yes, I understand that these government airline tickets can be changed at a moment's notice without incurring addition fees, but is that benefit really work $800?

  But then again, as a normal passenger I could notify the airline (not the DTS travel agent) and also change my flight at a moment's notice..only the fee would be about a $150 or $200. So, even with that, my $190 ticket would go up to $390. It's still far less money than the $900 ticket I was forced to purchase through DTS.

  Furthermore, once I add trip information in DTS it is sent to another travel agent that must then do the purchasing for me. I can only imagine it must cost the government millions of dollars to pay these contractor travel agents to click "buy ticket" online.

  Perhaps this was a great system ten years ago, but with today's easy access to airline and trip planning websites, we no longer need travel agents to do the work for us.

  DTS is great for keeping track of government travel, finding per diem rates, and logging receipts for reimbursement, but it is absolutely ridiculous to pay more than double the commercial rate for flights. It is furthermore a waste of time and money to hire travel agent.

  If you want to save the government millions of dollars, or more, each year, then take a serious look at the DTS contracts, budget, ticket prices, and travel agent middle men.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Use transparency to reduce overhead costs

  Transparency is a powerful cost saving tool. The Combined Federal Campaign started publishing the percentage of contributions that charities used for administrative and overhead costs after a financial scandal at United Way threatened the integrity of the campaign. It set a bar of 25%. Contributors began making more informed decisions and charities reduced their overhead costs over time to get below the bar. We could ...more »

  Transparency is a powerful cost saving tool. The Combined Federal Campaign started publishing the percentage of contributions that charities used for administrative and overhead costs after a financial scandal at United Way threatened the integrity of the campaign. It set a bar of 25%. Contributors began making more informed decisions and charities reduced their overhead costs over time to get below the bar.

  We could take the same approach to reduce health insurance costs. Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies will be required to spend 80 to 85 percent of premium dollars on medical care and health care quality improvement, rather than on administrative costs, starting in 2011. If they don’t, the insurance companies will be required to provide a rebate to their customers starting in 2012. What if OPM published the % of administrative and profit for each provider in the FEHBP at open season. We would begin to assess the value of our insurance differently and make different decisions. Companies would have to reduce costs to be competitive.

  We could require doctors to do the same. That would push them to reduce costs and embrace cost saving electronic billing options and record- keeping.

  My electricity provider enables customers to compare what they pay per month to what other customers in comparable (e.g., size of home) areas pay. It has found that customers change their usage because they have a measure of what is achievable in cost reduction.

  Contracts are another area where transparency could affect costs. We need to push companies to be more efficient and reduce administrative and overhead costs on government contracts and especially on sub-contractor costs. The costs for specialized and high-end technical expertise are very high and so is the overhead. How much are we paying for healthcare and other benefits, how much are we paying for facilities and other overhead costs like clearance processes and compliance.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  No raises for Fed Contractors when Fed Empl don't get raises

  As a Federal Employee I am sympathetic to the rest of the country’s economic situation and have taken the 2 year cut on our Cost of Living increase with a grain of salt, knowing ultimately we’re helping out in a small way. But I feel it is a slap in the face when the contractors in my office are granted raises because their contracts state they are entitled to receive it. Why aren’t there clauses in Federal Labor ...more »

  As a Federal Employee I am sympathetic to the rest of the country’s economic situation and have taken the 2 year cut on our Cost of Living increase with a grain of salt, knowing ultimately we’re helping out in a small way. But I feel it is a slap in the face when the contractors in my office are granted raises because their contracts state they are entitled to receive it.

  Why aren’t there clauses in Federal Labor Contracts that state, “When Federal Employees do not receive a Cost of Living increase an increase in pay rate will not be given to Federal Contractors”? If we all work together and in the same boat, shouldn’t we all have to bail water? This clause should be mandatory on all Federal Contracts and not be up to the COR or Agency to dictate.

  The amount of money saved would be at least in the millions and possibly comparable to the savings of not granting Cost of Living increases to Federal Employees.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Negotiate from position of strength

  The government pays tremendous amounts for flights, supplies, leases, etc. I can get cheaper supplies at local office supply store and that shouldn't happen. Hire a team real negotiators at GSA who know how to optimize government buying power so it benefits the government.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Eliminate sole source contracting. open the bidding to all.

  make the process transparent and do not allow contractors to become too complacent in providing services. provide strict oversight using outside auditors who review the progress being made against the original request for services. When bidding is done, to provide for ease of transparency, open the process to make it competitive. allow bidders to revise and provide a bond to pay back the Government if they fail to ...more »

  make the process transparent and do not allow contractors to become too complacent in providing services. provide strict oversight using outside auditors who review the progress being made against the original request for services. When bidding is done, to provide for ease of transparency, open the process to make it competitive. allow bidders to revise and provide a bond to pay back the Government if they fail to perform.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Reform the SBIR process

  Several hundred million dollars are awarded in SBIRs every year, despite the fact that many of the companies who receive them never church out an actual product. The SBIR system relies on the "good ol boy" network, where a company often as an inside track into the agency via an internal person that they are friends with. Personally, I worked for a company that received between 5 and 10 million dollars in money from ...more »

  Several hundred million dollars are awarded in SBIRs every year, despite the fact that many of the companies who receive them never church out an actual product.

  The SBIR system relies on the "good ol boy" network, where a company often as an inside track into the agency via an internal person that they are friends with.

  Personally, I worked for a company that received between 5 and 10 million dollars in money from the DoD (multiple contracts) without ever providing a single product to the government, and they continue to win more every year. In fact, the company was solicited to right the actual SBIR requirements, which all but guaranteed the win on the contract.

  The government could save itself a lot of money if it would just realize that the same companies are winning contracts out of certain agencies, and realize the crooked nature of what is going on.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Put more stringent controls on consulting contracts

  The federal government uses a wide range of contractors. Some provide equipment, which are tangible. But when contractors provide more ill-defined "goods" the scrutiny should be heightened and there should be a time limit the consultant can work with the contractor. For example, X consultanting firm can help an agency build a training course, but that must be done with a certain time frame -- six months or less -- and ...more »

  The federal government uses a wide range of contractors. Some provide equipment, which are tangible. But when contractors provide more ill-defined "goods" the scrutiny should be heightened and there should be a time limit the consultant can work with the contractor. For example, X consultanting firm can help an agency build a training course, but that must be done with a certain time frame -- six months or less -- and the contract cannot be extended. Time to stop runaway spending on consultants. They are abusing the system, and federal workers are not calling them on it.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Awarding contracts to the BEST bids

  When a Request For Information (RFI) goes out, all companies that respond and want to bid on a job should be required to sit with the contracting agency-together as a group, to determine EVERYTHING that will need to be included in a contract to get the job done that the agency intended. If your company does not participate in developing the steps necessary to get to the objective, then your company will not be permitted ...more »

  When a Request For Information (RFI) goes out, all companies that respond and want to bid on a job should be required to sit with the contracting agency-together as a group, to determine EVERYTHING that will need to be included in a contract to get the job done that the agency intended. If your company does not participate in developing the steps necessary to get to the objective, then your company will not be permitted to bid. This will prevent cost over-runs and having to go back to renegotiate a contract (at a higher rate of course-as they have already been awarded the job) because the COTAR was not aware they needed a particular function performed and it has not been listed in the Statement of work. Once the requirements are fully developed they all get to bid on the same contract; on the same statement of work, with everything necessary to complete the job- spelled out….

  In this way, you have full transparency and all parties are aware of resources needed to complete the job as is envisioned.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Eliminate different contracts for workers within same agency

  Eliminate different contracts for workers within same agency. For example, within CBP Border Patrol Agents have a completely different overtime system than CBP Officers do. Each job series (1895/1896) falls under a different contract. DHS and CBP say we are one CBP but even the agency is split into different feifdoms. Each of those feifdoms is then split into smaller feifdoms each reporting somewhere else and seemingly ...more »

  Eliminate different contracts for workers within same agency. For example, within CBP Border Patrol Agents have a completely different overtime system than CBP Officers do. Each job series (1895/1896) falls under a different contract. DHS and CBP say we are one CBP but even the agency is split into different feifdoms. Each of those feifdoms is then split into smaller feifdoms each reporting somewhere else and seemingly in competition with themselves.

  This leaves the workers not knowing in cases to whom to report or how. STREAMLINE the agencies and eliminate EMPIRE BUILDING within the feifdoms.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Buy American When you Get Federal Funding

  Have you been watching the ABC news series this month on Buy American? During one show, they focused on how the Smithsonian’s museum stores sell many products manufactured outside of the US. This is not a surprise, but we know it’s not just the Smithsonian! Shouldn’t organizations (and certain individuals) receiving federal funding be required to Buy American regardless how they get the funding (i.e., directly or indirectly ...more »

  Have you been watching the ABC news series this month on Buy American? During one show, they focused on how the Smithsonian’s museum stores sell many products manufactured outside of the US. This is not a surprise, but we know it’s not just the Smithsonian! Shouldn’t organizations (and certain individuals) receiving federal funding be required to Buy American regardless how they get the funding (i.e., directly or indirectly from the federal government)? (NOTE: The Recovery Act included Buy American requirements, but they were limited to certain types of expenditures.)

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  Change Contracting process for software and Embrace Open Source

  Currently software development is contracted out on "fixed cost" contracts. Software companies are allowed to keep their source code private and demand high prices and a profit margin to make changes to software. Instead, hire software developers under "level of effort" contracts and use government employees as project managers. Changes will come quicker and at much reduced cost as additional work will be paid on an ...more »

  Currently software development is contracted out on "fixed cost" contracts. Software companies are allowed to keep their source code private and demand high prices and a profit margin to make changes to software.

  Instead, hire software developers under "level of effort" contracts and use government employees as project managers. Changes will come quicker and at much reduced cost as additional work will be paid on an hourly basis.

  Also, with Open Source, talented government employees will be empowered to make software improvements directly at an even lower cost.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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  GSA Contracts that make sense or none at all

  A key board tray from office max's website costs 130$. Through GSA it costs over 200$. That makes no sense.

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  Submitted by Community Member 2 years ago

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