Raising the Bar: FAR Council Finalizes 2025 Inflation Adjustments to Acquisition Thresholds
The FAR Council finalized FAC 2025-06, updating micro-purchase to $15k and simplified acquisition to $350k, raising key competition, reporting, and pricing thresholds, and adopting April 2025 CPI for accuracy. Most changes take effect October 1, 2025, preserving streamlined buying power against inflation.
Pentagon Moves to Replace JCIDS with a Leaner, Problem-Driven Pipeline
The Pentagon has ordered the disestablishment of JCIDS and launched a new problem-driven model that links requirements to funding via a Requirements and Resourcing Alignment Board, a Mission Engineering and Integration Activity, and a Joint Acceleration Reserve—aimed at accelerating fielding and closing the “valley of death” between prototypes and programs.
“No Longer”: DOJ Guidance to Federally Funded Entities on Unlawful Discrimination
DOJ’s Attorney General issues guidance warning federally funded entities that DEI-style preferences, demographic quotas, or proxy criteria using protected traits risk violating Titles VI, VII, IX, and Equal Protection. Memo outlines unlawful practices, hostile-environment risks, third-party funding scrutiny, and non-binding best practices to ensure neutral, lawful compliance.
Centralizing Federal Buying: Promise, Pressure, and the Path Through GSA
OMB’s new directive to centralize federal procurement would make GSA vehicles the default, accelerate FAR updates, and require strong business cases to consolidate operational contracting. Emily Murphy explains implications for small businesses, category management, and agency autonomy—and why measured optimism is warranted for faster, cleaner buying.
Behind the Gate: What GAO Found About Airport Service Workers in 2025
GAO’s August 2025 report profiles airport service workers—the cleaners, handlers, concessions crews, security, wheelchair attendants, and agents who keep U.S. aviation running. It details their safety and security roles, how they help generate nearly half of airport operating revenue, and what data show on wages, benefits, poverty, rent burden, and demographics.
The 2025 GAO/CIGIE Financial Audit Manual, Volume 3: What’s New and Why It Matters
GAO and CIGIE’s 2025 Financial Audit Manual, Volume 3 updates the Federal Financial Reporting Checklist for FY 2025, incorporating FASAB standards and OMB A-136. Highlights include SFFAS 64-ready MD&A, single-year reporting, enhanced inventory and liabilities disclosures, streamlined leases, and revised payment integrity and trading-partner guidance
GAO to OMB: TBM Needs a Go/No-Go Decision Now
GAO’s July 2025 report says OMB must make a “go/no-go” decision on Technology Business Management. After eight years, guidance is incomplete, most agencies lack plans or reliable cost allocation, and costs range up to $28.9M with no documented savings—only transparency gains. GAO urges OMB to either prioritize and finish TBM or terminate it.
FEMA Redefining the Mission for a Resilient Future
Former FEMA administrator Brock Long argues that FEMA’s survival depends on redefining its mission, curbing mission creep, and restoring focus on community lifelines, local-state-federal partnerships, and citizen preparedness. His call for a holistic, time-phased reform highlights the urgent need to rethink disaster management in the United States.
Mining Local Priorities: What German County Websites Reveal
This study mines German local government websites with modern NLP to map priorities across 205 topics and highlight spatial patterns in urban development, climate action, and business support. It shows how counties frame similar issues differently and releases an aggregated dataset for reproducible regional research.
Congress Moves to Replace CPARS Ratings with Objective “Negative-Only” Scores
Congress is moving to replace subjective DoD CPARS narratives with an objective, “negative-only” scoring system that documents material performance failures, normalizes scores by contract volume, and requires rapid contractor rebuttals. Supporters see clarity and reduced workload; critics warn of due-process risks if disputes are still pending.
GAO’s UCIG Decision Reaffirms Hard Deadlines and Treats Pre-Submission Vetting as a Material Requirement
GAO’s UCIG decision (B-423682) reinforces strict protest timeliness and clarifies that clearly drafted pre-submission approvals like JCCS can be treated as material solicitation requirements, not post-award responsibility checks. It also narrows hopes for the “significant issue” exception, distinguishing Pernix’s impossibility scenario from routine compliance terms.
2025 Review of How Federal Programs Support Vulnerable Communities’ Water Systems
GAO’s August 2025 report finds EPA, FEMA, and USDA provided $35B in grants and $29B in loans for water infrastructure (FY2014–2023) but urges better measurement of who benefits, clearer FEMA cost-share communication, and wider use of EPA service-area maps to target vulnerable communities and strengthen disaster resilience.
Shrinkflation in America: GAO’s Findings on Trends, Consumer Behavior, and Policy Options
GAO’s July 2025 report on shrinkflation finds minimal impact on overall inflation but significant effects in products like paper goods and cereal. The study examines consumer behavior, transparency challenges, and policy options—from labeling requirements to unit pricing—to address downsizing and its effect on household budgets.
the Promise and Pitfalls of AI in State and Local Government
This blog explores how state and local governments can responsibly integrate AI by grounding initiatives in public values, engaging communities, adopting tiered governance, collaborating across jurisdictions, building internal capacity, and ensuring continuous oversight—guided by the 2025 consultation by Ghani, Langston, McNeese, and Venkatasubramanian.
GAO Denies WFL Protest and Applies Stricter Pleading Standard Under FY2025 NDAA (Footnote 3)
GAO denied Warfighter Focused Logistics’ protest over a DLA tire cross chains award, reinforcing strict timeliness rules, reliance on past performance data, and a heightened pleading standard requiring credible, evidence-backed allegations under the FY2025 NDAA.
GAO Rarely Sustains Protests—But When It Does, It Matters: emissary LLC Prevails Against WHS
The GAO issued a rare sustained protest in emissary LLC v. WHS, criticizing serious flaws in the agency’s evaluation and award decision. This rare victory underscores the importance of strict compliance with solicitation terms in federal procurement—and the value of the protest process as an accountability tool.
FAA’s Funding Windfall Triggers Procurement Surge — But Can the Agency Keep Up?
In a blog post based on Terry Gerton’s Federal News Network article, we explore how Congress has already provided $12.5 billion to the FAA, with FY 2026 proposals ranging from $22 billion to $23 billion. Will the agency’s procurement systems scale effectively amid leadership changes, aging infrastructure, and pressure to modernize? The stakes couldn’t be higher.
GAO Denies Protest by 1st SBC Solutions over Treasury IT Services Award to Agovx
GAO denies 1st SBC’s protest over an IRS IT task order award to Agovx. Key issues included discussions fairness, compliance with RFP instructions, price realism, and past performance. The ruling reinforces best-value discretion and the need for showing prejudice.
Centering Community Input in Government Tech Decisions
This blog post summarizes Gear Shift by Data & Society, which argues for early-stage community input in public sector tech procurement. The authors call for a reimagined procurement process that centers community voices before decisions are made.
Panel Lays Out the Case for Cybersecurity Regulation Harmonization
GAO’s July 2025 report captures industry frustration with the maze of federal cybersecurity rules. Twelve critical-infrastructure leaders told GAO that overlapping mandates waste money, time, and talent, while small firms bear outsized costs. Limited harmonization progress exists, but hopes ride on CIRCIA and calls for a single authoritative agency, unified reporting, NIST-aligned standards, and safe-harbor incentives.