“Time to Choose”: Why DoD’s New DFARS Conflict-of-Interest Rule Matters for Consulting Contractors
DoD’s new DFARS rule implementing NDAA §812 restricts awards under NAICS 5416 to consulting firms with foreign government ties unless they certify compliance or deliver an auditable mitigation plan. Effective Oct. 24, 2025, it extends to affiliates, raises protest risks, and demands robust global governance and information barriers.
Governing Through “Mock Precision”: Why It Matters to Federal Contractors
An academic summary of “Governing through guesstimates,” explaining why international organisations present uncertain data with “mock precision,” why this persists, and why it matters to U.S. federal contractors. Learn how IO-sourced numbers shape policies, compliance, and risk—and how to respond with due diligence, sensitivity analyses, and defensible program design.
Shutdown News for Federal Contractors: Why a New Bill and a DoD Class Deviation Matter
A new bill would guarantee back pay for federal contract workers after shutdowns, while a DoD class deviation lets contracting officers obligate funds for essential work despite lapsed appropriations. Here’s why both moves matter for contractor risk, workforce stability, and mission continuity, based on Terry Gerton’s interview with PSC’s Stephanie Kostro for Federal News Network.
Why the State Department’s 2025 TIP Report Matters for Federal Contractors
The State Department’s 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report maps global anti-trafficking performance and informs federal procurement risk. Learn why Tier rankings and enforcement trends matter for FAR 52.222-50/-56 compliance, supply-chain due diligence, and debarment exposure—and how contractors can translate the report’s insights into practical CTIP controls and sourcing decisions
Georgia Tech Cyber Case: From Allegations to Settlement—and What It Signals for DoD Contractors
DOJ announced that Georgia Tech Research Corporation will pay $875,000 to resolve allegations it failed to meet DoD cybersecurity requirements, including NIST SP 800-171 controls and accurate self-assessment reporting. This update explains the settlement’s key facts, ties to our prior coverage, and the practical implications for defense contractors as CMMC formalizes assessment expectations.
Dynamic Capabilities in City Governments: Why Contractors Should Pay Attention
A new UCL IIPP report proposes a Public Sector Capabilities Index to assess how cities sense change, shift priorities, build coalitions, learn, and reconfigure delivery. For government contractors, aligning proposals to these five “dynamic capabilities” can improve win rates, de-risk innovation, and deliver lasting institutional capacity.
Constructive Changes: Recognition, Examples, and Requests for Equitable Adjustment
Constructive changes occur when government conduct expands contract performance without a formal modification. Learn the common patterns—overinspection, acceleration, defective specs, nondisclosure—and how to respond with timely notice, disciplined cost capture, and a persuasive REA or CDA claim that satisfies certification, decision, and interest rules under the FAR and CDA.
Building Trustworthy AI: Why the World Bank’s 2025 framework matters for federal contractors
World Bank’s 2025 “Building Trustworthy AI” translates global AI ethics into operational tools—explainability, fairness, privacy, and governance—tailored to public programs. For U.S. federal contractors, it foreshadows RFP requirements, audit artifacts, and performance controls. Use its checklists and PETs guidance to strengthen proposals, MLOps, and compliance.
Spatial Data and Cybersecurity: From Asset to Attack Surface
Summary of Louai Alarabi’s World Economic Forum article on why spatial data now underpins logistics, cities, disaster response, and national security—and why its confidentiality, integrity, and availability require layered cybersecurity across governance, technical controls, threat intelligence, and emerging tools like AI, blockchain, and privacy-preserving analytics.
Illuminating “Dark Data” in Government: Why Federal Contractors Should Care
A new fellows paper by Heather Openshaw shows most government data is “dark”—unused, risky, and costly. It explains how AI and digital public infrastructure can unlock value only if governance, consent, and data hygiene come first. Here’s why that matters for U.S. federal contractors’ capture, compliance, and solution design.
Extreme Heat, FEMA, and the Funding Gap: Why GAO’s New Report Matters for Federal Contractors
GAO’s new report (GAO-25-107474) finds extreme heat affects 97% of U.S. counties, yet FEMA funding and policies only marginally support heat as a primary hazard. No heat-only disaster declarations, few BRIC awards, and new rules curtail stand-alone heat retrofits. Federal contractors should pursue multi-hazard projects, strengthen BCA evidence, and align proposals to programs where heat is a co-benefit.
Here’s a Look at Federal Agencies’ Shutdown Contingency Plans—and Why They Matter to Contractors
A concise agency-by-agency overview of federal shutdown contingency plans shows which missions continue, which pause, and how COR availability, funding, and approvals will affect contractor performance, billing, and staffing. Essential reading for risk triage, cash flow planning, and communications during the FY26 appropriations lapse.
GAO’s 2025 Category Management Update: Why Federal Contractors Should Pay Attention
GAO’s 2025 snapshot on category management signals a decisive shift toward centralized, data-driven federal purchasing through GSA and preferred vehicles. Learn why this matters for contractors—consolidating pathways, price transparency, small-business goals, and how to position bids, pricing, and teaming for the next phase of federal buying.
Navigating a Federal Government Shutdown: What Contractors Should Do Now
Guidance for federal contractors to navigate a government shutdown: follow agency lapse plans, secure written CO direction, manage cash and workforce prudently, maintain security and property protections, and document every decision for faster restart and potential cost recovery. Reflects the latest OMB context on shutdown planning.
Open vs. Conventional SBIR/STTR Topics
GAO’s 2025 report on SBIR/STTR finds open topics now account for about half of FY 2023 awards and increase competition, but inconsistent definitions across agencies hinder outcome measurement. SBA plans guidance to standardize labels. Federal contractors should adjust capture strategies and prepare for policy changes that may reshape pipelines and metrics.
Unified FAR Agenda Signals Tightening Cyber, Supply-Chain, and OCI Controls—What Contractors Should Expect in 2026
The Sept. 22, 2025 FAR Unified Agenda previews major compliance shifts for federal contractors in 2026: CUI harmonization, incident-reporting attestations, secure-software requirements, FASCSA exclusion orders, Section 889 enterprise-use bans, and revamped OCI rules. Here’s why these items matter and how to prepare.
The Transparency in Contract Pricing Act of 2025: Why It Matters for Federal Contractors
Proposed DoD legislation would require contractors on sole-source sustainment awards to notify contracting officers within 30 days of significant price increases (25%/50% thresholds), with DCAA reporting noncompliance to FAPIIS. Learn what triggers notice, how to build controls, and why early price transparency protects awards and past performance.
Faster, Smarter Buying: New FAR “Companion”
The FAR Council’s 2025 “FAR Companion” accelerates commercial buying with RFQ-centric procedures up to $7.5M (and $15M for certain emergencies), emphasizes comparative evaluations on existing vehicles, and tightens debrief/protest timing.
When Documentation Determines Destiny: GAO Sustains IPRO’s Protest in CMS QIN-QIO Award
GAO sustained IPRO’s protest of CMS’s QIN-QIO Region 1 award because CMS failed to document how the awardee met a prime-only eligibility test. Technical and tradeoff challenges were denied. The ruling highlights that JV/subcontractor structures must be reconciled to solicitation language and that contemporaneous analysis—not post-hoc rationales—controls.
DOD’s Cyber Force Is Bigger—and More Duplicative—Than Many Think
GAO’s 2025 review of DOD cyberspace operations counts ~440 units, 61k personnel, and 9.5k contractors, and flags overlap in training and among 23 CSSPs. With DOD concurring on consolidation assessments, federal contractors should prepare for larger, joint standards–driven competitions across training and enterprise cyber defense.