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20
Jan
Lee Dougherty
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Regardless of outside influences, bid requirements rule the day

Regardless of outside influences, bid requirements rule the day Jan 20, 2012 Tensions between the veteran-owned small business community and the Department of Veterans Affairs have been escalating, as reported in FedBiz Daily. The most recent example stems to failure by the VA Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization to timely and effectively process […]

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13
Jan
Lee Dougherty
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Consistency is key in GAO decisions

Consistency is key in GAO decisions Jan 13, 2012 Whether companies are big or small, or come armed with an army of legal attorneys or none at all, procurement rules remain the same. Protesting contractor: SAIC Inc., McLean Contracting agency: Department of the Army Protest Issue: Whether all offerors were held to the same standard. […]

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6
Jan
Lee Dougherty
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A desperate strategy: When in doubt, protest

A desperate strategy: When in doubt, protest Jan 6, 2012 I am often asked: Why are the number of protests filed at the Government Accountability Office rising when there is a decline in the amount of money the government is spending? There is no simple answer to that question. But, this protest is a good […]

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23
Dec
Lee Dougherty
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GAO again supports Vets First law in protest decision

GAO again supports Vets First law in protest decision Dec 23, 2011 Last week I was very critical of the Government Accountability Office for a recent protest decision. The agency made up for it, however, by once again picking the right side in the fight between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the veteran-owned small […]

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16
Dec
Lee Dougherty
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GAO provides a pass on the appearance of impropriety

GAO provides a pass on the appearance of impropriety Dec 16, 2011 I don’t find myself saying this very often, but the Government Accountability Office got this dead wrong. And worse than getting it wrong, the watchdog agency admits that it in essence took the easy way out, rather than standing firm on what constitutes […]

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9
Dec
Lee Dougherty
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To avoid rejection, give agencies what they ask for

To avoid rejection, give agencies what they ask for Dec 9, 2011 During my first semester of law school, I had to take a pass/fail legal writing course. The process was very simple: submit what you thought was correct and a third year law student would mark it up with corrections. You would then make […]

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2
Dec
Lee Dougherty
2 Comments

The increasing burden of risk in federal contracting

The increasing burden of risk in federal contracting Dec 2, 2011 The administration has been clear: Greater risk needs to be shifted to industry in contracts, often through fixed pricing. Those contractors willing to shoulder more of that burden will often walk away with the win. Protesting contractor: WingGate Travel Inc., AirTrak Travel, and Alamo […]

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18
Nov
Lee Dougherty
1 Comment

Safety of military trumps competition

Safety of military trumps competition Nov 18, 2011 In yet another example of an exception to the requirement for full and open competition, the Government Accountability will typically put first the safety of men and women in uniform and the need to move ahead with military operations. Protesting Contractor: Mistral Security Inc., Bethesda Contracting Agency: […]

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11
Nov
Lee Dougherty
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How the feds maintain a solid industrial base

How the feds maintain a solid industrial base Nov 11, 2011 Full and open competition is important, but so is a solid industrial base. Given that, federal agencies can flow dollars to specific contractors to ensure access to fair-priced goods in the long term. Protesting contractor: Outdoor Venture Corp., Sterns, Ky. Contracting agency: Defense Logistics […]

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