If you are a government contractor, you should be familiar with the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). CPARS is the suite of web-enabled applications that are used to document contractor performance. CPARS assesses a contractor’s performance and provides a record, both positive and negative that government officials use to assess companies and potentially use as a determining factor when awarding government contracts to vendors. Information entered into this system is strictly limited to unclassified information only. Assessments in the CPARS are objective facts supported by program and contract management data. These reports include: cost performance reports, quality reviews, financial solvency assessments, and earned contract incentives.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) for IT Help desks is no longer a foreign concept to government agencies. This solution can help provide improved government service to citizens from an environment entirely in the cloud. However, many questions of cost benefit and scalability still remain. With the long term ramifications of budget cuts and sequestration slowly taking a strangling hold on government procurement, agencies are scrambling to find new ways to “save a buck.”

There are only 24 days left before the end of the Federal Fiscal Year. Right now, the government buying season is at peak time. Last year, over $9.8 Billion was spent through General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule Contracts in the last quarter alone. To ensure maximum sales, GSA contractors need to ensure their GSA Price List is accurate and up to date.

Federal, state, and local governments use GSA's eBuy system to find businesses that offer specific services and products at competitive prices. These federal buyers can request information and prepare RFQs/RFPs for services and products offered through GSA Schedule contracts. Businesses small and large use GSA eBuy to sell products and services to the government. According to GSA, more than $8.34 billion in products and services were processed through eBuy in 2012. Now the GSA is making a push to make eBuy more accessible to small businesses by taking eBuy mobile. According to a GSA representative, “you can learn how to do business with the federal government right from your cell phone” making the site more accessible to small businesses.

The General Services Administration (GSA) has recently begun two proposals to cut contracting costs for professional services. These two bids combine under a master contract vehicle calledOne Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS). One of the plans under OASIS will administer contracts to large businesses, while the other will serve smaller businesses.

A well-designed leadership development program is essential to identifying, attracting, filling, and retaining employee leadership. By using a consistent talent management program at all levels across the organization, future leaders are developed fruitfully. Leadership programs truly shape the success of business processes like hiring strategies, employee development, and career succession planning. Did you know that only 25% of those hired for executive director and other executive functions will stay in their jobs more than five years?