innovation | The Contracting Education Academy

August 19, 2020 By cs

Georgia Tech to lead technology coalition to advance inclusive innovation across the state

Announced by Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan on Aug. 17, Georgia Tech will take a lead role in the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation, a public-private partnership created to foster technology access, growth, entrepreneurship, and evolution across the state of Georgia. The organization is the first of its kind — a statewide, public-private partnership built from the ground up entirely in a virtual environment.

The new organization follows the foundational work of the Georgia Innovates Task Force, established by Lt. Gov. Duncan in January 2020. The task force, under the chairmanship of G.P. “Bud” Peterson, president emeritus of Georgia Tech, and former U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, made recommendations last month to formalize efforts that will establish the state as a national leader in technology research, development, and implementation. Peterson will continue as board chair. Debra Lam, current managing director of Smart Cities and Inclusive Innovation at Georgia Tech, has been named executive director of the new organization.

“Through collaboration between industry and education, the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation has the potential to transform our entire state and the lives of its citizens,” said Ángel Cabrera, president, Georgia Tech. “ We are very grateful to Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan for creating the Georgia Innovates Task Force earlier this year, and for the thousands of volunteer hours that my predecessor, co-chair G.P. “Bud” Peterson, and other civic and community leaders and supporting organizations invested in creating this exciting vision. We at Georgia Tech are honored to help Georgia maximize inclusive innovation throughout our state.”

Following the recommendations of the task force and building on the state’s existing infrastructure and leadership, the organization’s focus will center on “foundational, transformational, and sustaining” work throughout the state of Georgia that is guided by principles of connectedness, talent, diversity, sustainability, and identity. Pilot programs will focus on providing access to digital resources and education; advancing agriculture, food system innovation, venture capital growth, and lab-to-market tech transfer; and ensuring resources, access, and opportunities are sustained via public-private partnerships.

Advancement efforts will include a series of high-impact, low-cost pilot programs, including K-12 Digital Readiness, Advanced Food Supply Innovation, and Regional Industry/Education Collaboratives. The first set of pilots, including Civic Data Science for Equitable Development in Savannah and a Traffic Monitoring and Communication System in Valdosta, were recently announced by the Georgia Smart Communities Challenge.

Georgia Tech research across a broad range of disciplines, including optical technology, will help define Georgia’s identity as a national leader in technology research, development and implementation. (Credit: Christa Ernst, Georgia Tech)

“Georgia Tech’s leadership role in the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation is an ongoing testament to its strategic mission of advancing technology to improve the human condition,” said Lam. “The Partnership for Inclusive Innovation’s establishment also reflects the level and depth of statewide commitment to improve access and opportunities for all Georgians. It was an honor to work with the full Georgia Innovates Task Force, and I look forward to working with the esteemed board of advisors and the greater innovation ecosystem to deliver real impact.”

Additional pilots are planned, with the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation working closely with local governments, startups, nonprofits, and other collaborators, increasing access to educational, entrepreneurial, and technological opportunities for Georgians as well as attracting new talent to the state’s workforce. Program funding will be provided through a combination of state, industry, and philanthropic support.

Joining Peterson and Lam, the board for the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation will include members representing government, industry, and higher education organizations.

Source: http://news.gatech.edu/2020/08/17/georgia-tech-lead-technology-coalition-advance-inclusive-innovation-across-state

May 15, 2020 By cs

OTAs: Best practices to enable success

Imagine this. The Defense Department had an urgent need for armored vehicles to protect warfighters from new threats during a time of war.

The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) family of vehicles — procured through “other transaction authority” — provides protection from improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades, explosively formed penetrators, underbody mines and small arms fire threats. Photo credit: U.S. Army

By applying a unique and tailored acquisition approach with specific attention to time and similar solutions already available in the commercial marketplace, it successfully started fielding new vehicles only 18 months after identifying the warfighter need.

The program referenced here was the mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle program, which began in 2006. Was the program a success? Absolutely. Was it a risk-free or perfect solution? No. Although the MRAP program was timely in helping mitigate the threat and associated warfighter casualties, there were challenges related to operating field conditions, training, sustainment, transportation and costs. The program, however, ultimately enabled the creation of other military vehicles that are still widely used today and supports how tailored acquisition approaches can produce successful outcomes.

A popular and continuously growing phenomenon within the department is the other transaction authority, or OTA. It permits Defense Department entities to award OTA agreements for research, prototyping and production efforts critical to national security. They are not an acquisition approach or strategy; however, they are flexible options that can support an acquisition approach or strategy.

Given leadership’s priorities for the increased application of adaptive acquisition methods, it is highly likely OTAs will be a key ingredient for success.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2020/4/15/other-transactions-best-practices-to-enable-success

May 5, 2020 By cs

Navy hoping to keep some acquisition momentum during COVID-19

The Navy says the way it is procuring goods and services during the COVID-19 outbreak may help quicken acquisitions later on during the crisis and keep programs on target for whenever it ends.

Speaking at the recent virtual Sea Air Space Conference, Navy acquisition chief James Geurts said the service is injecting money into the acquisition system to keep companies liquid with cash so they can stay afloat. The Navy is also speeding up contract awards.

“We are going to apply all the things we’ve learned during this to accelerate during the recovery phase because ships still need to come out on time,” Geurts said. “We’ve got to do the maintenance, we’ve got to continue to supply lethal capabilities to our sailors and marines and we can’t afford to lag the recovery.”

Geurts said he does not foresee the crisis affecting the Navy’s priorities after things return to normal. The Navy still wants at least 350 ships and it wants to field its Columbia-class submarine. The trick is keeping everything on schedule or close to it through the coronavirus outbreak.

“What’s important is that we don’t let the delay and disruption carry any further than it has to into the execution of our programs,” Geurts said. “There will be delay and disruption. The program teams have looked hard into where we were prior to this crisis so we can separate issues we had going in from issues caused by the crisis.”

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/navy/2020/04/navy-hoping-to-keep-some-acquisition-momentum-during-covid-19/

The Contracting Education Academy at Georgia Tech has established a webpage where all contract-related developments related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) are summarized. Find the page at: https://contractingacademy.gatech.edu/coronavirus-information-for-contracting-officers-and-contractors/

May 1, 2020 By cs

DoD expects three month acquisition delays, billions in payouts to contractors

The Defense Department will suffer serious setbacks on developing weapons and pay companies billions of dollars in relief funds as a result of COVID-19.

The Pentagon expects a three-month delay across the board for major acquisition programs, putting a kink in systems like the Ford Class Aircraft Carrier, the Columbia Class Ballistics Missile Submarine and the Next Generation Operational Control System.

“Particularly, we see a slowdown in the shipyards,” Ellen Lord, defense undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, told reporters Monday at the Pentagon. “Aviation is the most highly impacted sector that we have. Right now there isn’t any specific COVID penalty that we see for a specific program; however, we do anticipate a three-month slowdown in terms of execution.”

Lord said DoD is now starting to look at key procurement milestones that may be impacted by the delays.

Meanwhile, DoD is just beginning to take into account the amount of money in relief funds it will have to pay out to companies unable to do government work because of the coronavirus.

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defense-main/2020/04/dod-expects-three-month-acquisition-delays-billions-in-payouts-to-contractors/

April 29, 2020 By cs

Emergency acquisitions group at center of GSA’s coronavirus response

For the General Services Administration, the surge in contracting to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and now the fourth stimulus bill is business as usual.

Even with the activation of its emergency acquisitions group and new authorities, the Federal Acquisition Service is striking the balance between helping the Department of Health and Human Services, FEMA and other agencies, and pushing forward with key modernization initiatives.

Julie Dunne, the commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service at GSA, said that contracting officers and other acquisition employees are meeting all the demands coming from multiple directions.

“I’ve heard from customers and other folks that GSA has not missed a beat in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. A lot of that is due to our telework capability and, in large part, the GSA IT shop has just been phenomenal,” Dunne said in an exclusive interview with Federal News Network. “Things we are seeing a lot of demand for, you won’t be surprised to hear, medical equipment, hand sanitizer and masks. We also are doing a lot in the IT world in terms of trying to support other agencies with telework capacity.”

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/acquisition/2020/04/emergency-acquisitions-group-at-center-of-gsas-coronavirus-response/

Imagine this. The Defense Department had an urgent need for armored vehicles to protect warfighters from new threats during a time of war.

The Navy says the way it is procuring goods and services during the COVID-19 outbreak may help quicken acquisitions later on during the crisis and keep programs on target for whenever it ends.

The Defense Department will suffer serious setbacks on developing weapons and pay companies billions of dollars in relief funds as a result of COVID-19.

For the General Services Administration, the surge in contracting to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and now the fourth stimulus bill is business as usual.

Search this Website