Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center

Government shutdown costing private-sector contractors $245 million every day

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As it rounds up its third week, the partial government shutdown isn’t only affecting hundreds of thousands of federal employees. Contractors are potentially losing out on $245 million each day the shutdown continues, Bloomberg estimates.

Private-sector organizations that serve federal agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Agency for International Development and the Environmental Protection Agency have been told to stop work on certain contracts, with little indication as to what happens next, the Washington Post reports.

Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) last week posted a “blanket” stop work order affecting scores of open contracts, the Post reports. “Any work done after receipt of this notice is at your own risk and will not be reimbursed,” Bobby McCane, FEMA’s head of contracting activity, wrote to federal contractors. “I thank you for your assistance during this funding lapse.”

Keep reading this article at: http://fortune.com/2019/01/07/u-s-government-shutdown-private-sector/

Learn all about disaster contracting — before the storm — on July 27

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Hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters strike the United States and its territories every year.

While tragic, these events can create billions of dollars in contracting opportunities for government contractors that desire to help communities rebuild and get back on their feet.

The Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center is conducting a webinar on July 27, 2018 that will examine the federal and state funding streams related to disaster contracting, including tips on how you can best position your company “before the storm” to win disaster contracting opportunities.

To register for this free lunchtime webinar, please visit: https://gtpac.ecenterdirect.com/events/8477.

 

FEMA faulted for awarding undeliverable contracts, delaying aid during hurricane season

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The Trump administration last year awarded contracts to companies that were ill-prepared to help victims of three major hurricanes, according to a report from Senate Democrats, leading to canceled deals and delayed delivery of essential goods.

Minority party members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, led by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., reviewed Federal Emergency Management Agency contracts for emergency tarps and plastic sheeting, both of which FEMA deploys to storm victims with roof damage as temporary relief to help them remain in their homes. The subsequent report faulted FEMA for failing to properly vet vendors, leading the agency on multiple occasions to select companies that could ultimately not deliver the supplies.

FEMA awarded contracts to two companies that had “no relevant past experience” and were either created or registered as a federal contractor within months of receiving the award. In one case, the agency last October gave two contracts worth about $40 million to a Florida company, Bronze Star, to provide 600,000 emergency tarps and 60,000 rolls of plastic sheeting. In the other, FEMA awarded a $34 million contract to Global Computers and Networks that same month to provide an additional 500,000 tarps. The agency canceled the contracts in November for failure to deliver.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.govexec.com/management/2018/04/fema-faulted-awarding-undeliverable-contracts-delaying-aid-during-hurricane-season/147333

FEMA wants counties to take charge of pre-disaster logistics

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The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s administrator urged county officials to arrange pre-event contracts for commodities ahead of disasters, instead of waiting for assistance that might not come.

Brock Long, speaking at the National Association of Counties legislative conference in the nation’s capital last Tuesday, said FEMA’s contracting processes during 2017’s devastating hurricane and wildfire seasons were a “huge success.” The agency secured 1,973 contracts on top of 59 that were pre-event for water, meals ready to eat, debris removal, disaster cost recovery and other services.

But in the event communities are cut off by a serious earthquake that cripples infrastructure, Long said, they may need to provide life-saving resources for 48 to 72 hours before the feds can backfill.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.routefifty.com/public-safety/2018/03/fema-brock-long-counties-disaster/146447/

Note to Our Readers: GTPAC hosted a conference in January on the subject of disaster-related contracting.  You can read a report of that conference, and download the resources that resulted from that conference, at: http://gtpac.org/2018/01/10/gtpacs-before-the-storm-event-helps-vendors-with-governments-emergency-contracting-protocols

GTPAC’s ‘Before the Storm’ event helps vendors with government’s emergency contracting protocols

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Nearly 200 vendors braved uncertain weather conditions in Atlanta on Jan. 8, 2018 to participate in an event designed to assist vendors navigate the government’s policies and procedures for engaging in disaster recovery contracting activity.

The event — dubbed “Before the Storm” — was sponsored by the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC) and held at the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center.

Attendees at the Jan. 8, 2018 “Before the Storm” event learned about the importance of the National Response Framework.

Attendees heard from officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Public Health Service, and GTPAC’s counseling team.

FEMA officials Annette Wright, Sammy Brunson, and Kyra Lee explained FEMA’s contracting protocols, including the important relationships with other federal, state and local agencies.

Presentation Materials Made Available

Copies of all presentation materials used during the day’s event, plus internet links to important supplementary information, are now posted on GTPAC’s training page at: http://gtpac.org/training-video.

U.S. Public Health Service’s Capt. Tom Bowman shared details of recent recovery efforts in the Virgin Islands.

Break-out workshops were conducted in the afternoon on the topics of Subcontracting, Cybersecurity, GSA and Army Corps of Engineers, and Vendor Registrations.

Attendees took advantage of free wi-fi during the event to visit on-line resources and take notes.

Need for Advance Preparation Stressed

Presenters told vendors to arrange, in advance of contracting, adequate lines of funding because of the likelihood of increased requirements and changed conditions.  Disaster recovery contracts can be demanding — requiring 24/7 service — and require flexibility in the face of changing requirements.  Too often, contractors fail because they have not adequately prepared themselves for these challenges.

Speakers stressed that vendors must be prepared to be flexible in executing disaster recovery contracts.

In addition to recommending that vendors familiarize themselves with the National Response Framework, speakers at the event told vendors to review the Stafford Act and FAR Part 18 which govern Emergency Acquisitions.

Registration for Jan. 8th ‘Before the Storm’ event now open

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If your company is interested in pursuing contract work with FEMA and other government agencies that respond to natural disaster and other national emergencies, register now to attend Georgia Tech’s “Before the Storm” event to be held Jan. 8, 2018 in Atlanta.  Registration closes at Noon on Thursday, Jan. 4th.

Organized by the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC), “Before the Storm” focuses on the advance preparation vendors need to put in place in order to qualify for government emergency support contracts and subcontracts.  By attending, vendors will learn how to become “procurement ready” well before agencies like FEMA need to purchase disaster recovery supplies and services.

This event will be relevant to any vendor of supplies and services in any of the federal government’s 15 Emergency Support Function (ESF) categories.  See ESF details at: https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/25512.

The day-long event will be held at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center in Atlanta, GA.  There will be a registration fee of $30 to attend, and both breakfast and lunch are included.  Advance registration for the event is required, and no on-site registration will be allowed.  No refunds.

The link to registration for the Jan. 8th event is: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/before-the-storm-tickets-40913664873.

If you are traveling from outside metro Atlanta and need hotel accommodations, a block of rooms have been reserved until Dec. 22 at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center.  Hotel details are provided at the link shown above.

 

Jan. 8th ‘Before the Storm’ event to focus on government emergency support contracts and subcontracts

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If your company is interested in pursuing contract work with FEMA and other government agencies that respond to natural disaster and other national emergencies, mark your calendar now — Jan. 8, 2018 — and plan to attend “Before the Storm.”

Organized by the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center (GTPAC), the “Before the Storm” event will focus on the advance preparation vendors need to put in place in order to qualify for government emergency support contracts and subcontracts.

Any vendor of supplies and services falling into any of the federal government’s 15 Emergency Support Function (ESF) categories should plan to attend.  See ESF details at: https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/25512.

The day-long event will be held at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center.  There will be a registration fee of $30 to attend, and both breakfast and lunch are included.

The registration process will open in the next few days, so watch for an announcement.

Registration is now open!  There is a $30 registration fee, and both breakfast and lunch are included.  Advance registration for the event is required, and no on-site registration will be allowed.  No refunds.  The link to registration for the Jan. 8th event is: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/before-the-storm-tickets-40913664873.

Companies barely had to compete for half of the federal contracts awarded in Puerto Rico so far

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Now that Puerto Rico is moving into recovery and rebuilding after the Hurricane Maria disaster, billions of dollars in federal disaster spending are flowing to the island.  Estimates put hurricane damage at $95 billion, and Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló is asking various federal agencies for $94 billion in grants.

With this much public money on the line, monitoring how U.S. tax dollars are spent in the recovery will be crucial to prevent waste, fraud, and shoddy work. The best way to do that is by awarding contracts through the open bidding process, which allows the largest number of businesses a chance to compete to offer the best deal. These types of contracts generally require more scrutiny and oversight than no-bid deals.

So far, competitive bidding hasn’t been a top priority for federal agencies responding to Hurricane Maria. Nearly half of the 540 federal contracts signed so far (as of November 16), totaling $252 million, were awarded outside the open bidding process, according to federal procurement data.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/11/17/16618476/puerto-rico-federal-contracts

The lineman got $63 an hour — the utility was billed $319 an hour

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The small energy outfit from Montana that won a $300 million contract to help rebuild Puerto Rico’s tattered power grid had few employees of its own, so it did what the Puerto Rican authorities could have done: It turned to Florida for workers.

For their trouble, the six electrical workers from Kissimmee are earning $42 an hour, plus overtime. The senior power linemen from Lakeland are earning $63 an hour working in Puerto Rico, the Florida utility said. Their 40 co-workers from Jacksonville, also linemen, are making up to $100 earning double time, public records show.

But the Montana company that hired the workers, Whitefish Energy Holdings, had a contract that allowed it to bill the Puerto Rican public power company, known as Prepa, $319 an hour for linemen, a rate that industry experts said was far above the norm even for emergency work — and almost 17 times the average salary of their counterparts in Puerto Rico.

A spokesman for Whitefish, Chris Chiames, defended the costs, saying that “simply looking at the rate differential does not take into account Whitefish’s overhead costs,” which were built into the rate.

“We have to pay a premium to entice the labor to come to Puerto Rico to work,” Mr. Chiames said. Many workers are paid overtime for all the time they work. Overtime pay varies by type of worker, union membership, mainland utility company and many other factors.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/12/us/whitefish-energy-holdings-prepa-hurricane-recovery-corruption-hurricane-recovery-in-puerto-rico.html

FEMA is spending billions, and some questionable companies are getting work

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This year’s record hurricane season has led to the biggest spike in government disaster contracts in more than a decade, testing the government’s ability to manage the unpredictable and growing costs of climate change.

Since Hurricane Harvey struck Texas on Aug. 25, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded $2.2 billion in contracts, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Government.

That’s about twice what the agency typically awards over an entire year.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-19/fema-is-spending-billions-and-some-questionable-companies-are-getting-work

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