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HUD is hunting for vendors for next phase of ‘centers of excellence’

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The Housing and Urban Development Department is bringing on vendors to help the agency overhaul its customer service operations, drive cloud adoption and expand its use of data analytics.

HUD and the General Services Administration on May 17th released draft solicitations for the second phase of the department’s Centers of Excellence program.  The high-profile initiative offers agencies the opportunity to improve existing IT systems and lay the groundwork for new technologies with extra assistance from GSA and the White House.

HUD was the second agency selected to participate in the program, after the Agriculture Department.  On Friday, GSA kicked off the third iteration of the program at the Office of Management and Budget.

In phase one of the HUD program, which began in September, government officials worked with industry to determine how to best address issues in key facets of the department’s IT infrastructure.  In phase two, the agency will recruit vendors to implement those solutions.

“We are excited to begin this next phase of our modernization efforts,” HUD Chief Operating Officer Ralph Gaines said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to seeing how these efforts will further transform the agency and make it more accountable to our customers.”

Continue reading at:  Nextgov

Contractors are confident amid uncertain political environment

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These days, change and uncertainty seem to be the one constant in the world of government and business.

As we move into the middle of the year, it’s hard not to be affected by the constant reminders of risk and uncertainty all around us with a slow-growing economy, political gridlock, skepticism in government and heightened tensions around the world. But as we measured the collective “mood” of government contractors in our recent survey of contractor sales expectations, a very different perspective emerged.

Contractors, vendors and suppliers are betting that the economy will continue to grow, agency budgets and spending will continue to improve, and that the “wait and see” type of caution that characterized many government contracting decisions prior to the November elections will transition to an “invest and grow” mentality in vital areas like infrastructure and technology.

In short, rather than limping along in a defensive posture, the government contracting marketplace is expected to be on its front foot in the coming year – a bright spot on the landscape.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.routefifty.com/finance/2017/07/contractors-remain-confident-amid-uncertain-political-environment/139341/

7 women construction leaders share how to thrive in the male-dominated field

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Women In Construction WeekWomen in Construction Week — part of the broader Women’s History Month celebration in March — kicked off this week.  WIC Week aims to “highlight women as a visible component of the construction industry,” according to the National Association of Women in Construction.

Even though the male-dominated world of construction has become more “female friendly” over the last few decades, the numbers still show that women are underrepresented in the industry as a whole. Women represent 47% of the total U.S. workforce and only 9% of the construction industry, according to OSHA. Given this fact, it’s even more inspiring to come across women who are not only thriving in construction, but who have risen to the decision-maker level in their companies. We spoke with several women leaders in the industry to explore their experiences in construction and to find out their advice for others looking to take a similar path.

Keep reading this article at: http://www.constructiondive.com/news/bridging-the-gap-7-women-construction-leaders-share-how-to-thrive-in-the-m/415167/

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