CACI’s philanthropic unit has teamed with the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology as part of efforts to uplift the future science, technology, engineering and math workforce.

Under the partnership, CACI Cares is sponsoring two new SAMSAT initiatives to promote education and opportunities for young people in STEM and support the museum’s mission of “inspiring what’s next,” the Reston, Virginia-based enterprise announced on Thursday.

“CACI works closely with the U.S. Air Force to fulfill its important missions and is an active member of the San Antonio community,” said DeEtte Gray, president of business and information technology solutions at CACI and a seven-time Wash100 Award winner.

“As we continue to grow our presence in this area, our support of STEM education and SAMSAT enables future talent to consider a career in national security,” she added.

Sponsored programs include SAMSAT’s new Tech Port Innovation Center and the interactive CACI Cyber City exhibit, a LEGO model of San Antonio built with the company’s City Block technology. This software-based cyber-physical modeling and simulation tool allows cybersecurity experts, network administrators and industrial control systems and operational technology security testers to train and execute cybersecurity operations.

“City Block leverages virtual reality, 3D modeling, and other technologies to help our military partners prepare for the digital battlefield of the future,” elaborated Todd Probert, president of national security and innovative solutions at CACI and a two-time Wash100 Award recipient.

To assemble the model, CACI staff volunteered for over 200 hours with the help of more than 20 STEM student contributors.

Probert expressed the organization’s excitement for its software to be used to exercise young minds. He said that CACI hopes to inspire these students to join the company and support its work to safeguard the U.S. from cyber threats.

Established in 2016, SAMSAT was created with a goal of supporting STEM education while connecting K-12 and college students, universities, industry, federal agencies and nonprofits across the San Antonio area.

The museum currently offers educational opportunities through tours, online programs and mobile demonstrations, as well as STEM camps and clubs and adult-centered events.

A bipartisan bill that would suspend the debt ceiling through January 2025 and reduce federal spending is now headed to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature after the Senate passed the measure on Thursday in a 63-36 vote, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The proposed Fiscal Responsibility Act would impose a 3 percent limit on increases for military spending in fiscal year 2024, increase the age of individuals who must work to get food assistance and accelerate energy and infrastructure projects.

The passage of the bill in the upper chamber came a day after the House voted 314-117 to approve the measure and several days ahead of the June 5 deadline, when Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said the government could default on its obligations if Congress fails to raise or suspend the debt ceiling.

Biden said the legislation protects the key pillars of his Investing in America agenda, safeguards programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and fully funds veterans’ medical care.

“No one gets everything they want in a negotiation, but make no mistake: this bipartisan agreement is a big win for our economy and the American people,” the president said in a statement published Thursday.

The Department of Energy is soliciting public input to improve the analysis and methodology drafted in its Critical Materials Assessment.

The request for information was issued by the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office under DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the agency said Tuesday.

CMA aids DOE in its critical materials strategies, which cover research and development projects to secure the country’s energy supply.

In its effort to revise the assessment process every three years, DOE’s latest CMA draft proposes a more formal materials screening process, as well as the addition of certain engineered materials to the usual natural raw materials being evaluated. The new version also includes a scoring rubric to help determine the element’s importance to supply risk and energy.

DOE is inviting feedback on how to improve current CMA methodology, and other relevant information that can help revise its analysis.

The deadline for responses is June 20.

The Office of Management and Budget made quarterly changes to the President’s Management Agenda, emphasizing workforce upskilling and the adoption of tools to enable equity in government procurement.

The PMA put forward two projects to improve government customer service, particularly with the Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and an interagency effort to provide disaster relief, FedScoop reported.

Published on performance.gov, the agenda highlights three main priorities: managing the business of government; strengthening the federal workforce; and delivering excellent customer experience.

OMB is aiming for better federal procurement management through the modernization of the Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting training program. The branch noted other milestones in this priority area, such as the standardized definition of “new entrant” in order to award more contracts to small, disadvantaged businesses and to strengthen supplier diversity.

The Office of Personnel Management intends to make the federal government a model employer by launching its own data portal, and creating the first-ever supervisor training program on managing the hybrid remote and in-office work set-up. The agency also promised to create an inclusive, agile and engaged workforce equipped with the right skills for mission delivery.

To improve customer experience, SSA and CMS are conducting research to tailor their websites based on user journeys and reduce application and approval processing time.

In the same vein, the Department of Health and Human Services is also working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Small Business Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Agriculture to make it easier for citizens to apply for disaster loans and other individual assistance programs.

Leidos plans to align with the National Contract Management Association’s Contract Management Standard.

The process will involve setting workforce competency requirements that meet the American National Standards Institute-approved guidelines, the Reston, Virginia-based company announced on Thursday.

“Leidos Contracting is excited to lead the industry in the adoption of the CMS,” said Kim Denver, senior vice president and chief corporate contracts executive at Leidos.

He noted the importance of contract management professionals, which he said are “paramount to mission success.”

“Through the CMS framework, our tradecraft will be incorporated under one common standard, elevating both federal and industry contract management professionals who are critical to our nation’s success,” said Denver.

The new classification was announced by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy in a January memo, which said that CMS will become the foundation of a novel contract training system for every civilian agency beginning Feb. 1. Since then, it has been embraced by the federal government and institutions of higher education.

As an adopter of CMS, Leidos intends to expand its work to maintain positive customer relationships by applying standards of professional conduct and shared understanding. The company also aims to develop the contract management profession as a fulfilling career path to empower those supporting federal missions from both public and private sector positions.

“NCMA is pleased to have Leidos join the growing community of CMS adopters dedicated to building a stronger bridge between industry and government,” said Kraig Conrad, CEO of NCMA.

“This adoption reinforces Leidos’ commitment to the profession, their contract management teams and the missions we serve together,” he added.

NCMA CMS serves as the international standard within the contracting field and informs hiring and training frameworks as well as the NCMA’s ANSI National Accreditation Board-accredited Certified Contract Management Associate certification.

Leidos is sponsoring the Potomac Officers Club’s 2023 Cyber Summit, which offers you the opportunity to cultivate your understanding of the current cyber contracting landscape. To learn more and register to attend the event on June 8, click here.