//
OMB Issues Guidance for Agencies to Consolidate Federal Procurement Activities
Published on
OMB Director Russell Vought. Vought released guidance on consolidating federal procurement activities.

Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, has issued a memorandum providing guidance for federal agencies to consolidate procurement activities for common goods and services.

In the July 18 memo, Vought wrote that the OMB guidance supports the implementation of a March executive order that seeks to consolidate federal procurement within GSA as part of efforts to remove waste and duplication and enable agencies to focus on their mission of delivering services to citizens.

The OMB director noted that consolidation efforts will advance through two workstreams. The first workstream will consolidate procurement through centralized contracting using category management principles. The other workstream will focus on opportunities to consolidate through the centralization of procurement functions at GSA.

According to the document, centralized procurement functions will require performance monitoring and service level agreements, or SLAs.

“Agencies should work proactively with GSA and 0MB to implement these workstreams and fully leverage GSA’s expertise and statutory role as the Federal Government’s core buyer for addressing prevalent and repetitive needs,” Vought noted.

Increased Agency Use of Centralized Contracts Managed by GSA

This workstream includes the use of governmentwide contracts first and the identification of new opportunities for centralized contracts.

Within 60 days, each governmentwide category manager will coordinate with the Category Management Program Management Office to assess existing common spend and offer recommendations to the Category Management Leadership Council and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy on spend areas that would be appropriate for consolidation through the award of new centralized contracts or modification of existing governmentwide contracts.

Centralization of Procurement Functions

According to the memo, the centralization of procurement functions can promote economy and efficiency for requirements.

OMB will work with GSA to evaluate the suitability of the transition of procurement functions by taking into consideration information outlined in an agency’s transition plan. 

GSA and OMB will also consider six factors: capacity assessment; cost efficiency; risk management; performance monitoring; SLAs; and budget impacts.

OMB will also review and update its category management principles to align with the EO and consolidation principles outlined in the guidance document.

/
NASA Goddard Center Director Makenzie Lystrup to Leave Agency
Published on
Goddard Center Director Makenzie Lystrup. Makenzie Lystrup, Goddard Space Flight Center director, is set to leave NASA.

Makenzie Lystrup, director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, will officially leave the agency on Aug.1. She will be succeeded by deputy center director Cynthia Simmons in an acting capacity, NASA said Monday.

Discover the space agency’s top priorities at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31!

Lystrup’s NASA Career

Lystrup assumed the center director position in April 2023. During her over two years in the role, she oversaw the direction and management of the Goddard Flight Center and other NASA field installations.

“Having served in a variety of science and aerospace civilian and government roles in her career, Makenzie has led development of, and/or contributed to a variety of NASA’s priority science missions including successful operations of our James Webb Space Telescope and Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer, as well as development of the agency’s Roman Space Telescope, and more,” said Vanessa Wyche, acting NASA associate administrator.

“We’re grateful to Makenzie for her leadership at NASA Goddard for more than two years, including her work to inspire a Golden Age of explorers, scientists and engineers,” Wyche continued.

Other Career Highlights

Before joining NASA, Lystrup worked at Ball Aerospace for nearly 10 years. She served as vice president and general manager of civil space and senior director of civil space advanced systems and business development, overseeing new business initiatives for NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, other federal civilian agencies, academia and science institutions. She was also director of space sciences and business development manager of space sciences and technologies.

Lystrup served as a congressional fellow sponsored by the American Institute of Physics and Acoustical Society of America, managing a diverse portfolio covering technology, national defense, foreign affairs, nuclear energy and nuclear nonproliferation.

NASA Goddard Center Director Makenzie Lystrup to Leave Agency
//
Pennsylvania State University Secures $99M Navy Contract to Manage Electro Optics Center
Published on
Penn State. PSU will perform a decade's worth of R&D facility management under a $99 million Navy contract.

Pennsylvania State University has secured a $99 million contract from the U.S. Navy to run its Manufacturing Technology, or ManTech, Electro Optics Center of Excellence, a specialized research and development center. The center’s main function is to develop and improve advanced manufacturing technologies that can be used in naval equipment with electro optics and help transition those technologies for use in defense and industry, the Department of Defense said Monday.

Pennsylvania State University Secures $99M Navy Contract to Manage Electro Optics Center

Join the Potomac Officers Club 2025 Navy Summit on August 26 to hear insights from experts on the service branch’s latest advancements in technology, policy and strategy.

Terms of Navy Contract 

Under the terms of the sole-source, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity award, Penn State will manage, operate and maintain the center. The work will start this month and last through July 2035, with an option to extend, and will be conducted in University Park, Pennsylvania. The contracting activity is the Office of Naval Research in Arlington, Virginia. The Navy will allocate $859,940 from its fiscal 2025 budget for research and development under the contract. The budget includes two task orders, one worth $399,940 and another worth $460,000, both under a cost-plus-fixed-fee arrangement.

/
Bipartisan Bill Aims to Advance SBA IT Modernization
Published on
Capitol Hill. Congressmen Gil Cisneros and Brian Jack introduced the SBA IT Modernization Reporting Act of 2025.

Reps. Gil Cisneros, D-Calif., and Brian Jack, R-Ga., introduced the Small Business Administration IT Modernization Reporting Act of 2025.

Cisneros’ office said Friday the bipartisan bill aims to strengthen SBA’s capacity to develop, implement and manage IT modernization initiatives while reducing possible risks. The proposed legislation mandates the implementation of recommendations from a 2024 Government Accountability Office report. The SBA administrator will also be required to provide Congress with a detailed action plan and briefing.

The GAO study highlighted deficiencies in SBA’s previous IT modernization effort, including the agency’s inability to implement best practices for risk management, cybersecurity, and schedule and cost estimation.

Remarks From Bill Sponsors Cisneros & Jack

“The SBA has a duty to serve the small businesses of America, quickly and efficiently. Current SBA IT practices have fallen behind, hampering the agency’s ability to do so,” said Cisneros, member of the House Committee on Small Business.

“I worked across the aisle with Rep. Jack to introduce this common-sense, bipartisan legislation that upgrades the Small Business Administration’s IT practices, ensuring the agency can keep pace with the needs of today’s small businesses,” Cisneros added.

“I’m proud to support this bipartisan legislation that will allow the Small Business Administration to continue doing what it does best — supporting the entrepreneurs and job creators who are the backbone of our communities. By strengthening and streamlining SBA operations, this bill ensures more small businesses can access the tools, resources and support they need to grow, hire and continue to thrive,” stated Jack.

//
DIU Unveils C-UAS Low-Cost Sensing Challenge Finalists
Published on
Defense Innovation Unit logo. The DIU selects 10 companies to demonstrate C-UAS sensing technology.

The Defense Innovation Unit, in coordination with U.S. Northern Command, the U.S. Army and other military branches, has announced 10 finalists for the Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft System Low-Cost Sensing challenge.

Selected from 118 applicants, the finalists will now prepare for live demonstrations and testing during the Falcon Peak 25.2 exercise in September, DIU said Monday. The challenge aims to identify scalable, cost-effective sensing technologies capable of detecting and tracking hostile drones and is working to pair exquisite sensor systems with affordable, distributed sensing technologies.

“The evolving threat from unmanned aerial systems demands that we leverage every tool at our disposal – from cutting-edge commercial solutions to robust partnerships across government and industry,” said DIU Director Doug Beck, noting that the challenge taps into non-traditional defense companies.

C-sUAS Low-Cost Sensing Finalists

The 10 C-sUAS Low-Cost Sensing finalists are:

  • BLUEiQ
  • CHAOS 1
  • Fortem Technologies
  • Guardian RF
  • Hidden Level
  • MatrixSpace
  • REVOBEAM
  • Squarehead Technology
  • Teledyne FLIR Defense
  • Thalrix

“These ten finalists represent the forefront of sensor innovation, demonstrating how diverse technological approaches can enhance our layered defense,” said David Payne, director of Replicator 2 at DIU.

At USNORTHCOM’s Falcon Peak, the companies’ sensing solutions will undergo a real-world test, with the prize distributed based on performance at the event. Top performers may be considered for further opportunities, including other transaction agreements, cooperative research deals and potential transition to operational deployment.

///
Gen. Michael Guetlein Confirmed as Golden Dome Program Lead
Published on
Gen. Michael Guetlein. Guetlein has received Senate confirmation to serve as the Golden Dome czar.

The Senate on Thursday confirmed by voice vote Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations at the U.S. Space Force and a 2025 Wash100 awardee, as direct reporting program manager for the Golden Dome project.

President Donald Trump officially nominated Guetlein for the position in June.

Congressional Golden Dome Caucus Chair Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo., congratulated Guetlein on his Senate confirmation for the role.

“I am confident that under his leadership, President Trump’s vision to innovate our homeland missile defense through Golden Dome will soon become a reality – creating a strong deterrence against our adversaries,” Crank said in a statement published Friday.

Rep. Dale Strong, R-Ala., serves as co-chair of the Congressional Golden Dome Caucus, which was established in June in accordance with a January executive order directing the development of a next-generation missile defense shield.

Gen. Michael Guetlein Confirmed as Golden Dome Program Lead

Learn more about the Golden Dome initiative during a panel discussion at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31. Book your spot at the GovCon conference now!

Who Is Michael Guetlein?

In 2023, Guetlein took on the role of vice chief of space operations to help train and equip space forces, integrate space policy and guidance, and coordinate space-related activities for the Space Force and the Department of the Air Force.

Prior to this position, he was commander of Space Systems Command.

Previous assignments of the newly confirmed Golden Dome czar include deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office; program executive for programs and integration at the Missile Defense Agency; and director of the Remote Sensing Systems Directorate at Los Angeles Air Force Base.

The Oklahoma State University mechanical aerospace engineering graduate previously served as military assistant to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition and a Secretary of Defense Corporate Fellow.

/
Sonya Ebright Named DCMA Acting Director
Published on
DCMA Deputy Director Sonya Ebright assumes new role as the agency's acting director.

Sonya Ebright, a retired Navy captain, is now the acting director of the Defense Contract Management Agency.

Who Is Sonya Ebright?

Ebright, the DCMA deputy director since May 2022, took over Thursday following the departure of Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Greg Masiello, who was nominated in June to lead the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office.

As deputy director, she spearheaded agency reorganization efforts and strengthened ties with other Department of Defense agencies, including the Defense Logistics Agency.

DCMA manages more than 304,000 contracts valued at nearly $7.9 trillion and oversees a workforce of about 10,000 personnel worldwide.

“I am deeply honored, humbled and energized to serve alongside such a committed and mission-driven workforce,” Ebright said, noting that the agency is expanding its role to include oversight of supply chains for the president’s drone dominance mission. “DCMA has also been tasked by Acquisition and Sustainment and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for more data, program information and acquisition insight,” she added.

A senior executive service member, Ebright previously led DCMA’s Contracts Executive Directorate and International Command. Her 37-year Navy career included leadership roles in contracting, operations, finance, logistics, strategic management and special programs.

She earned master’s degrees from the Naval Post Graduate School and the Eisenhower School at the National Defense University, and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Idaho.

//
Pete Hegseth Orders Review to Protect DOD Cloud Services From Chinese Hackers
Published on
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth directed a review to protect DOD cloud services from Chinese hackers.

Pete Hegseth, secretary of the Department of Defense and a 2025 Wash100 awardee, has signed a memo initiating a two-week review to ensure that cloud services across DOD are free of any foreign involvement that could compromise the security of U.S. military systems.

Use of China-Based Engineers to Support DOD Cloud Services

A ProPublica investigation has found that Microsoft is using China-based engineers to help maintain DOD cloud and computer systems with little oversight by U.S. personnel, a situation that could expose DOD networks to Chinese hackers.

The nearly decade-old system depends on “digital escorts,” or U.S. citizens with security clearances who oversee the work of these Microsoft engineers in China on the Pentagon’s cloud platforms. 

According to ProPublica, these digital escorts lack the technical expertise to monitor foreign engineers who have more advanced skills.

“This is obviously unacceptable, especially in today’s digital threat environment,” Hegseth said in a video posted Friday on X.

“Now this was a legacy system created over a decade ago during the Obama administration, but we have to ensure the digital systems that we use here at the Defense Department are ironclad and impenetrable, and that’s why today I’m announcing that China will no longer have any involvement whatsoever in our cloud services, effective immediately,” the DOD secretary added.

Microsoft’s Response to Reports on Use of China-Based Engineers

Following the release of the ProPublica report, Microsoft said it will cease using China-based engineers to support its cloud services for DOD.

“In response to concerns raised earlier this week about US-supervised foreign engineers, Microsoft has made changes to our support for US Government customers to assure that no China-based engineering teams are providing technical assistance for DoD Government cloud and related services,” Frank Shaw, a spokesperson for Microsoft, said in a post on X.

“We remain committed to providing the most secure services possible to the US government, including working with our national security partners to evaluate and adjust our security protocols as needed,” Shaw added.

//
Senate Confirms Joseph Edlow as US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director
Published on
Joseph Edlow. Edlow has been confirmed as the next USCIS director.

The Senate on Tuesday voted 52-47 to confirm Joseph Edlow as the new director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and he will replace Ur Mendoza Jaddou, who resigned from the position.

Who Is Joseph Edlow?

Before his confirmation, Edlow was the agency’s deputy director for policy and chief counsel. He is the founder of the Edlow Group. Prior to USCIS, he was the deputy assistant attorney general of the Department of Justice. He previously served in the House of Representatives for three years, as the counsel of the Judiciary Committee, which is a subcommittee of Immigration and Border Security, and as the legal counsel of Congressman Raul Labrador. Edlow was also the assistant chief counsel of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He began his career as the associate attorney in the law offices of Scott Rolle.

Commenting on his confirmation, Edlow said he was honored to serve USCIS.

“I am greatly looking forward to advancing the president’s agenda to restore integrity in our legal immigration system and safeguard our communities and nation,” Edlow remarked.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era for USCIS. Together we will forge ahead to realize the mission of an agency born out of the horrific terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to meet ever-evolving threats and ensure that we serve as the frontline to safeguard our homeland,” he added.

/
GAO Identifies 11 Most Critical Legacy Tech in Need of Modernization
Published on
Government Accountability Office logo. GAO reviewed critical legacy systems across multiple agencies.

The Government Accountability Office identified 11 of the most critical legacy systems across 10 federal agencies.

In its recent review, the congressional watchdog also found that only three agencies have documented modernization plans that include best practices for their aging technologies.

Federal Legacy IT Challenges

According to GAO, eight of the 11 most critical federal legacy systems identified in the report have outdated languages, seven have known cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and four have unsupported hardware or software.

For instance, the office found that the Environmental Protection Agency is operating a system with hardware no longer supported by its manufacturer and has known cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

Meanwhile, Department of the Treasury systems in the list run on Common Business Oriented Language, or COBOL, and Assembly Language Code. The watchdog warned that people who know COBOL and Assembly Language Code are dwindling in numbers.

GAO also found that agencies had modernization plans for nine of the 11 systems. Of the modernization plans, only three included all key elements, namely, milestones, description of necessary work, and summaries of planned disposition. The two systems without plans are owned by the departments of defense and energy.

The watchdog warned that failure to document modernization plans could lead to cost overruns, schedule delays and project failure. Failure to update legacy systems would be especially detrimental because it would expose agencies to performance issues and security threats.

GAO called on Congress to require agencies to develop modernization plans for the legacy systems identified in the report.

1 … 72 73 74 75 76 … 2,656