GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

OMB Issues Final Guidance for Category Management
Final guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) last week has accelerated the push for government-wide consolidation of acquisitions for software licenses. Part of the so-called “category management” initiative, the government’s goal is to eliminate redundancy in software licenses and make the buying and managing of software management more efficient and unified by grouping similar products into categories. OMB’s guidance creates an “Enterprise Software Category Team” that will be responsible for the software acquisition category across government.  The aim is to promote model software agreements and more government-wide deals, to eliminate the fragmented way the government currently procures software. Federal agencies now have target dates later this summer and this fall to appoint a responsible software manager to oversee commercial software agreements and licenses and to inventory the agency’s software. Starting November 30th, agencies will have to make quarterly reports to OMB on their cost savings from improved software license management.

Amendments Proposed for 2017 NDAA
On May 26, Delaware Senator Tom Carper proposed several amendments to S. 2943, the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act.  Section 829K, if adopted, would allow competition for prices at the task order level instead of at the contract level.  Section 829N would require OMB to advise executive agencies with their implementation of the category management initiative.  Click here for more information.

SBA Releases Semiannual Regulatory Agenda
On June 9, The Small Business Administration (SBA) released its semiannual list of current and projected rulemakings, as well as completed SBA actions.  SBA hopes that the agenda would enable the public to be more aware of, and participate in, SBA’s regulatory activity.  Click here to view the list.