GTSC Holiday Awards December 18!

Join us for an extraordinary celebration of a great year and a toast to a new and prosperous 2016 at our Holiday Awards Celebration!

Small Business Member of the Year

Mid-Tier Company of the Year

Mentor of the Year

Federal Small Business Champion of the Year

Market Maven Award

Federal MVP

Strategic Advisor of the Year

Strategic Partner of the Year

 

December 18, 2015

Capitol One – Tysons Campus

5:30 pm – 8:30 pm

REGISTER

Support and sponsorships of our holiday event are welcome — please contact us to help make this our best event ever!

The GSA-DHS OASIS MOU: A Game-Changer at DHS

In July, DHS and GSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) enabling greater use of GSA’s OASIS contract vehicle across all of DHS. DHS expects to increase its contract awards under OASIS from $11 million in 2015 to $250 million in 2016. This agreement is a game-changer for the DHS contracting community.

Under terms of the MOU, GSA agreed to lower the contract access fee for DHS from 0.75% to 0.25%, and DHS in turn agreed to include OASIS as one of its “Strategic Sourcing” contract vehicles covered under its “Mandatory for Use” Management Directive. This means that current DHS contractors, particularly those under TABSS and EAGLE II, will need to work harder to shape opportunities onto their respective contract vehicles, and OASIS contractors (at least many of them), will have to figure out how to navigate the world of DHS acquisitions.

This sets up a new contracting environment at DHS that could have broad ramifications for industry. GSA’s OASIS is being promoted at DHS as the replacement for TABSS, and the Program Management contract vehicle of choice. This is a body blow to TABSS contract holders and an immediate opportunity for OASIS contractors. With TABSS sun-setting in two years, DHS contracting officers will immediately see OASIS as a preferred contract vehicle, fully endorsed by acquisition leadership. With its wide variety of available NAICS Codes, 21 in Pool 1 alone, this is a huge boon for OASIS contract holders.

Many OASIS contract holders focus on DoD and have less experience at DHS. This may be a partnering opportunity for experienced DHS firms with complementary skills. Small businesses in disadvantaged socio-economic categories with DHS experience are in especially good position to take advantage of partnering.

EAGLE II contract holders should also take notice of the OASIS MOU, even with more than five years remaining in EAGLE II’s full period of performance. IT-focused Program Management requirements are still supposed to be released under EAGLE II. Because of the decentralized acquisition model used by DHS, exactly what constitutes “IT Services” under EAGLE II may be interpreted in a variety of ways by different Components. EAGLE II contract holders must continue to educate Component contracting officers and demonstrate how upcoming requirements fit on the NAICS codes in EAGLE II while being aware of the new latitude offered for Program Management services under OASIS.

The net result: Understanding the unique terms of these contract vehicles, as well as the tendencies of contracting officers in each DHS Component will be more important than ever in 2016.

Dennis Murphy President Applied Social Media

About Dennis Murphy, President, ASM Concepts
Dennis Murphy is a former senior executive with DHS and U.S. Customs Service and was a principal with Booz Allen Hamilton. He also served as Assistant Commissioner for Public Affairs and as the first Communications Director for DHS Border and Transportation Security. He is now president of ASM Concepts, a management consulting company offering clients unique ways to merge marketing with business development to differentiate them from their competitors to both grow and scale their business.
Read the full ASM Concepts analysis of the OASIS MOU on the ASM Concepts website . For questions or further information, contact Dennis Murphy at [email protected].

 

Government Contractor Ethics Training

No excuses!  Every company doing business with the government must train their employees to behave ethically — and GTSC is here to MAKE IT EASY!  Attend and send all of your employees to this training to get your annual ethics training certification.

Please note:  you must be present for the entire session to get certification.

Doing business with the federal government requires a heightened level of commitment to ethics and compliance. Though the specific FAR requirements for small and large businesses differ, the FAR requires all businesses to conduct themselves with the highest degree of integrity and honesty.  It states all businesses should have an employee business ethics and compliance training program that is suitable to the size of the company and extent of its involvement in Government contracting and that facilitates timely discovery and disclosure of improper conduct and ensures corrective measures are promptly instituted and carried out.  (FAR 3.1002).

The majority of the headlines we see about non-compliance are related to weak ethical cultures and in many cases, a simple lack of training. Both can result in catastrophic business events.  Proper training in ethics is not only required for certain contractors, it serves a vital preventive role.  If the unthinkable does happen, a strong ethics and compliance program including effective training in critical compliance risk areas an act as a shield for your company.  For example, the actions taken by Ed Snowden were every contractor’s worst nightmare.  However, Booz Allen Hamilton was able to highlight in its public statement that his actions were contrary to its corporate values, internal policies, and its code of conduct – on which he had been trained.

Is your company positioned to say the same?  If your company finds itself out of compliance, the training your company can show its employees completed may make the difference between no adverse action and suspension or even debarment.

This half-day training session covers risk areas common to most contractors, regardless of industry or size.  Even if you have not yet landed a qualifying contract for the FAR ethics program requirements, there is no better time than now to competitively position your company to enhance your business’ reputation for compliant and ethical business practices.  

 

Upon completing this training, GTSC will certify that you and your employees in attendance have completed annual training as required by FAR 52.203-13(c)(1).

GTSC Ethics Training Agenda

REGISTRATION (volume discounts are available)

Featuring:

GTSC Strategic Advisor Amy Hutchens, CEO, CleaResources

@EthiVenger on twitter!
Amy Hutchens

Amy Hutchens is Founder and President of CLEAResources, LLC. Most recently, Amy served as General Counsel and Vice President of Compliance and Ethics Services at Watermark, LLC. Previously, Amy was a Special Assistant United States Attorney and an Air Force Judge Advocate, attaining the rank of Major, before beginning her civilian career as in-house employment law and compliance counsel to a large and diverse government contractor. Amy has a passion for helping organizations do right by their shareholders, employees, clients, customers and communities, and by doing so, mitigates the business risks associated with ethical and compliance failures.

Amy has federal criminal and civil litigation experience, as well as extensive experience advising executive management on personnel and compliance and ethics matters. She has worked with companies large and small, privately held and publicly held, in the commercial and federal contractor sectors, to help them develop and mature the compliance and ethics infrastructure required by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. She has developed, implemented, audited and managed all aspects of compliance and ethics programs including assessing risk, drafting internal policies, training employees at all levels, developing employee codes of conduct, and establishing monitoring and investigative protocols to maximize value and effectiveness in compliance and ethics programs.

GTSC Annual Meeting – Don’t Miss it!

Calling all members!  Mark your calendar for December 8th!

Join us to hear what GTSC has done for YOU this year!  Hear from leaders in GTSC as well as our agency partners to review our successes, develop our strategy, and have input to our focus for 2016.  And of course, get your hot-off-the-presses GTSC Annual Report to see our year in review.

Already confirmed for our day:

Les Rose, President, L3 – National Security Solutions
Where should your company be positioning?

Beverly Good, Port Director, El Paso Port of Entry, CBP
What is our mission and what do we face to achieve it?

Soraya Correa, CPO, DHS
How will the government be facilitating procurement and acquisition to meet this mission?

Millicent Gary, Procurement Ombudsman, GSA
What are the government-wide acquisition trends impacting our mission?

Jose Arrietta, OSDBU, Treasury
How is Treasury working with small business?  And a special surprise!

and more….

We will also hear from the leadership of GTSC’s major initiatives, get an update on the regulatory and political environment, and — believe it or not — have some fun!

REGISTER NOW — don’t miss your prep for 2016 and the opportunity to hear from the best and network with other GTSC companies!

 

 

 

GTSC Adds USCG, Industry Expertise to Advisors

The Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC) announced that U.S. Coast Guard Reserve Force Master Chief Mark Allen (ret.) and Anne Petera, former Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and most recently DHS lead for Harris Corporation, have joined the Board of Advisors.

“Our Strategic Advisors are an incredible asset to our member companies and to the direction of GTSC’s strategy to help our federal partners achieve mission. We are proud and excited to add two new members – people who have a proven track record of improving the interaction and environment around government and industry collaboration,” said Kristina Tanasichuk, Founder & CEO of GTSC. “Both bring a tremendous love of country, commitment to mission, and vision for the future to our strategy.”

Read the press release:  Press Release Allen, Petera

GTSC Thanks our Recent Supporters!

GTSC thanks EY, Motorola Solutions, INTEGRITYOne Partners and SE Solutions for their support of our programming.  Our member support is invaluable — resources are devoted to help GTSC grow, enhance our reach and programming, and provide an even higher quality experience for all of our members.  BIG THANKS to our most recent supporters for their generous contributions and their intense support of mission.  Learn more about our Mentor supported on our mentor page.  Learn more about our small business sponsors by searching our database!

John-C-Rothenberger-SE-Solutions-627x545

EY Motorola

Integrity One Partners

GTSC BDE for DOD Forming

The success of our DHS Business Development group has spurred the request for a new BDE focused on developing relationships and tracking opportunities at the Department of Defense.  If you are a member of GTSC interested in winning work at DOD and would like to meet new partners with whom to do it, we will host another BDE focused on developing some trusted relationships among GTSC members for you.

Nominate your MVP and Market Maven!

DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 6, 2015.

Each year, GTSC is fortunate to recognize some amazing people in our community.  In our short 4 years, we have been able to cheer on a number of people doing extraordinary things on behalf of the homeland and national security mission.

Work with anyone from DHS, DOD, ODNI, State, Justice or Treasury who comes to mind when you hear that?  If you are a GTSC member, please let us know!  Shoot an email to us with the Name, contact information, and a short paragraph on why you believe they should win our Most Valuable Player or our Market Maven.  Contact us now.

SUBMISSIONS ARE CONFIDENTIAL – IF YOUR SUBMISSION IS SELECTED WE WILL CONTACT YOU.
Categories descriptions are below:
Market Maven Award
Presented to an exceptional individual who contributes in a concrete and tangible way to the efficiency, productivity and effectiveness of the homeland and national security market. Proven as a thought leader with a belief in increasing individual opportunity, the power of free enterprise and the nurture of innovation to advance and support the homeland and national security mission.  Past recipients:  Chad Sweet, The Chertoff Group; Jim Williams, Schambach & Williams.
Most Valuable Player Award 
MVP is awarded to a federal official who modernizes and improves the operations and performance of an agency, component, program or division to increase capacity and speed delivery, use innovation and improve performance. These leaders also focus on the future – developing strategies and plans to address our constantly changing, dynamic threat environment.  Past recipients:  Charles Armstrong, CIO, CBP; Sara Schroerlucke, Program Manager, CBP.