Archive: July 8, 2007 - July 14, 2007
Procurement Debate Goes Feline
For months they have been slinging invective, intellectual mud and all sorts of rhetorical detritus at one another. Can a procurement debate get any better? At odds are Steve Kelman, a Harvard professor and the architect of procurement reform a decade ago, and Danielle Brian, the executive director of...
By Robert O'Harrow | July 13, 2007; 5:02 AM ET | Comments (4)
Economy, Efficiency and Effectiveness
Inspectors General are supposed to be the independent eyes and ears of taxpayers inside government agencies. That tradition goes back to the beginning of the country. Ever since Congress passed the Inspector General Act in 1978, expanding their authority, IGs across the government have turned up billions in contracting fraud,...
By Robert O'Harrow | July 12, 2007; 6:23 AM ET | Comments (3)
The Price of Good Service
Almost everybody in the world of government contracting knows where big money can be had these days: By providing services. Ever since the landmark legislation called the Clinger-Cohen Act was approved a decade ago, consultants and information technology companies have been racking up billions of dollars in bills for management...
By Robert O'Harrow | July 11, 2007; 7:19 AM ET | Comments (8)
GSA, Sun and More Questions To Come
The troubles with the General Services Administration's contract with Sun Microsystems became well known this spring. Investigators for Rep. Henry A. Waxman, the Democratic Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, turned up evidence in documents and interviews that appeared to show that the giant software maker had...
By Robert O'Harrow | July 10, 2007; 6:17 AM ET | Comments (14)
Welcome to Government Inc.
Dear Reader, In launching this new relationship with you, Government Inc. would like to acknowledge that federal contracting may seem about as enticing as a plate of raw broccoli or a rush-hour trip around the Beltway. Bear with us. In time, we believe you will come to understand how...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | July 9, 2007; 4:42 PM ET | Comments (18)
Who is Government Inc.
Robert O'Harrow Jr. is a reporter on The Post's Financial staff who focuses on government contracting, fraud, waste and abuse. Last year, O'Harrow and his reporting partner, Scott Higham, received a top prize from Investigative Reporters and Editors for newspapers with a circulation of 500,000 or more. O'Harrow had previously...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | July 9, 2007; 12:32 PM ET | Comments (12)
