PSC Service Contractor Magazine - Spring 2024

President's Letter

For the first time since last summer, government contractors and our federal customers are not faced with the near-term threat of a government shutdown. In March, Congress passed, and the president signed, two bills that appropriate funds for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2024. Constraints on federal programs imposed by continuing resolutions are gone, at least until the next CR. For now, service contractors can focus on the tasks at hand, bidding, winning, and performing the work needed to support the missions and functions across all agencies and programs in the U.S. government.

Even so, no one is taking it easy. Congress is wrestling with legislative issues and deadlines, as reflected in our quarterly legislative update, the “Bill Tracker,” starting on page 13.

One of the most vital deadlines for Congress is funding for the next fiscal year, FY25. The President’s Budget Request was submitted in March; committees are conducting hearings and will begin to mark up bills. This “regular order” of business is always challenging, but it’s especially so in an election year like this.

Election years also present opportunities for the executive branch. This issue provides suggestions for contractors to help their program customers prioritize achievable results in year four of a four-year term. Check out the advice in “Sowing Seeds for the Future: Contractors in an Election Year” on page 8.

Recent years have brought new focus to the importance of industrial base capabilities and capacities, for the overall economy and particularly for government contractor support. From Covid-related disruptions in supply chains and workforce to unexpected demands for munitions to support Ukraine, the industrial base has drawn a lot of attention.

Much of that attention, though, has focused on products rather than services. In “Strengthening Security Through the Services Industrial Base” on page 6, I explore the broader view of the industrial base that will be needed to meet current and future demands.

Key elements of the industrial base writ large are the roles played by financial markets. Guest writer Mikhail Grinberg of PSC member company Renaissance Strategic Advisors offers some new approaches to increasing competition and participation across industry in his article on page 20.

Looking further into the future, new technologies and applications offer a vision of integrating technology and data into a more personalized approach to providing government services. See guest author Stefan Becker’s intriguing vision in “2030 Vision: Revolutionizing Government Services Through Human-AI Collaboration,” beginning on page 10.

One technology area of tremendous interest and fast growth continues to be artificial intelligence. PSC has ramped up engagement on AI, including but not limited to widely attended events that offer critical insights into how the federal government plans to leverage generative AI and how companies can best approach AI in the final months of FY24 and beyond. One such event was our annual conference on Federal Law Enforcement. You can read some highlights on page 21 and plan now to attend the upcoming conferences listed on page 27.

As always, we at PSC work each day to help government services contractors support vital federal missions and functions and to help your government customers become smarter customers and better buyers. We appreciate your support and engagement, and we welcome your feedback and your input.

David J. Berteau

Strengthening Security Through the Services Industrial Base
by David J. Berteau, President and CEO, PSC

Sowing Seeds for the Future: Contractors in an Election Year
by David J. Berteau, President and CEO, PSC

2030 Vision: Revolutionizing Government Services Through Human-AI Collaboration
By Stefan Becker, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Agencies Programs Business Unit Lead, CGI Federal

Bill Tracker: 118th Congress-Second Session (2024)

Incentivizing Competition: Focus More on Results and Less on Regulations
By Mikhail Grinberg

Highlights from the 8th Annual Federal Law Enforcement
By Krista Sweet, Vice President, Civilian Agencies, PSC

Navigating the Federal Cyber Rulemaking Landscape: Insights from PSC's CMMC Comments
By Christian Larsen, Senior Policy Associate, PSC