PSC Policy Lines of Effort

2024 PSC Policy Lines of Effort
PSC has identified five areas of focus to be given prioritized attention this year.

Policy Lines of Effort

Costs of Doing Business with the Federal Government
PSC is working tirelessly to mitigate the negative effects of inflation on the government services contractor. We also seek to help secure federal supply chains, reduce acquisition lead times, support best value contracting as well as fair and appropriate cost accounting and administration of federal contracts, and encourage greater transparency and industry-government communication in acquisition approaches.
Key topics include: Budget uncertainties / Cost realism / Inflation / Compliance / Tax policies (e.g., R&D tax amortization) / Procurement administrative lead time (PALT)

Lower Barriers to Entry/Promotion of Competition
PSC seeks to promote innovation and competition in the federal contracting marketplace for all services contractors of all sizes, including but not limited to working with U.S. Government officials on small business utilization to support growth where desired, recognition of the value that mid-sized companies bring to federal contracts, and appropriate use of other transaction agreements, cooperative agreements, and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers.
Key topics include: Health of industrial base | Lowest Price, Technically Acceptable (LPTA) contracts / Government-wide contracting/category management / Administration's small business emphasis / Access to mid-sized companies / Teaming arrangements and joint ventures

Workforce
PSC seeks to support human capital and labor policies that allow the federal government and its contracting partners to recruit, train, promote, and retain a world-class skilled workforce. Focus areas include but are not limited to: workforce implications of higher-than-expected inflation; diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility throughout the combined federal workforce; improved security clearance processes; reasonable return-to-work-facility and remote working policies; and efforts to address acquisition knowledge gaps resulting from workforce transitions.
Key topics include: Ability to recruit from an available pool of qualified talent | USG labor categories and rates | Personnel security clearances | Sufficiency and training of USG contracting officers / Labor statues, regulations and court cases

Technology, Innovation, and Modernization
PSC supports efforts to align federal government requirements with access to innovative contractor capabilities at the speed of relevance. Thus, PSC seeks to help advance acquisition processes that can better offer such access, as well as technology and innovation funding to support fielding of cutting-edge capabilities as necessary to accomplish the government’s critical missions. In addition, PSC is working to promote cybersecurity models that ensure safety and reliability of cyber infrastructure while also preventing, or eliminating, overly burdensome or unnecessarily duplicative contractor reporting requirements.
Key topics include: Outcome-based contracting (e.g., for data, robotics) / Access to, and use of, innovative solutions / Accelerate innovation cycles and solution delivery / Artificial Intelligence / Cybersecurity / Customer Experience

Supply Chain and Logistics
Key topics include: Operations in contested environments / Supply chain illumination and resilience | Sourcing requirements | Surge capacities and capabilities

Policy Actions
PSC Responses to Regulatory and Other Requests for Comments

Date	Comments	Link	Recipient

11/25/24	DFARS: Preventing Conflicts of Interest for Certain Consulting Services	Comments
11/18/24	ITAR: Exemption for Defense Trade and Cooperation Among AUKUS	Comments
10/22/24	Information Request on Financing Support for Covered Technology Categories-Specific to Companies and Trade Associations	Comments
10/15/24	DFARS: Assessing Contractor Implementation of Cybersecurity Requirements (DFARS Case 2019-D041)	Comments
10/15/24	DFARS: Assessing Contractor Implementation of Cybersecurity Requirements (DFARS Case 2019-D041)	CODSIA Comments
10/07/24	HUBZone Program Updates and Clarifications, and Clarifications to Other Small Business Programs	Comments
08/26/24	Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement: Definition of Material Weakness (DFARS Case 2021-D006)	Comments
08/19/24	Application of Cost Accounting Standards to Indefinite Delivery Vehicles	Comments
08/15/24	Proposed Establishment of Federally Funded Research and Development Centers-First Notice	Comments
08/02/24	Prohibition on Certain Semiconductor Products and Services	Comments
07/22/24	DIB Adoption of AI for Defense Applications; Notice of Availability	Comments	DoD
07/09/24	PSC Submits Comments on SBA’s Rule to Eliminate Self-Certification for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses	Press Statement	Media
07/09/24	Multi-Association Transmittal to Hill of ITAR Comments	Letter	Congressional leadership, HAC-FO, SAC-FO, HAC-D, SAC-D, SFRC, HFAC. SASC, HASC
07/08/24	PSC Comments on Eliminating Self-Certification for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses	Comments	SBA
07/03/24	PSC Comments on Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA) Reporting Requirement	Comments	DHS CISA
06/20/24	Top Agencies for Procurement Forecasting Named in PSC’s 2024 Scorecard	Press Statement	Media
06/10/24	CODSIA Comments on FAR Part 40, Information Security and Supply Chain Security	CODSIA comments	FAR Council
06/10/24	PSC to Release the 2024 Federal Business Forecast Scorecard, Address Civilian and Defense Marketplace Challenges and Emerging Tech Solutions at the Federal Acquisition Conference	Press Statement	Media
06/03/24	PSC Comments on Export Control Revisions for AUKUS Enhanced Trilateral Security Partnership	Comments	Dept of Commerce
05/31/24	PSC Comments to Dept. of State's Proposed Rule on ITAR Exemption for Defense Trade and Cooperation Among Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States	Comments	Dept. of State
05/31/24	NIST AI 100-5, A Plan for Global Engagement on AI Standards	Comments	NIST
05/29/24	NIST AI 600- 1, AI Risk Management Framework: Generative AI Profile	Comments	NIST
05/20/24	PSC Comments on NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 3 (Initial Public Draft) re Incident Response and Cybersecurity Risk Management	Comments	NIST
05/13/24	PSC FedHealth Conference 2024: The Intersection of People, Partnerships, and Technology in Federal Health Services	Press Statement	Media
04/25/24	PSC Applauds the Enactment of National Security Supplemental Appropriations	Press Statement	Media
04/18/24	Alliant 3 GWAC Draft RFP	Comments	GSA
04/16/24	"Professional Services Council Urges Senate to Pass Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act"	Press Statement	Media
04/15/24	R&D Tax Credit Letter	Letter	House and Senate Leaders
04/01/24	Pay Equity and Transparency in Federal Contracting Proposed Rule [FAR Case 2023–021]	Comments	FAR Council
03/11/24	Improving Consistency Between Procurement and Nonprocurement Procedures on Suspension and Debarment	Comments	FAR Council
02/26/24	DoD Proposed Rule: Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program	Comments	DoD
02/26/24	DoD Proposed Rule: Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Program	Comments	DoD
02/12/24	National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM); Amendment	Comments	DoD
02/09/24	Proposed Rule Small Business Size Standards: Revised Size Standards Methodology	Comments	SBA
02/02/24	Standardizing Cybersecurity Requirements for Unclassified Federal Information Systems (FAR Case 2021-019)	Comments	FAR Council
02/02/24	Cyber Threat and incident Reporting and Information Sharing (FAR Case 2021-017)	Comments	FAR Council
02/02/24	Interim Rule: Implementation of Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act Orders	Comments	FAR Council
01/31/24	PSC Urges Congress to Pass Bipartisan Efforts on Treatment of R&D Expenses	Press Statement	Media/Hill
01/30/24	Support for S.3626, Conforming Procedures for Federal Task and Delivery Order Contracts Act and S.3594, Source code Harmonization and Reuse in Information Technology Act	Letter	Sen Gary Peters (HSGAC)
01/26/24	NIST SP 800-171, Rev. 3 (Final Public Draft)	Comments	NIST
01/16/24	Alliant 3 GWAC Second Draft RFP	Comments	GSA
01/16/24	OMB Circular "Strategic Management of Acquisition Data and Information"	Comments	OFPP

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Click here to view our 2023 Policy Lines of Effort