Center for Government Contracting Event Recap

Significant acquisition reform efforts are emerging on Capitol Hill and in the Executive Branch. From last night’s surprise Executive Order [April 15] on defense acquisition reform and Senator Wicker’s FORGED Act to the consolidation of procurement functions at GSA and the acknowledgement that a substantial FAR rewrite is about to be launched, a growing number of initiatives have potentially significant and far-reaching implications for the government contracting community. The timing for an informed discussion about the ultimate goals of the Administration’s DOGE-related efforts could not be better.

Stephanie Halcrow, Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting; James Chew, Cadence Design Systems; Dr. Scott Phillips, Vannevar Labs; and Thomas Moore, Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Prototyping and Experimentation

Dr. Suzette Johnson, Northrop Grumman Corp.; Ben Harris, National Armaments Consortium; Dr. Chris Powell, SAIC; and Eileen Wrubel, Carnegie Mellon University

Dr. Arun Seraphin, Emerging Technologies Institute; Stephanie Halcrow, Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting; and Anna Kim, Emerging Tecnologies Institute

Opening Remarks: Jerry McGinn, Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting and Brig. Gen. Guy Walsh, NDIA. Fireside Chat: The Hon. Ellen Lord, The Hon. Doug Bush, and The Hon. John J. Young, Jr.

This timely discussion focused on how recent changes in federal contracting are impacting small business as they work to adapt and to remain competitive. There are many questions and today’s panel explored how businesses are navigating these challenges and finding opportunities. Many small businesses, for example, are tightening their belts to weather the upheaval. Others are just plain showing resilience during this time.

Against a backdrop of ongoing War in Ukraine, conflict across the Middle East, and a rising People’s Republic of China in the Strait of Taiwan, the new Trump Administration faces a looming question: How prepared are we for the next full-scale military conflict should the balloon go up today?

The George Mason University’s Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting hosted a webinar discussion on February 5, 2025 to explore areas where DOGE could have an impact on the government contracting community.

GMU-AIRC Dec. 5 PPBE webinar on the Resourcing Workforce dispels “tribal lore,” busts federal hiring myths, and highlights the skills of and training for the workforce

To contribute to the momentum, the Baroni Center for Government Contracting and the Acquisition Innovation Research Center (AIRC) held the 4th of a 5-part GMU-AIRC PPBE Webinar series on PPBE Reform.