Category: US GSA

Source: United States General Services Administration

September 2, 2022

WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced a final rule amending the Federal Management Regulation to enable access to GSA-controlled facilities by union organizers to educate employees of private sector government contractors working in these facilities about the benefits of organizing, collective bargaining, and union membership. This rule is the latest in the Biden-Harris Administration’s steadfast commitment to organized labor and workers’ rights, and furthers the goals of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the Federal workplace.

This change follows a recommendation made by the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment established in Executive Order 14025. The rule clarifies that labor organizations representing or seeking to represent contractors working in GSA-controlled facilities are not covered or restricted by the general prohibition on soliciting, posting, and distributing materials in or on that property.

“As we head into Labor Day Weekend, the Biden-Harris Administration is renewing its commitment to worker organizing and empowerment, because it’s critical to building an economy that works for everybody,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “Today’s rule removes barriers to worker organizing and collective bargaining for federal contractors, allowing union membership to become more accessible.”

The rule goes into effect immediately with a 60-day public comment period. Comments will inform future rulemaking and task force projects.

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

Source: United States General Services Administration

September 7, 2022

BOSTON – The National Endowment for the Arts is hosting an informational webinar about the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Art in Architecture program and upcoming opportunities on Tuesday, September 13, at 1 p.m. ET.

The Art in Architecture Program oversees the commissioning of artworks for GSA-controlled federal buildings nationwide. These artworks enhance the civic meaning of federal architecture and showcase the vibrancy of American visual arts. GSA and NEA are collaborating to increase awareness for this program and promote relevant opportunities to artists that reflect the diverse communities of the nation.

Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, public art opportunities will be available associated with ten major border station projects currently underway in the New England Region. These opportunities include five in Maine and five in Vermont.

In Maine, the Land Port of Entry (LPOE) projects are:

• Coburn Gore
• Calais-Ferry Point
• Fort Fairfield
• Limestone
• Houlton

In Vermont, the LPOE projects are:

• Alburg Springs
• Beebe Plain
• Highgate Springs
• Norton
• Richford Route 139

“These Land Ports of Entry are intrinsic to the fabric of life and community along the New England border with Canada,” said Region 1 Public Buildings Service Commissioner and Acting Regional Administrator Glenn C. Rotondo. “The Art in Architecture program allows these ports to serve as welcoming gateways to our country.”

As part of the webinar, attendees will learn:

• The history and goals of the GSA Art in Architecture program.
• How you can be considered for upcoming project opportunities
• How to join the National Artist Registry
• What to expect if you are selected

GSA’s Art in Architecture Program was created in 1972 and has commissioned more than 500 artworks by American artists, pieces that are permanently installed in federal buildings throughout the United States.

For more information about GSA’s Art in Architecture program, please visit: https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/design-and-construction/art-in-architecturefine-arts/art-in-architecture-program

Webinar Details:

When: Sept. 13: New York and New England (12 projects)

Time: 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET

Closed captioning will be available. Should you need other reasonable accommodations, please send a request to events@arts.gov

To register in advance for this webinar, visit:

Webinar Registration – Zoom (zoomgov.com)

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

About GSA:
GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

About the National Endowment for the Arts:
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. To learn more, visit arts.gov or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Source: United States General Services Administration

September 7, 2022

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced that it is hosting the first GSA Acquisition Policy Federal Advisory Committee (GAP FAC) public meeting on September 22, 2022. The GAP FAC will advise GSA on using acquisition tools and authorities to target high-priority challenges.

The Committee’s initial focus will be on driving regulatory, policy, and process changes to embed climate and sustainability considerations in federal acquisition. This includes recommending steps GSA can take to support its workforce and industry partners in ensuring climate and sustainability issues are fully considered in the acquisition process.

“As the federal government’s central buyer, it’s GSA’s job to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and at the same time to use our buying power to help fuel American innovation and lighten the environmental footprint of what we buy,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan, who will address the public meeting. “Launching this Committee is another example of the actions the Biden-Harris Administration is taking to tackle climate change, create good jobs and ensure a cleaner, healthier future for coming generations.”

Earlier this year, GSA announced its intent to launch the Committee and received over 100 nominations in response. GSA’s Office of Government-wide Policy has vetted the candidates and built a diverse Committee whose members include representatives from industry, including small businesses; federal, state, and local governments; industry associations; and academia.

“We are thrilled with the response we got to our call for nominations to join this advisory committee that we are standing up,” said GSA’s Office of Government-wide Policy Associate Administrator Krystal J. Brumfield, who also serves as the agency’s chief acquisition officer. “We are grateful that these highly experienced and knowledgeable experts have agreed to volunteer their time and talents to help us. I look forward to their recommendations for acquisition policy that advance GSA’s mission as America’s buyer, an acquisition workforce that is ready for the future, and a domestic supplier base incentivized to supply innovative offerings to the federal government.”

The GAP FAC will operate in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). Consistent with FACA and its requirements, each meeting of the GAP FAC will be open to the public unless otherwise notified, in accordance with the Government in the Sunshine Act, and those meetings will be fully accessible to individuals with disabilities.

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

About FACA: The Federal Advisory Committee Act was enacted in 1972 to ensure that advice by the various advisory committees formed over the years is objective and accessible to the public. Federal advisory committees are guided by these statutes and regulations.

Source: United States General Services Administration

September 7, 2022

Program advances key pillars of President’s Management Agenda; 2023 cohort applications open in October

WASHINGTON— In recent weeks, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) marked the first anniversary of the launch of the U.S. Digital Corps (USDC), a program that hires early-career technologists into federal service to create a more effective, equitable government.

Launched in August 2021 by GSA’s Technology Transformation Services with partners across the Biden-Harris Administration, including the White House Office of Management and Budget, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, USDC has shown early success.

Over 1,000 candidates applied to join the first cohort, and 38 Fellows were selected in June 2022. This cohort is now working at a dozen agencies across government on high-impact projects in areas including health, immigration, cybersecurity, and equity.

“From the Administration for Children and Families to the Department of State, we’re already hearing about how our first group is asking good questions and bringing new approaches to the table,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “We look forward to getting applications for our second cohort this fall so we can bring on even more early-career technologists who want to help government deliver for the American people.”

As detailed in a recent Performance.gov blog post, USDC advances many goals outlined in the Biden-Harris President’s Management Agenda (PMA). These include commitments to investing in and diversifying the federal workforce, and improving the public’s customer experience with government.

“Within a year of its inaugural launch, the U.S. Digital Corps program has been an integral effort to recruit and retain the next generation of public servants,” said OPM Director Kiran Ahuja. “The program advances the President’s Management Agenda to create a more effective, equitable government and ensures our federal workforce is our government’s most valuable asset.”

In reviewing applications and selecting Fellows, GSA used the Subject Matter Expert Qualification Assessments (SME-QA) process to assess candidates, a new assessment method developed through a collaboration of the U.S. Digital Service (USDS), Office of Management and Budget, and the Office of Personnel Management. This marked a move from credentials-based to a more equitable and effective skills-based hiring approach.

“U.S. Digital Service was proud to partner with the U.S. Digital Corps in using SME-QA to identify and hire diverse and highly qualified talent for their cohort of 2022 Fellows,” said USDS Administrator Mina Hsiang. “Civic tech is a team sport. We’re glad to see the rise in early-career talent dedicated to serving the public.”

With one year of experience under its belt, USDC is gearing up to recruit and hire a second cohort of Fellows to start in summer 2023. Applications for the second cohort of U.S. Digital Corps Fellows will open in October 2022. More information is available at digitalcorps.gsa.gov.

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

Source: United States General Services Administration

August 23, 2022

A decade of private sector tech innovators in government

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. General Services Administration celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF) program. The program plans to celebrate the anniversary over the next year with activities to highlight the program’s impact and community since it launched August 23, 2012.

Housed within the Technology Transformation Services (TTS), participants in the program are senior-level career technologists from the private sector who bring their track record and expertise to federal agencies. These PIFs serve as senior advisors for one to two years to help agencies better serve the American people. Notably, some PIFs have remained in government beyond their initial tour of duty, including the current Chief Technology Officer and the Deputy Chief Technology Officer at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the current Chief Experience Officer at Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).

Since 2012, over 200 PIFs have supported initiatives at more than 50 agencies, providing expert advice in specialized disciplines such as artificial intelligence, data strategy, product management, human-centered design, software development, and digital strategy. These efforts have enhanced agencies’ abilities to provide the best customer experience for their stakeholders and the public. The PIF program – which was signed into law through the TALENT Act in 2017 – is also aligned with recent Biden-Harris Administration efforts to improve internal operational efficiencies and external performance impact. This includes targeted outcomes for agencies in the Presidential Management Agenda (PMA) and the Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government.

“The PIF program is a smart way for federal agencies to access new ideas and extraordinary tech talent and put both to work solving hard problems and delivering better government services to the American people,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “The program has been delivering outstanding results and saving money for taxpayers for the past 10 years and we look forward to supporting even more technologists interested in serving a tour of duty in government.”

“As first-class technologists and entrepreneurs, we look to Presidential Innovation Fellows to help us deeply understand the experiences of those we seek to serve,” said Ambassador Susan Rice, Director, Domestic Policy Council. “Their skills and expertise enhance our ability to apply technology, data, and innovative practices to make us a more equitable federal government and make people’s lives better. This work is critical, urgent, and exciting. I look forward to another 10 years of PIF as we continue to design and deliver the government Americans deserve.”

“PIF represents a 10-year formalized pipeline of technologists and innovators in government. We currently have more than 50 fellows serving at 20 agencies, working toward improvement and innovation across multiple disciplines,” said PIF Director Rebeca Lamadrid. “In PIF’s next 10 years, we’ll work to attract the most diverse and brightest talent in technology and innovation that is representative of the American public. Recruiting the right fellows will enable the program to continue to create meaningful solutions that significantly improve how the government serves the American people. ”

“While working as a PIF in the 2020 cohort, I learned how decisions are made at a national scale, and whose voices are represented in the process. In my current role as Chief Experience Officer at CMS, I apply these lessons from PIF to champion the Voice of the Customer as a driver of operational excellence across our agency and the programs we deliver,” said Ariele Faber, Chief Experience Officer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).

Program Highlights

Over the years, PIFs have continued to help high-profile government agencies’ efforts in numerous ways:

• In 2022:
  • At the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), using digital strategy and platforms to support initiatives expanding access to key services like WIC to vulnerable populations.
  • At the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), advising the Community Navigator Pilot Program that enhances equity-focused data-driven targeted outreach for small businesses in underserved communities.
  • Developing and launching the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), providing invaluable cross-agency perspectives and expertise on the role of data in healthcare, digital strategy, and engagement to this once-in-a-generation initiative.
• In 2021:
  • Served as inspiration for GSA to launch the U.S Digital Corps, which welcomed its first cohort of early career technologists in 2022.
  • As part of the American Rescue Plan, partnered with agencies to increase awareness and access, especially with underserved communities, to the expanded Child Tax Credit.
• From 2020 to present, served the public and frontline workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in many ways:
• In 2016, partnered with the National Cancer Institute as part of the Cancer Moonshot Initiative to help redesign how people think about, find, and participate in cancer clinical research.
• In 2014, formed part of the founding teams of both 18F, a technology and design consultancy within the federal government, and U.S. Digital Service (USDS), a program that deploys small, responsive groups of designers, engineers, and product managers to deliver services quickly.

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best value in real estate, acquisition, technology and other mission-support services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.