I've noticed the absence of FACs and FAR cases in this administration so I researched my spreadsheet for CYs since 2000.  Since then, there have been several years when there were no FACs issued in February and March.  In the case of OFPP and the FAR Council, the new Administration may still be getting their feet wet.  I started writing the note below the underline but I never finished.  I have to leave now but it may interest some even in its incomplete state.

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In the prior Administration, OFPP memos had its own web page here.  As you can see, the new Administration hasn't posted anything yet.

OFPP was mentioned briefly here and it seems they are just hanging out or laying low.  As you can see, the Administration found OMB and lists mission 2 as procurement related here.

When this Executive Order came out I noted Section 3 (c) and wondered what the FAR Councils would be doing.  

 

 

Would be interested in the time line for completing section (d). That seems to be a heck of a lot of work.

 

 

 

I work in policy for my agency.  A few weeks ago we were asked to provide input to our agency for the CAAC on ideas for the types of items described at (d)(ii) of the EO.

The Administration has now found OFPP.

10 minutes ago, bob7947 said:

The Administration has now found OFPP.

The site says this is "This is historical material “frozen in time” and refers to the prior administration.

 

Update. 

I now see where the Trump administration is linking to the OFPP page of the prior administration.

That's right.  The site is from the previous administration.

However, for the first time this Administration recognized that OMB is made of offices, and linked OFPP.  I assume, now that they have found OFPP, they will update the site as its own.  These are small steps but it takes time to figure where things are at.  The OMB information is still poor but they are finding things.  Progress is progress, even if it is slow.  

The prior Administration had eight years to manage the White House sites and get them working.  

I question whether OFPP serves any useful purpose. Congress ought to abolish it and turn policy coordination over to a combined CAO/FAR Council.

Here is another contracting site that I hope gets fixed.  Of course, it needs some appointments.

On ‎4‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 2:40 PM, Vern Edwards said:

I question whether OFPP serves any useful purpose. Congress ought to abolish it and turn policy coordination over to a combined CAO/FAR Council.

I question whether the FAR Councils, especially the DAR Council, serves any useful purpose other than do what the USD (AT&L) or the Director, Pricing, tell them to do.

3 hours ago, here_2_help said:

for I question whether the FAR Councils, especially the DAR Council, serves any useful purpose other than do what the USD (AT&L) or the Director, Pricing, tell them to do.

So, who should maintain, coordinate  and update the FAR for congressional mandates, currency of $ limits, thresholds, etc., or other needed updates. Who should coordinate between Congress and agencies to look at some of the GOOFY proposed legislation that gets introduced or that some Congressional member's staffers are trying to write for their constiuents or the Beltway Lobbyists?  I've seen some really dumb stuff that organizations will try to get introduced that they don't know will affect a lot more than their specific concern or will have ripple impacts.

Joel,

Your post presumes the Councils are competent to do the items you list; I don't agree. I don't think there is any value-added and I would do away with them, completely.

1 hour ago, here_2_help said:

Joel,

Your post presumes the Councils are competent to do the items you list; I don't agree. I don't think there is any value-added and I would do away with them, completely.

Help, my post didn't presume anything.  I asked -  Who should maintain, coordinate  and update the FAR for congressional mandates, currency of $ limits, thresholds, etc., or other needed updates? Who should coordinate between Congress and agencies to look at some of the GOOFY proposed legislation that gets introduced or that some Congressional member's staffers are trying to write for their constituents or the Beltway Lobbyists? 

Perhaps your post presumes that nobody should perform those functions.

Joel,

I'm not going to argue with you except to point out that your post started with "So ..." which I interpreted to mean "If not them, then whom?" If that was an incorrect interpretation of your post, so be it.

 

1 hour ago, here_2_help said:

Joel,

I'm not going to argue with you except to point out that your post started with "So ..." which I interpreted to mean "If not them, then whom?" If that was an incorrect interpretation of your post, so be it.

 

Help, yes, I was asking who else should do it  (the functions that I mentioned) if the FAR Council or DAR council were done away with.  That's all I wanted to initially know. Sorry if that wasn't clear enough  

I wasn't presuming that they are either competent or incompetent. 

Update:

As many of you know, I have a blog entry that tracks published FACs from the year 2000 to the present.  This is the first time that there have been no FACs published in February, March, and April--the last one was January 18, 2017.  In this case, there have been no FACs published in this new Administration.

On 4/14/2017 at 4:34 PM, here_2_help said:

I don't think there is any value-added

 

On 4/14/2017 at 8:50 PM, joel hoffman said:

FAR Council or DAR council were done away with.

It's one thing to presume, to hear about, to read about the incompetency and foolishness of committees. To actually witness it, and participate in it, is simply astonishing. If the deliberations of the various FAR and DFARS committees (devoted to revising specific portions or subjects of the FAR or DFARS) were publicized, the contracting profession would be respected less, if that is possible. The "performance" and actual process is disgraceful, despite the laudable efforts of a very small minority of intelligent, competent members who understand policymaking, contracting, and textual interpretation.

In my role at the agency I work for, I receive copies of FAR cases and proposed rules for agency comment.  There are some moving through the process and I suspect a FAC published soon.