KeithB18

Recent posts

• Anthropic and the Defense Production Act of 1950

  Vern, Do you think the DPA could be used to force a Quaker owned textile business to supply uniforms to the DOD? Do you think it is possible that invoking DPA might raise some compelling questions ab

  in About the Regulations · 3mo ago

• Anthropic and the Defense Production Act of 1950

  > > Vern Edwards said: > > > The AI company Anthropic will not agree to let DOD use its AI product for lethal purposes. It's been making headlines. > > > > **_Can_** Anthropic refuse? Can the Defens

  in About the Regulations · 3mo ago

• Contracting Officer or Purchasing Agent?

  > > On 2/24/2026 at 12:52 PM, formerfed said: > > > As long as the government budgets, manages, and controls positions by Full Time Equivalent (FTE) numbers, a large incentive to use 1105s goes away.

  in Contracting Workforce · 3mo ago

• Does competition in contracting reduce costs and increase quality?

  I'd go so far to say that the pursuit of full and open competition is actively harmful in a significant number of procurements. It might even be a majority. For example, I'm working on basic and appli

  in Contract Award Process · 3mo ago

• According to the Harvard Business Review, AI produces "Workslop"

  Here > > KeithB18 said: > > > What I'm trying to say is that there is a false expectation that the output of our evaluation and selection process is an objectively correct answer. We can change our

  in Recommended Reading · 5mo ago

• According to the Harvard Business Review, AI produces "Workslop"

  > > Vern Edwards said: > > > What else would it be? Are you suggesting that value is an objective measure, demonstrable by proof? What I'm trying to say is that there is a false expectation that the

  in Recommended Reading · 5mo ago

• According to the Harvard Business Review, AI produces "Workslop"

  > > FrankJon said: > > > I'm curious to know what you mean by this. Boiled down to its essence, I'm struggling to think of anything that makes a Federal contracting source selection decision unique f

  in Recommended Reading · 5mo ago

• According to the Harvard Business Review, AI produces "Workslop"

  > > Vern Edwards said: > > > [@KeithB18](/u/keithb18) I don't know you mean by that. Please explain. > > > > Are you saying that qualitative value judgments cannot be described with numbers? The de

  in Recommended Reading · 5mo ago

• According to the Harvard Business Review, AI produces "Workslop"

  > > Vern Edwards said: > > > What do you mean by "qualitative decisions"? > > > > How _should_ such decisions be made? This answer isn't going to be satisfying, because it is not satisfying to me.

  in Recommended Reading · 5mo ago

• According to the Harvard Business Review, AI produces "Workslop"

  I have done some experiments with ChatGPT on SOWs and solicitations. It does okay with SOWs--they still need a fair bit of tailoring but I'd say it can produce a decent starting point. It cannot produ

  in Recommended Reading · 5mo ago

• Tools used to track active contracts

  > > On 12/11/2025 at 8:51 AM, Vern Edwards said: > > > Do we devote too much time to complicated IT/software tracking and management "tools"? > > > > How did we ever track and manage complicated und

  in Contract Administration · 5mo ago

• Bona Fide Need, Multiple Year Appropriations, and Severable Services

  > > Don Mansfield said: > > > [@KeithB18](/u/keithb18) My experience is with DoD and a multi-year appropriation to fund a severable service seems weird to me. What is the color of money? It's defini

  in About the Regulations · 6mo ago

• Bona Fide Need, Multiple Year Appropriations, and Severable Services

  > > Vern Edwards said: > > > See GAO, _Principles of Federal Appropriations Law_, Volume 1, Chapter 5, Availability of Appropriations: Time, Section B: The Bona Fide Needs Rule. > > > > To the best

  in About the Regulations · 6mo ago

• Fixing Contracting Education

  "Most want to know, but too many don't like to learn." I'm going to be thinking about that for awhile. How many of us are unwilling to adjust our priors in the face of new evidence? I certainly try t

  in Contracting Workforce · 6mo ago

• Bona Fide Need, Multiple Year Appropriations, and Severable Services

  I have to preface this with the fact that agency lawyers have told me I am wrong about my interpretation of this issue. But if I've learned anything after being around this forum for 15 or so years, I

  in About the Regulations · 6mo ago

• Why Are We Evaluating Proposals & Approaches

  > > Vern Edwards said: > > > Instead of instructing offerors to "describe your proposed approach", why not instruct them to answer a set of specific questions? > > > > Why shouldn't contracting offi

  in Contract Award Process · 6mo ago

• Fixing Contracting Education

  I've been thinking a lot about this topic, and trying to put my brain power behind how to fix it. Whatever we are doing, isn't working. But here are a couple of things I think: 1. The best way to le

  in Contracting Workforce · 9mo ago

• Construction as a commercial service

  > > joel hoffman said: > > > There is no need to reinvent the wheel. > > > > Who are the people editing these sections of the FAR??? I've met one of the people working on the RFO during my professi

  in About the Regulations · 9mo ago

• Do Incentives Work?

  I'm currently reading a book titled, Contract Strategies for Major Projects, by Edward Merrow. Mr. Merrow is the CEO of Independent Project Analysis and has decades of experience in assessing major pr

  in Contract Administration · 9mo ago

• Article: GSA completes the statutory foundation for expanded, consolidated procurement authority

  I think the burden of proof on fees for sam registration lands with GSA. Its currently free, why does that need to change now? Its also not "free." Every agency pays into the "integrated award enviro

  in About the Regulations · 10mo ago