Apart from a psychic prediction or crystal ball reading - the United States procurement landscape holds no particular certainty for industry professionals struggling amidst the economic quagmire plaguing our nation. Yet, federal contractors in Metropolitan Washington appear to be insulated from many hardships other cities face throughout our nation among similar business veins.
Federal contracting as a rule is squarely an unpredictable science. While there are a thousand remedies for capture, business development and packaging to win – the truth is when contractors “know” they have a sure thing, it is most often a situation which isn’t good, such as these evildoers of the federal contract industry:
- 2010 - The Louis Berger Group (69M settlement for contract fraud) fined after a whistleblower shared flagrant misappropriation of funds and chagrin demonstrated from senior personnel who claimed, “We are able to do anything and get away with it” or
- 2011 - Kerry F. Khan – Alexandria, Michael A. Alexander – Woodbridge, Lee A. Khan - Fairfax, and Harold F. Babb - Director of Contracts for EyakTek (Alaska Native-owned small business) who committed bribery and kickbacks steering contracts to line their personal bank accounts.
So, maybe a little uncertainty is a healthy thing?
The aforementioned businesses believed their agenda for financial gain was riddled with impenetrable ploys. However, Whistleblowers and the Department of Justice believed in and delivered a different message. This message involved no less than 100 federal agents to perform surveillance and research including serving search warrants and making arrests. A mind-numbing factoid for many federal contractors - the waste involved in having to corral white collar criminals the federal contract arena is riddled with.
And, the greater travesty is the blight the activities of the few have on the entire federal contracting industry. Both the government and "ethics-driven businesses" would have benefited from the federal funding involved in illegal contracting practices. The funding could have served our nation while aiding the lives of qualitative households who hold dear to the dream and treasure the United States represents for us all.
How is the federal contractor market affected?
It can be suggested - part of the impending acquisition and procurement woes as well as disdain many Americans hold for “federal contractors,” directly correlates to the malfeasance of organizations such as those previously mentioned. The sad reality is there are many of these cases. At least, there are more than industry professionals like to admit. Graft, bait and switch, no intention to fulfill solutions the way they read post-award, staging ownership(s) of corporations to garner point margins, and many other misnomers satiate the contractor landscape with infractionary minefields.
Citizen Joe or Josette are fed up with the federal contract industry. The millions and billions of taxpayer earnings, going to waste while solutions don't occur, served up via scandal and abuse is gut wrenching. It is no wonder a cry is being made by the general public to cut federal contractor spending while industries plummet and the toils of entire lifetimes remain miniscule in comparison to figures of thievery among federal contract evildoers - they hurt the industry irrevocably.
Now, earnest federal contractors have to not only promote their products and services to end clients, they also have to revive a negative public image. This is compounded by the drive to reduce the budget and cut spending.
Is there a cure?
Earnest, ethics-driven, federal contractors with great ideals and real product and | or services support solutions can restore the faith with a little outside-the-box thinking. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Read part two to learn more. . .
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