Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Introducing the Insider
The Industry Defined
HUBZones: Anyone Can Play
Beyond Reproach: The Incumbent's Bind
Breaking Wave: Human Resources BPO
Cooperative Personnel Services: Differentiating Not a Problem
Adventures in Marketing
Policy & Regs: Can We Satisfy the Appetite for Cleared Personnel?
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Established just over two years ago, the firm led by New York's former mayor has forged alliances and performed engagements at several points on the public safety/homeland security spectrum. But it's difficult to categorize Giuliani Partners LLC. Variously, the firm has the look of a management consultant, a lobbying outfit, a private equity fund advisor, an investor, and other colorations.
For the most part, government work has been a distant second to commercial opportunities. But will the firm continue to avoid direct federal work?
This article details Giuliani Partners' alliances, engagements and discusses the potential vector of federal activity.
Are large businesses and small, minority-owned firms comfortable dealing with one another? The hypothesis is that many are not. This article, based on interviews with a dozen minority-owned businesses, including some that have grown to middle size, identifies the best practices for enduring and growing in an industry dominated by larger enterprises.
If your firm is on a multiple-award schedule of the GSA Federal Supply Service, you may be familiar with how your past performance is evaluated before you are awarded a place on the schedule. A third-party, Open Ratings, Inc., conducts the evaluations for GSA and rates your firm on a 10-point scale for quality, responsiveness, and several other factors. But did you know that your firm is also given a predictive score that expresses how well it can be expected to perform? With proprietary algorithms, data on 45 million suppliers, and the ability to benchmark almost anything, ORI looks at you closely. This article introduces you to the technique and suggests how you can improve your chances for a more favorable rating.
This month's column by the Ethics Resource Center addresses this difficult situation:
"There's always someone who doesn't get the word—or read the papers. A former major client of ours who is still in the government has raised the possibility of employment twice recently. We still do work with her agency, but not with her program. She's implied that she could do us some good and also seemed to suggest that not hiring her would be a mistake. I'm afraid to think what that means. This situation poses several challenges. What should I do?"
The column analyzes the ethical issues and recommends multiple courses of action to maintain a high standard of ethics and respond to the client management challenges of this situation.
Say "ISO 9000" to a bunch of government services executives and you may clear the room. But you may be able to draw them back with an account of how ISO 9000 standards can make a competitive difference.
This article describes the application of the standards, how the federal government is using them internally and increasingly requiring ISO 9000 certification of its suppliers.
In December 2003, the Department of Homeland Security issued interim rules to set up a Mentor-Protégé Program intended to encourage growth in small business contracting revenue and strengthen the business management capability of small firms. But this program is different from other mentor-protégé programs. For example, it allows protégés to have more than one mentor. In an environment where nearly 1/4 of government prime contract dollars are supposed to go to small business, and with the hefty budget increase at DHS, this article can help you seize an early opportunity for competitive advantage.
This article highlights results from a recent survey, based on responses from US opinion leaders, that gives cues on what channels to use to tell the story of your firm to the general public and to clients. It's has some surprising findings on the trust accorded CEOs.