NSPS's new government affairs representatives, John
Palatiello and John Byrd, were part of a COFPAES delegation that was at the
White House, meeting with the Obama Administration's Office of Federal
Procurement Policy (OFPP) Administrator, Joe Jordan, to discuss QBS and related
contracting issues.
Among the issues discussed was Federal agency compliance
with the Brooks Act on surveying contracts, such as a current NRCS contract in
Florida on which COFPAES/NSPS has filed a complaint that treats a professional
boundary survey as a "bid" and a "commercial item"; the listing
of surveying as an activity for competitive bidding on the GSA schedule
contracts for Professional Engineering Services; a reverse auction on a recent
contract by the Army at Fort Benning, Ga., on a service defined in the Georgia
licensing law for surveyor act as the practice of surveying; and the negative
impact design-build contracting has on small business, particularly specialty
subcontractors such as surveyors.
OFPP officials committed to working with COFPAES on
reform of these "Brooks Act"-related issues.
NSPS Visits the White House
February 21, 2013
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