MILLER ON PROCUREMENT.

***PARTNERSHIPS***

I got a note from DSMCAA regarding their June 4-7 symposium with partnerships being the major item.

Being a vendor who doesn't know much, I can only assume that this is part of procurement reform which will lead to more sole source. The government loves it and the vendors who get it, love it. The losers don't know what to do and the tax payers have no clue as to how much it might be costing.

***ARMY***

My IQ dropped one point a month. When at the army, the beret fiasco would seem to indicate nothing has changed since I worked in the Pentagon 42 years ago.

First the general had no clue about the black beret so he decrees everyone gets one. Then all hell breaks lose and he says the rangers can now have tan ones. Dumb, dumb.

Then he awards sole source contracts to foreign firms to get enough made fast enough. This includes China, Sri Lanka and Romania.

Now the FAR prohibits trade with China so he has to get special dispensation for that one. Romania should not be a preferred partner either.

A total fiasco. And how can you have a sole source if you have three sources?

Clinton left us a legacy under reform which is close to lawlessness. We constantly run into bids which name the brand the agency desires. No D & F or JOTFOC. They want it because they want it. And bidders flock to engage in illegal conduct and no one takes these deals to court.

Probably the first was Justice's JCONS years ago in which the primes were told to bid Oracle. No one complained except me.

***LOW FEDERAL IQ***

I have consulted with several thousand firms in the last 30 years and the bulk of them have had low federal IQ's. This includes August firms like GE and once high fliers like Digital.

Let me illustrate. The Navy put out a $10 million IFB for Digital products and Digital lost. It seems their headquarters lawyer took except to the T for C and the T for D clauses.

I guess he went to Harvard and there learned he could single handedly amend federal law.

Even EDS, one of the current powerhouse firms came to DC and opened up offices twice, failed twice, went back to Texas twice and finally on the third try, hit the big one. It was Army Viable and it was worth $656 million. We helped them a wee bit on that one and it leads to another conclusion.

Never no bid. Our original client was Martin Marietta. They decided not to bid. Their reasoning was IBM was too strong and too loved and the incumbent and was unbeatable. MM did not understand the concept of the central select where the job would be done well. When they decided to no bid I got permission to help EDS and EDS did not know they couldn't win, so they went out and won.

In another case an Army general decided to put on a show for the boys and he asked for one of the contracts about to be mailed. He picked it up, call the CEO, got the CFO on the phone and proceeded to renegotiate the winning bid down by telling the CFO that while this thing had been diddling around for eight months he thought he could close it today if he could get another discount. He did and he did. Moral- never let anyone in headquarters answer the phone unless they are trained in the FAR and that includes your lawyer.

I could provide hundreds more of these anecdotes but you get the point. Headquarters has three modes. One, they are very, very smart and can actually help you with federal problems. This is possible. And your seven foot son may make you rich in the NBA. In mode Two, they know next to nothing and still attempt to help you and of course, are often worse than no help. In mode three, they give you power, a budget and goals to meet and actually leave you mostly alone. If you do well they promote you and if not they fire you. A few firms operate this way.

Does any of the above sound like places where you have worked?

**PROMIS**

I am sure many of you remember my many articles about this infamous case of software privacy by Justice, CIA, NSA etc. all of our wonderful federal establishment. The stories will never stop until we have a White House which will finally resolve the case. So far under Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush this has not happened.

The Govt is a thief and a liar. Why? I asked a friend of mine at Justice why the Govt wouldn't come clean and he said hundreds of high level people are involved and the scandal is so huge they can't afford to come clean because people in Congress, former political appointees etc. would go to jail.

Not true, the Govt could come clean, pay Inslaw a huge sum and no one would prosecute the guilty. Only the taxpayer might have a squawk and they would be getting a bargain as Inslaw would only get a fraction of what a legit contract would have paid them.

One of the most amazing aspects of this story is the fact that other software firms seem oblivious. If the Govt will steal from one firm they will steal from many. We have seen it. Microsoft won't complain because of their legal problems. Others are unaware or figure it is too difficult.

We helped one firm get a large sum and another get ten million from DOD. It can be done. Firms simply mostly have a low federal IQ.

The attached story recently ran in the Washington Times. It is astounding. But there seems to be no reaction. Why don't a few of you call your congressman. He wants you to come to the fundraiser but wants to do nothing for truth and justice.

Here are some sites where you can find out more.

http://www.insightmag.com/archive/200101307.shtml

http://www.insightmag.com/archive/200102061.shtml

http://www.insightmag.com/archive/200102133.shtml

http://www.insightmag.com/archive/200102194.shtml?