The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) will kick off First Thursday Seminars with the live webcast Solid-State Lighting: Highlighting indoor Applications on April 4, 2013. Experts Naomi Johnson Miller and Jeff McCullough of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will offer training about new solid-state and LED lighting developments and best practices, as well as Federal priorities, and tools and resources...

On March 1, automatic sequestration cuts took effect for the U.S. federal government. The cuts are evenly split between domestic and defense programs, with half affecting defense discretionary spending (weapons purchases, base operations, construction work, etc.) and the rest affecting both mandatory (Social Security or Medicaid) and discretionary domestic spending. As federal, state and local governmental entities work to enact the budget cut...

In today’s global economy, nations and development programs alike can make progress against their goals by engaging in collaborative, scalable, and mutually beneficial partnerships with the private sector. We’ll discuss: • Macroeconomic and political factors increasing the importance of public-private collaborations and creating shared value for all stakeholders involved. • Identification of private sector priorities and...

After his recent State of the Union address, President Obama issued an executive order to improve the security of the nation's critical infrastructure, underscoring the growing threat of cyberterrorism to national and economic security. What may be the true state of our critical infrastructure security, and what can this executive order mean for your enterprise? We'll discuss: The changing nature of the threats to America's critical infrastruc...

Amid intense debate over the future of talent development, U.S. government and business leaders are searching for fresh perspectives and leading practices to foster innovation, performance, and growth. We’ll discuss: • Challenges with the U.S. talent pool, including the growing mismatch between the demand for talent and its current supply for government agencies. • Which of six key public policies associated with talent develop...

Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA) & Best Value (BV): Finding Common Ground in Government Acquisition The FAR states that ”an agency can obtain best value by using any one or a combination of source selection approaches.” Under “Lowest Price, Technically Acceptable (LPTA)” (FAR 15.101-2), the relative importance of technical, past performance and cost or price elements of a proposal may vary and past perfor...

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) will kick-off First Thursday Seminars with the live webcast Combined Heat and Power: An Integrated Approach to Energy Resources on February 7, 2013. Experts Patricia Welesko Garland and Bob Slattery of Oak Ridge National Laboratory will offer training about technologies, applications, and successful examples to optimize heat and power resources at your site. Specifica...

IDIQ Contracts: The Life Cycle of Task and Delivery Orders in Today's Procurement Environment Multiple-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts, or IDIQs, are now the primary federal purchasing method for technology and are increasingly central to professional services, construction, transportation and other categories. The proliferation of IDIQ contract vehicles in recent years has made it difficult for: a) acquisition profes...

FEMP eTraining: Planning an Energy Assessment for Federal Facilities Learn how to manage the Energy Assessment process in Federal facilities and comply with executive orders and legislative mandates: Select the proper energy assessment type and prioritize facilities in most need of an energy assessment; Assemble an energy assessment team with the proper expertise; Conduct the energy assessment walkthrough and interview key personnel; Develop t...

FEMP eTraining: Commissioning for Existing Federal Facilities Learn how to manage the commissioning process for existing Federal buildings and employ best practices to: • Lead the commissioning activity in-house or supplement in-house capabilities; • Implement whole-building commissioning or select individual systems to be commissioned; • Develop a targeted plan including key data collection, an effective launch; a thorough walk...