Redstone Government Consulting Blog

Employers generally strive to create an environment that is fair, safe, and pro-employee. So, when employers hear that their employees want to unionize, it truly puzzles and frustrates them, leaving them wondering - why is this happening? Employees often see unionizing as a way to negotiate from a position of strength over wages, safety, benefits, and other job-related issues that individuals acting alone cannot normally solve. This article provides details about the union process and guidance as to how employers can be prepared to respond.

Topics: Human Resources, Government Regulations, Employers and Unions

What is your company using to track Opportunities? A robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution or spreadsheets and sticky notes? As companies grow, it’s imperative that your team adapts to stay competitive and win contracts. A lot of business development teams track opportunities in Excel. First, bravo for using Excel and not a sticky note. You are on the right track! What if I told you that using a CRM to track opportunities would allow you to gain efficiency, never miss a due date, and project future revenue?

Topics: Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, Unanet

Probably now. Depending on the type and dollar amount of your subcontracts, FAR 52.244-2 Subcontracts clause requires a contractor that does not have an approved purchasing system (never been reviewed or is disapproved) to obtain written consent from the Contracting Officer before subcontract award.

Topics: Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, DFARS Business Systems, Contractor Purchasing System Review (CPSR), Government Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

In the June 27, 2024 Federal Register, the Cost Accounting Standards Board (CASB) put out a notification that it was looking for input on its efforts to conform Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) related to operating revenue and lease accounting. Back on March 13, 2019, the CASB published a Discussion Paper to collect initial input on the conformance of CAS to GAAP. Then on November 5, 2020, the CASB published a notice of proposed rulemaking specifically addressing operating revenue and lease accounting.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, Government Regulations, Cost Accounting Standards (CAS)

In the June 27, 2024 Federal Register, the Cost Accounting Standards Board (CASB) put out a notification that it was looking for input on its efforts to conform Cost Accounting Standards (CAS) to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) for Compensated Personal Absence (CAS 408) and Depreciation of Tangible Capital Assets (CAS 409). Back in March of 2019, the CASB published a Discussion Paper to collect initial input on the need for CAS 408 and 409 based on the changes that had been made to GAAP since the 1970’s.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Government Regulations, Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

DoD issued a final rule DFARS Case 2023-D010 on May 30, 2024, amending The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) implementing Section 803 of the National Defense Authorization Act on data required in support of commerciality determinations and price reasonableness under procurements for major weapon systems. The purpose is to provide additional guidance related to the data required to support a request for a commercial determination and the price reasonableness process.

Topics: Proposal Cost Volume Development & Pricing, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, Government Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Commercial Item Determination

In the June 27, 2024 Federal Register, the Department of Defense (DoD) is proposing to change the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement a section of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 requiring that the generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) definition of a “material weakness” be used in place of the current definition of a “significant deficiency” when evaluating a contractor’s business system.

Topics: Small Business Compliance, DFARS Business Systems, DCAA Audit Support, Government Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a final rule revising 2 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), now called OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance, to streamline and clarify the rules for federal financial assistance (e.g., grants and cooperative agreements). Agencies must implement the Final Rule by October 1, 2024. These rules will apply to new grants and can be applied to existing grants by a bi-lateral modification. Although OMB indicates that agencies may apply the new rules beginning June 21, 2024, we believe most federal agencies will wait so that both the agencies and the recipients have time to read and digest some of these updates.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, Government Regulations, Grants & Cooperative Agreements (2 CFR 200)

So, you have been notified by the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) that they plan on performing an incurred cost audit. What comes next? How is this audit being performed? You are probably not going to get this background from your DCAA auditor. This article will go over the process that will be applied to take a little of the “mystery” away.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Incurred Cost Proposal Submission (ICP/ICE), Government Regulations

Cost Accounting Standard (CAS) 409 provides the criteria for assigning costs (i.e., depreciation) of tangible capital assets to cost accounting periods and allocating those costs to contracts in an objective and consistent manner.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Proposal Cost Volume Development & Pricing, DFARS Business Systems, Government Regulations, Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)