Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/Is-supplier-incumbency-a-major-problem-with-government-contracting.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/Is-supplier-incumbency-a-major-problem-with-government-contracting.html When you consider the fact that a good many government procurement experts - including those involved with the procurement process itself, have routinely suggested that 90% of all contract winners are decided before an RFP is actually issued (check out the Al Gordon interview under the Videos Tab of this Portal), one cannot help but wonder if it is worthwhile to pursue opportunities for which there is an already established relationship with an incumbent supplier. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/In-the-Year-2020----Workforce.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/In-the-Year-2020----Workforce.html As posted this past past Friday, each day this week I will be providing my take on the top 5 predictions for the year 2020 from Bob Lohfeld’s July 7th Washington Technology article aptly named 5 predictions for the 2020 market. Today we tackle prediction number 2, the workforce. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/In-the-Year-2020----Technology.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/In-the-Year-2020----Technology.html As posted this past past Friday, each day this week I will be providing my take on the top 5 predictions for the year 2020 from Bob Lohfeld’s July 7th Washington Technology article aptly named 5 predictions for the 2020 market. Today we tackle prediction number 4, technology. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/In-the-Year-2020----Process.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/In-the-Year-2020----Process.html As posted this past past Friday, each day this week I will be providing my take on the top 5 predictions for the year 2020 from Bob Lohfeld’s July 7th Washington Technology article aptly named 5 predictions for the 2020 market. Today we tackle prediction number 3, process. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/In-the-Year-2020----Government-Market.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/In-the-Year-2020----Government-Market.html As posted this past past Friday, each day this week I will be providing my take on the top 5 predictions for the year 2020 from Bob Lohfeld’s July 7th Washington Technology article aptly named 5 predictions for the 2020 market. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/2020-Predictions-interesting-but-are-they-an-accurate-reflection-of-what-is-to-come.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/2020-Predictions-interesting-but-are-they-an-accurate-reflection-of-what-is-to-come.html Okay, I admit it! While I had originally planned to write about Free and Open Source Software or FOSS in the public sector this week (a topic that has been of great personal interest), it seems that there are just too many rich stories out there to share that have a much broader appeal. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/Whether-Terrorists-or-Hooligans-the-End-Result-is-Still-The-Same-Mess.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/Whether-Terrorists-or-Hooligans-the-End-Result-is-Still-The-Same-Mess.html Last week's Panel discussion regarding the May 18th bombing of the Royal Bank branch at the corner of First and Bank in the Glebe brought to light many interesting insights including the consensus that this was not a terrorist act but an act of vandalism perpetrated by disaffected youths - probably from the neighborhood. That said the resulting consequences are nonetheless quite real in that there was both extensive property damage to the bank's branch, as well as a "tightening of security" that John Baglow said would lead to a tougher crackdown on legitimate protesters at the actual G8 and G20 Summits at the end of June. With the estimated costs of security rising from what now appears to be a modest $179 million allocation in March to an estimated $930 million today, does the G8 and G20 Summits really matter? http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/Twittering-Money-Away-API-Service-Review-of-Twitter-Counter.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/Twittering-Money-Away-API-Service-Review-of-Twitter-Counter.html Under the headline from their "Featured" web page, Twitter Counter boldly states “Become a featured user and gain more followers.” “One of Twitter’s biggest problems . . . I am researching services such as Twitter Counter’s Feature, and in this second round of testing found that a great majority of those who are following are the Ruby Bells and Tia Marias and Angelina Jollies . . . I think you get my drift . . . get in the game Twitter Counter it is not the number of followers but the quality of followers that count!” http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/Latest-Government-of-Canada-Scandal-Belies-the-Very-Prinicples-Associated-with-Effective-Purchasing-Practices.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/Latest-Government-of-Canada-Scandal-Belies-the-Very-Prinicples-Associated-with-Effective-Purchasing-Practices.html In the opening comments from a recent segment of the PI Window on Business Show in which I had interviewed government contracting expert and author Mark Amtower, I had made reference to the famous Louis Pasteur quote that “Chance favors the prepared mind.” I would of course have to admit that I found myself reflecting on its validation as an axiom during a conversation with one of the top investigative reporters in the country, Kathryn May regarding a story that “broke” yesterday on the pages of the Globe & Mail. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/Does-the-Present-Buy-American-AccordByPass-Popular-Opinion-Relative-to-Protectionism.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/2289/Does-the-Present-Buy-American-AccordByPass-Popular-Opinion-Relative-to-Protectionism.html In the October 1st, 2009 Procurement Insights post titled “Buy American Policy: Economic Imperative or Popular Opinion,” I provided an excerpt from my interview with Canada’s Trade Minister Stockwell Day regarding the basis for the Buy American policy. It was of course the Minister’s expressed belief that popular American opinion surrounding protectionism was the basis for Congressional support of the conditions associated with the stimulus bill that would block Canadian firms from accessing the US government market, versus the existence of legitimate economic imperatives. In short, the U.S. Congress was yielding to public sentiments.