I was having a computer issue, and as I described the issue, my spouse quipped, “It sounds like a PICNIC problem.” I was of course confused at how a picnic could be an issue with a computer. He calmly responded, “Problem in chair; not in computer.” Ha-ha. Real funny. Unfortunately, he was right. No worries – I didn’t tell him. But the DoD has a PICNIC problem too. As we left Afghanistan and talk about the cost of war, contractors tend to get a bad rap on how much of the annual NDAA the country spends on all things DoD. And while yes, the DoD has a real problem with its computers, it also has just as big of a problem with its contracts. While fraud may be on the contractor, waste is more on the design of the contract and strategic oversight of the government. It’s easy to pin the blame on the contractor – especially when some orchestrate higher than normal profits. But the reality is that when it comes to waste (and even with fraud and abuse), the Problem is in the Contract; not the Contractors – it really is a PICNIC problem. And that means addressing the fraud as it constantly occurs, but more importantly, it means tackling the real issues behind the scenes with the contract process. The years ahead will see if we have better solutions in place than reducing the amount of Time & Materials contracts in favor of Firm-Fixed-Price.
Layoffs Impacting the Cleared Industry
| ByteDance |
TikTok’s owner, ByteDance just dissolved an HR team in its global office. The layoff tally hit close to 100, but internal sources claim that many were able to transfer to other jobs within the company. News on ByteDance changes and TikTok often catch my eye because of how use of the seemingly harmless app can put cleared employees at risk of being spied on by China. But the layoff also highlighted another trend that has been emerging with company reorganizations. There’s a theme of – “we grew too fast without real direction” or “we wound up with a lot of employees who weren’t making an impact.” The change at ByteDance reduced almost 100 Talent Development employees in the HR department because employees didn’t see the value in the internal service. In the quest to develop a workforce, it’s important to make sure the strategies we put in place are effective. Otherwise, it’s a lot more rework later to find other jobs for the talent team or give them layoff notices. |
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Hiring impacting the Cleared Industry
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Bartlett Maritime Corporation |
Bartlett Maritime Corporation and the Metal Trades Department of the AFL-CIO (MTD) have signed a Plan of Cooperation in Support of Implementing The Bartlett Maritime Plan™, revealing that Lordstown and Lorain, OH are the planned facility locations. The plan could bring up to 3,000 jobs to Lorain, and another 1,000 to Lordstown. A green light from the Navy means the growth of a skilled workforce in Ohio to help maintain the Navy’s nuclear fleet.
In response to a recent GAO report, Bartlett Maritime Corporation has developed The Bartlett Maritime Plan™ to add the required capacity and capability to the Naval Shipyard industrial enterprise. In preparation for executing this public-private-partnership, Bartlett Maritime Corporation and the Metal Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, which has represented the vast majority of shipyard skilled trades personnel in the United States since 1908, have developed and reached agreement on a Plan of Cooperation in Support of Implementing the Bartlett Maritime Plan™. Ohio has a long, proud maritime tradition, with parts of every US Navy submarine being manufactured in the area. The American Ship Building Company, once the largest shipyard on the Great Lakes and builder of 13 of the 1,000 ft Class Great Lakes ore carriers, operated in Lorain from 1898 through 1984. The names American Naval Shipyard, Lorain, and American Naval Depot, Lordstown, pay homage to the region’s long maritime heritage. CAPT Edward L. Bartlett, Jr., Bartlett Maritime Corporation Founder, commenting on the Plan of Cooperation, noted, “The most successful shipyards in the United States all feature a cooperative and collaborative relationship between management and the shipyard’s unions. As we advance our efforts to build our new facilities and to hire and train a new workforce, we have elected to be proactive and to initiate this Plan of Cooperation with the national leadership of the shipyard labor unions to both assist us in our advanced workforce development plan efforts and to establish the foundation for a future cooperative and collaborative relationship between management and our shipyard skilled trades unions. We are pleased to be working cooperatively with Mr. James Hart, President of the Metal Trades Department, and his staff, moving forward.” |
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Cleared Employer at Work: Microsoft
Are you ready to take on big challenges? Learn more about more about joining Microsoft’s community and explore careers with impact. If you’re a transitioning military service member, explore Microsoft Software and Systems Academy (MSSA).
Opportunity to Watch
In a recent open letter that’s gaining attention across the DoD, Michael Kanaan, the director of operations for the Air Force – MIT Artificial Intelligence Accelerator, blatantly asked leaders to “fix our computers.” And all the military and DoD employees gave a resounding “Amen!” This one letter seems to have hit a nerve for the many contractors, service members, and civilians who have muscled their way through countless computer issues in the government. So, if you have a solution to upgrade the DoD’s antiquated hardware, start working the necessary channels. Bottom line? It’s not uncommon for required training to cause hardware to freeze and shutdown. Issues like this (because there are so many!) cost everyone money. If we’re going to maintain a great mission, the DoD needs basic hardware that supports it. Often, issues within the government can lead to a contractor’s next job.
