Contractor Performance Reviews Double for Some Department of Defense Agencies

For a number of years, there has been a great debate, and many questions in the government contracting world, regarding the practice of contractors receiving performance reviews from their government supervisors.

Twenty years ago, Congress enacted the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA) of 1994, which established a statutory basis for agency evaluation of past performance for government contracted staff. For a variety of reasons, many government agencies chose not to evaluate their contractors, and until recently, there were little or no policies being enforced for government supervisory staff who failed to provide performance review.

This lack of direction was a source of frustration to many contractors who felt they were not receiving critical guidance or feedback on the work they were performing for the government. Additionally, increasing numbers of contracting officers have voiced concerns regarding the quality and value of work that was being performed for the government, per the terms and conditions set forth by the contracts.

Last January, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense put out a memorandum which detailed data regarding Department of Defense (DoD) agencies which had given contractors performance reviews. The memo, signed by Richard Ginman, Defense Procurement Director, captured DoD contractor past performance assessment for the first quarter of FY 2013, and listed 23 agencies by name. Some of the organizations, which included the departments of the Navy, Army, and Air Force, were more successful than others in administering contractor performance reviews. The memo clearly stated that by FY 2015, The Office of Federal Procurement Policy is recommending 100% compliance.

Many contractors and government employees are hopeful that the trend toward contractor performance reviews, and detailed feedback, will continue to increase within DoD and other government agencies. Considering the ever increasing budget cutbacks, fiscal constraints, and workforce scrutiny, performance reviews are an invaluable tool in assessing and assuring the best and most capable staff are in place in their given roles.

See original posting here at Clearancejobs.com 

The sisterhood myth: The dirty little gender secret women don’t like to face

I’m about to betray my gender. That’s how many women will perceive this post. Betrayal. But it’s time to shed some light AND TRUTH in hopes that airing the dirty laundry will bring a healthy look at an important topic. (Please read the hyperlinks I have attached if you think I am alone in this view.)

I need to point out something from the start. This post is not pointed toward ALL women. My comments and remarks are not an indictment of every woman.  But I am seeking to dispel the glorified myth that women ALWAYS take care of or care about other women. The hard, cold, fact is that MOST women care very little for other women and don’t hesitate to step over another woman to get ahead- whether it is for a job or a man.

One of the lies many women tell themselves, and portray to the world, has to do with the concept of a sisterhood among women. It is an absolute deception and illusion. It honestly doesn’t exist.  Another lie is that we have each other’s backs.  Again, a fantasy.  In most cases, the only thing a woman has regarding another woman’s back is the knife she is about to insert in it. Sound extreme? Trust me, it isn’t.

In recent news, there have been examples of young, attractive, females poaching older and powerful men. Anyone who thinks this is not a common, everyday, occurrence needs to get out of fantasyland.   You might be surprised to know about those dating sites which strictly cater to married people. The statistics bear out that women are about even with men in the infidelity department, so there is certainly equal opportunity for cheaters.

For every heartwarming story of women doing for other women, and don’t get me wrong- they DO EXIST and should be noted and congratulated for their good works; there are also terrible, sickening, stories of women BULLYING, abusing and harassing other WOMEN! Read this blog post written by a prominent person who only goes by her first name.  (You may be able to figure it out, but if not, I will tell you if you ask.)

Like most stereotypes and myths, there are instances of truth and some women are very concerned about other women, but in my experience, the bad far outweighs the good.  I feel it is time to clear the air and dispel the myth because women are hurt by it. They have an expectation that women “out there” are looking out for them and they need a reality check.

Ladies- please stop pretending that you actually give a damn about ALL WOMEN. It’s okay to say that you dislike many of the women you encounter and that you feel no sense of allegiance or loyalty to them! It’s better to admit the truth and get it out in the open than to continue to dupe people, especially other women, into thinking that you give a damn about them.

If this fantasy sisterhood actually existed, how would we explain the following?

1. Women who actively and aggressively pursue and attempt to “steal” the affections of other women’s boyfriends or husbands.

2. The women who engage in epic gossiping, sniping, criticism, and character assassination of other women.

3. The petty, childish, snide, rude, comments women make about one another. GROWN WOMEN who should have better things to do with their time.

4. The workplace drama, trauma, and toxic abuse women heap upon one another out of insecurity, jealousy, and general fear that another woman will outshine them or make them feel inferior.

5. The competitive bitchiness related to other women’s life choices, child rearing, husbands, clothes, cars, homes, appearance, body shape, and many other things.

6. Women who, seeking to be more like men, use any opportunity to be ruthless, intimidating, cruel, and thoughtless, but usually target other women because they are easy prey.

7. The distorted and harsh perception that any woman who doesn’t agree with them 100% is either a pawn of the men in her life, or a simple and ignorant pawn of _______fill in the blank____.

8. Women who blame every bad thing in the world on men and resent any woman who doesn’t agree with as a traitor to her sex.

9. Female family members who abuse or ignore their brothers’ wives, their daughter-in-laws, their sister-in-laws, etc ., for whatever dysfunctional reasons.  Ganging up on another woman is never cool.

10. Last but not least, women use other women to build them up and make them feel good about themselves, and all the while, they refuse to do anything to help another woman succeed.

Many women like to pretend that somehow our gender is kinder, gentler, and more compassionate. Perhaps this was once true, but now it is a half-truth. I will put it this way- when we are good, we are very, very, good- when we are bad we are horrid.

 I always say that if you have a good female boss, you are truly blessed because they can be the best of the best. BUT, if you have a bad female boss, God help you.  I have experienced both sides of that coin in my career. I have been INCREDIBLY fortunate to have some excellent, professional, generous, fair, balanced, and brilliant female bosses, and they KNOW WHO THEY ARE!

I have also been cursed to have had to work for the unstable, unprofessional, ignorant, and toxic women.  THEY probably don’t know who they are, because they are deluded and unable to have insight into their pathological “leadership” style.

The “myth” of the ever-loving, kind, and generous sisterhood is so full of holes that it looks like a pack of rabid moths got into a wool factory.

And when you are the object of an abusive woman, disappointment doesn’t even begin to cover the feeling. It is a betrayal because we have been brought up to believe that our fellow females would somehow have our back. GET RID OF THAT LIE and you may be able to survive the experience.

The point of this discussion is NOT to bash women. It is a call to action, a wakeup call, a true and honest desire for change.

To believe that women can’t be sexist or biased towards other women is ignorant and a denial of reality.  We scream like holy hell when men are cruel, biased, or toxic towards women, but we often feel we must ignore or cover when women do it to us. We feel we must suffer silently and accept the toxic females’ rage, scapegoating and even racial bias because they are- women. It shouldn’t matter what gender an abuser is- ABUSE IS ABUSE!

A tyrannical boss, regardless of gender, is an outrage and intolerable liability risk to the organization which is employing people. For that reason, quotas are completely absurd if the whole point is to employ women in leadership position. The sick irony of the female boss abusing other females is more common than many people understand.

In summation- WOMEN, wake up! Don’t assume that female co-worker, or boss, or girl friend really gives a damn about you JUST BECAUSE you are both women. Women have the capacity for all the things we accuse men of, and are even better at some of them! Equality covers the good, the bad, and the ugly.

If you believe in the equality of the sexes it is fair to expect that women can be equally unkind as men towards other women. I hope this is the wake up call that will call women to act against the abusive and toxic women in their own lives.  STOP making excuses for them, and stop pretending it doesn’t exist.

In honor of my mother: A Mother's Day reflection on Alzheimer's

                                                          My mother and me 1965

This Mother’s Day has more meaning for my family than it has in past years. Our beloved mother, Gisela Ullmann Rodriguez, is still with us in body- but the wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother that we have known and loved for 50 years, is not wholly with us this year.

My mother is slipping away from us. There isn’t anything that can be done about it. She has what appears to be a form of Alzheimer’s disease.

It all started around January of 2010. It started with very little things, and it didn’t really become alarming until we noticed she was forgetting birthdays and other details she would NEVER in a million years, have forgotten.

When I was growing up, my mother was one of those “SUPER MOMS” who worked outside the home in addition to being an incredible homemaker. Even after working in an office all day, she had an amazing dinner on the table every single night. We were very proud of the fact that she was a valued professional in the workplace, and she was an incredible role model for my sister and me.

As I got older and became a mother to my own children, I could never understand where she got her drive or energy from all those years. She and my father raised my sister and me to have a very strong work ethic; but I could never believe or understand how she managed to accomplish all the things she did. She was renowned for her drive and ability. She lived up to her German roots and never forgot where she came from.

In addition to being a driven wife and professional, she has always been a devoted and patient mother and grandmother. And while she could be very stern and serious, she has always had a great capacity for love, compassion, and generosity.

She retired in December, 1999, from a very stressful and demanding job as an Office Manager/Property Manager of a local condominium. Sometimes she worked close to 60 hour weeks. It wasn’t unusual for her to be on 24 hour a day call and have to go to work on weekends. Always the consummate professional in every regard, she was a relentless advocate for residents, as well as staff.

In previous posts, I have written about my family. It can’t ever be stated strongly enough that my mother was the glue that held our family together. In her prime, there was no problem too difficult, no issue outside of her ability to cope. In dealing with her daughters and grandchildren, she was often tough, but always fair and compassionate. You didn’t want to aggravate her or make her upset, but even if that happened, she was quick to forgive us and move forward (not so much with my father).

                                                           Gisela Ullmann age 11

My mother, Gisela Ullmann Rodriguez, has been the epitome of the modern woman. Born in Köln, Germany, a couple of years before the onset of World War II; her life began amid chaos, danger, and deprivation.

She came into a tough world at a very tough time. She was a child of war, and that experience has been a defining one throughout her entire life. As a small child, she lived in a world of uncertainty and dread. Her house burnt in a bombing raid and the family had to relocate with relatives far from the city life she was used to in Köln. Her one salvation was the strong extended family bonds and the resilience of her mother’s family, which held them all together throughout the years of deprivation and danger.

When my grandfather returned from his years in a British Prisoner of War Camp, she didn’t recognize him. She was ten years old. War was the thing she knew best, and that had a powerful impact on her.

My mother loves my husband, David, because he is, to her, the embodiment of the things she knows and admires most. She respects and admires his ability to DO things and makes things happen. She has a soft spot in her heart for him because he reminds her of her father- a man with many strength, and weaknesses, a man who knew about war and hardship, a man of action and determination, and a man with rough edges and charisma.

                       My family of origin- father, Pablo, sister, Lisa, me, and mother, Gisela, in 2011

Nothing pleases my mother more than seeing someone do an honest day’s work. It isn’t that she didn’t like to have fun; she just wasn’t very good at it. Relaxation and rest has not been her strong suite. In her world, she reserves the highest respect and admiration for those who provide service to others. She sees something familiar to her in David’s soul that none of us in the family have- a first-hand, personal experience, and understanding of war- and all of its sounds, and smells, and sights. They both have lived in war, and that is a bond that is beyond our comprehension.

I could write a book about my mother’s life. She has led a fascinating one. Nothing glamorous or very exciting, but extraordinary in her ability to confront extreme difficulties and pull together under extremely stressful circumstances.

That is why it is almost unbearable to accept and fathom what is happening to her. It is so unexpected and out of character. How could this happen to someone who was so detail-oriented and never, ever, forgot ANYTHING?! She remembered EVERY friend’s birthday and anniversary. Her memory was almost annoying, as she rarely forgot even the most mundane details. Her mind was truly like a steel-trap.

And now, more and more, she can’t recall what happened 20 minutes ago. Sometimes the things that happen in life are crueler than you could have imagined possible. Because the worst part of it is that the things she remembers most vividly are those things that happened during her difficult childhood- war, separation, loss, and family. I fear for a day when that is all she remembers.

So we are grateful to still have our beloved mother with us. We still enjoy her company, and she enjoys us. We have to adjust, and that is a character-building experience. Is it ever? We aren’t alone. There are millions of families who have, or are, or will be, going through what we are now going through. We take it a day at a time. Our love and our time is more precious than ever. Each day she remembers is a cherished gift. We don’t squander it as we did. We don’t take it for granted.

                                  Pablo and Gisela Rodriguez - beloved parents and grandparents

Is the term “Working Mother” redundant or an oxymoron? A balanced woman makes the best mother

All over the news and in the media last week was the age old battle about working mothers vs     stay-at-home mothers. I refuse to get into the backstory of how the topic was brought up, AGAIN, but if you have a television, a computer and/or a newspaper, you already heard the whole dramatic situation over and over and over again, ad nauseum. And if you missed it, use Google.

Needless to say, this is a HOT argument. Always has been, always will be. It cuts very close to the quick for many people, and it brings out some nasty rhetoric and comments all around. A mom is a mom no matter where or how she works, but we’re kidding ourselves if we think it is that simple.

This is one of those debates and topics that is hard to pin down. It isn’t really a conservative vs liberal discussion, and it isn’t feminist vs non-feminist debate either. There are women, and men, from all walks of life and all persuasions who have pro and con feelings and opinions about it.

This is one conversation I feel very entitled to speak with great authority on because I have been both a stay-at-home mom and a single, working mom. I have “been there and done that” and I have some strong feelings on the topic, and firsthand experience.

Let me say upfront that there are no winners in this debate, and as my husband loves to point out to me, life isn’t fair. Once you get over that concept, everything in life will become less aggravating. It took me most of my life to digest that truth, and it is still not always easy.

I was a stay-at-home mom for over 10 years in the 1980s. I won’t go into all the particulars at this time, that whole story is too long for my purposes here. What I will say is that I have mixed feelings about it to this day. Let’s face it, being the primary caretaker of one or more children is an extremely challenging job.

If you don’t have children you will never understand the weight of that sentence. Seriously, being with kids 24 hours a day, 7 days a week could break just about anyone. Even if you have the best-behaved children in the world, IF DONE CORRECTLY (and that is a debate all its own), it is honestly the hardest job you will ever love.


BUT, and this is the one that is going to draw jeers from the crowds, being a stay-at-home mother is NOTHING compared to being a working, single mother who is consumed with putting food on the table and making enough money to pay the rent/mortgage, and STILL make time for the kids.

Okay, there, I said it. Hate away if you want to, but that’s my story and I am sticking with it. I have lived both ends of the spectrum, and there is no way in this world that a woman who has the LUXURY, yes, I said LUXURY, of staying home with her children while her husband earns a wage capable of sustaining a family; can even begin to imagine the difficulty of trying to balance home life, work life, and usually not the kind of fantasy career one imagines a working mom might have.

I am not talking about women who choose to work because they love their careers and don’t feel called to the vocation of being a stay-at-home mom. In all honesty, I believe the vast majority of women who work outside their home do so because they have to in order to make ends meet. Whether they are married or single, most women today work because it is not economically feasible to do otherwise.

So, the debate is VERY complicated.  In one corner you have a) the woman who works because she has to in order for the family to survive; in the other corner you have; b) the woman who works because she doesn’t want to stay home and she prefers a career; in another corner you have; c) the woman who stays home because her husband makes enough money to support the family and she has chosen to give up her career; and in the last corner, you have; d) the mother who stays home because daycare costs would be more expensive than her having a job outside the home.

So what does it all mean? It means that women do not have easy choices. Some women’s choices are easier than others. Some women have their choices made for them because they DON’T HAVE A CHOICE. At the end of the day, there are pros and cons for all 4 scenarios. No one gets it all. Trust me, you don’t.

There are wonderful things about having a career. It took me until NOW (almost 50) to FINALLY do the kind of work I truly love and get a fair compensation for doing it. Those 10 years at home with my children were priceless in terms of emotional rewards, but they cost me a lot professionally. Did I catch up? Maybe, maybe not? Was it worth it? In some ways it was, but in others way, I am not so sure. There are no easy answers because even the questions are difficult.

We have all heard the extreme stories- the heiress who “stays home with the kids”, but actually the staff raise them. Or the working mom whose career goals are to the detriment of her entire family. (Many men have been doing that for centuries, but that’s another story for another day).  Then there are the regular people, most of us, who do the best they can with the situation and the circumstances they are faced with.

Being a parent is a complex and complicated business. Those of us who have taken it on and done our best, which sometimes wasn’t enough, know how hard decisions about work, family, and children can be- even in the most ideal circumstances.

Yes, every mom is sort of a working mom. When I stayed home with my children full time I worked VERY HARD! I cleaned, cooked, chauffeured, entertained, cleaned some more, played, rinse and repeat; day in and day out. It’s nice to spend time with the children and have time to manage a household, but after 10 years, it can become mind-numbingly tedious.

Maybe I just didn’t do it as well as I could have, who knows? All I know is that I felt that I was more focused on other people for most of those years than I was focusing on myself. Many people will say that is the cornerstone of “good” parenting. Well, my answer to that is balance. One must attempt to maintain balance in all things, and parenting requires one of the greatest balancing acts imaginable. I made a grave mistake and became lost to myself because I believed that to do otherwise would mean I wasn’t a good mother. I wouldn’t wish that on any woman.

There are no absolute truths on this matter. The only thing that is truly evident is the more choices, options, and financial means a person has, the easier it is to spend time with their kids. Now, what they do with that precious time is key to how “good” they are as parents.

I will say that the happiest and best mothers I’ve known are women who have support, respect,   self-confidence and solid self-awareness. They don’t view their children as extensions of themselves or live vicariously through them. AND they don’t do the bare minimum as far as attention and interest. The best and happiest mothers, regardless of their career choices, have achieved balance and serenity in their lives.

I think being loving, accepting, interested, responsive, and attentive to a child is far more important than what focusing on how many hours a day the child sees mommy. I have seen wonderful mothers and, what I consider, terrible mothers. They aren’t all stay-at-home mothers or work outside the home mothers. There are plenty of both to go around.