Off the Shelf

Jonathan Aronie, partner at Sheppard Mullin, joins Off the Shelf for an engaging discussion of GSA’s proposed AI clause and President Trump’s executive order, “Addressing DEI Discrimination By Federal Contractors.”
GSA’s AI Clause establishes a governance framework and establishes an allocation of rights and responsibilities between the government, contractor, and any AI service provider supporting the contractor.
The AI clause takes an approach that raises questions regarding its consistency with commercial practice and potential burdens on the private sector that may inhibit access to cutting edge, commercial AI solutions.
Aronie analyzes the AI clause’s key provisions, and provides his insights and analysis of the new DEI executive order, which mandates new contract language addressing DEI discrimination.
Finally Aronie outlines what contractors need to know regarding, the timing, scope, and mechanics of the executive order’s new contractual obligations on DEI.

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This week on Off the Shelf, Moshe Schwartz, president of Etherton & Associates, joins host Roger Waldron to discuss the geopolitical landscape facing the nation and how it driving defense acquisition policy reform.
Schwartz shares his insights on procurement, logistical and supply chain challenges and opportunities driving the Department of War’s (DoW’s) restructuring/reform of acquisition operations.
He also highlights some under the radar provisions of the NDAA, and dissects the readiness challenge facing DoW, sharing his insight the key management changes that are improving readiness along with what more can be done.
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This week on Off the Shelf, Ken Dodds, executive vice president and general counsel for Coalition for Common Sense in Government Procurement, joins host Roger Waldron to discuss some of the most important small business rules impacting procurement.
In the wake of the Department of War’s memo on pass-throughs and reviewing set-asides over $20 million, Dodds shares his insights on framework and limitations on subcontracting under small business set-asides contracts and the government’s corresponding focus when reviewing subcontracts under set-asides and want constitutes a potential pass-through situation. He provides the nuances inherit in these rules that play an understated role in management of small business programs.
Finally Dodds gives his thoughts on a host of current procurement topics, including GSA’s Reseller RFI, commercial practices and the RFO.
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This week on Off the Shelf, Bill Gormley, president of the Gormley Group, and Alan Thomas, founder of Alpha Tango Strategies, recap the 2025 year in federal procurement and look ahead to 2026.
Gormley and Thomas cover a host of topics, including the impact of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the RFO, consolidation efforts at GSA, the cancellation of CIO-SP4, and the GSA Reseller Request for Information (RFI).
They also share their thoughts and analysis on the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) with the formal rulemaking looming in 2026.
Finally Gormley and Thomas discuss the establishment of the Office of Centralized Acquisition Services (OCAS) in GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service.
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This week on Off the Shelf, Brian Friel from BD Squared, addresses the state of governmentwide contracting.
Friel gives a postmortem on CIO-SP4 including lessons learned and pitfalls to avoid when utilizing a self-scoring evaluation model.
He also gives an update on OASIS+ and the IT GWACs, including NASA SEWP VI, POLARSIS, Alliant 3, and highlights the Alliant’s programs major step forward in announcing the first set of awardees.
Other topics included the impact of the RFO on governmentwide contracting, including the new FAR Part 8’s framework for mandatory contracts, and FAR Part 16’s revision that allows Blanket Purchase Agreements under Multiple Award contracts other than the Schedules.
Finally, Friel gives his thoughts on OASIS+ and the Army’s MAPS procurement.
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