Happy New Year! We begin the new year with the “watchwords” that we expect will drive the procurement system and government operations through 2023 and beyond.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a fundamental requirement for government operations and the contractors that deliver mission support. The cyber threat from near-peer adversaries and other bad actors is an ever-present reality. In 2023 we will see several policy and procurement measures addressing cybersecurity. Among these measures, this spring we anticipate the public release of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) DFARs rule. A threshold issue is whether it will be an interim or proposed rule. Of note, in 2022 the Coalition submitted comments on the CMMC Pre-decisional Draft Assessment Guide, which can be found here…

Supply Chain Resiliency

The next watch phrase for 2023 is Supply Chain Resiliency. The pandemic laid bare the vulnerabilities in the nation’s supply chains, especially the over-reliance on China as a source for critical supplies. Over the last three years, several steps have been taken to prohibit certain purchases from China. First, it was Section 889, the so-called Huawei ban on certain telecommunications products and services, followed by restrictions in connection with unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and certain printed circuit boards. Following up on these prohibitions, this year’s NDAA includes prohibitions in connection with semiconductors and rare earth and energetic materials. It is clear that China is a source of concern, prompting questions as to what other areas might be ripe for some form of de-coupling. Look no further than the recommendations of the 2022 US-China Economic and Security Commission Report to Congress, which includes specific recommendations regarding active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and pharmaceutical products… Read the full article here.