[LINK] Making America great

[Stephen Loosley]

Please Note: This email did not come from ANU, Be careful of any request to buy gift cards or other items for senders outside of ANU. Learn why this is important.
https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams/email-scams#toc-warning-signs-it-might-be-a-scam

OPM procurement processing fully halted following agency layoffs,
internal email says



> By David DiMolfetta
> <https://www.nextgov.com/voices/david-dimolfetta/25968/?oref=ng-post-author?oref=rf-post-author>,
> Ross Wilkers
> <https://www.nextgov.com/voices/ross-wilkers/22614/?oref=ng-post-author?oref=rf-post-author> and
> Eric Katz
> <https://www.nextgov.com/voices/eric-katz/6739/?oref=ng-post-author?oref=rf-post-author>
> February 25, 2025 02:35 PM ET
>
>
>     S
>

>     Sweeping terminations in OPM’s Office of Procurement Operations
>     have fully halted agency contracting business and are likely to
>     increase OPM’s operational risks, an internal email reads.
>
>   * OPM
>     <https://www.nextgov.com/topic/office-of-personnel-management/?oref=ng-article-topics>
>   * Workforce
>     <https://www.nextgov.com/topic/ng-workforce/?oref=ng-article-topics>
>   * Procurement
>     <https://www.nextgov.com/topic/procurement/?oref=ng-article-topics>
>
>   * <https://x.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nextgov.com%2Fpeople%2F2025%2F02%2Fopm-procurement-processing-fully-halted-following-agency-layoffs-internal-email-says%2F403263%2F&text=OPM+procurement+processing+fully+halted+following+agency+layoffs%2C+internal+email+says&via=Nextgov>
>   * <http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nextgov.com%2Fpeople%2F2025%2F02%2Fopm-procurement-processing-fully-halted-following-agency-layoffs-internal-email-says%2F403263%2F&mini=true&summary=Sweeping+terminations+in+OPM%E2%80%99s+Office+of+Procurement+Operations+have+fully+halted+agency+contracting+business+and+are+likely+to+increase+OPM%E2%80%99s+operational+risks%2C+an+internal+email+reads.&source=Nextgov.com&title=OPM+procurement+processing+fully+halted+following+agency+layoffs%2C+internal+email+says>
>   * <https://www.facebook.com/dialog/feed?picture=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.nextgov.com%2Fmedia%2Fimg%2Fcd%2F2025%2F02%2F25%2F022525opmNG%2F860x394.jpg&name=OPM+procurement+processing+fully+halted+following+agency+layoffs%2C+internal+email+says&app_id=622609557824468&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nextgov.com&link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nextgov.com%2Fpeople%2F2025%2F02%2Fopm-procurement-processing-fully-halted-following-agency-layoffs-internal-email-says%2F403263%2F&display=popup&description=Sweeping+terminations+in+OPM%E2%80%99s+Office+of+Procurement+Operations+have+fully+halted+agency+contracting+business+and+are+likely+to+increase+OPM%E2%80%99s+operational+risks%2C+an+internal+email+reads.>
>   * <mailto:?body=Sweeping%20terminations%20in%20OPM%E2%80%99s%20Office%20of%20Procurement%20Operations%20have%20fully%20halted%20agency%20contracting%20business%20and%20are%20likely%20to%20increase%20OPM%E2%80%99s%20operational%20risks%2C%20an%20internal%20email%20reads.%0A%0Ahttps%3A//www.nextgov.com/people/2025/02/opm-procurement-processing-fully-halted-following-agency-layoffs-internal-email-says/403263/&subject=Nextgov.com%3A%20OPM%20procurement%20processing%20fully%20halted%20following%20agency%20layoffs%2C%20internal%20email%20says>
>
>   * <https://x.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nextgov.com%2Fpeople%2F2025%2F02%2Fopm-procurement-processing-fully-halted-following-agency-layoffs-internal-email-says%2F403263%2F&text=OPM+procurement+processing+fully+halted+following+agency+layoffs%2C+internal+email+says&via=Nextgov>
>   * <http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nextgov.com%2Fpeople%2F2025%2F02%2Fopm-procurement-processing-fully-halted-following-agency-layoffs-internal-email-says%2F403263%2F&mini=true&summary=Sweeping+terminations+in+OPM%E2%80%99s+Office+of+Procurement+Operations+have+fully+halted+agency+contracting+business+and+are+likely+to+increase+OPM%E2%80%99s+operational+risks%2C+an+internal+email+reads.&source=Nextgov.com&title=OPM+procurement+processing+fully+halted+following+agency+layoffs%2C+internal+email+says>
>   * <https://www.facebook.com/dialog/feed?picture=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.nextgov.com%2Fmedia%2Fimg%2Fcd%2F2025%2F02%2F25%2F022525opmNG%2F860x394.jpg&name=OPM+procurement+processing+fully+halted+following+agency+layoffs%2C+internal+email+says&app_id=622609557824468&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nextgov.com&link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nextgov.com%2Fpeople%2F2025%2F02%2Fopm-procurement-processing-fully-halted-following-agency-layoffs-internal-email-says%2F403263%2F&display=popup&description=Sweeping+terminations+in+OPM%E2%80%99s+Office+of+Procurement+Operations+have+fully+halted+agency+contracting+business+and+are+likely+to+increase+OPM%E2%80%99s+operational+risks%2C+an+internal+email+reads.>
>   * <mailto:?body=Sweeping%20terminations%20in%20OPM%E2%80%99s%20Office%20of%20Procurement%20Operations%20have%20fully%20halted%20agency%20contracting%20business%20and%20are%20likely%20to%20increase%20OPM%E2%80%99s%20operational%20risks%2C%20an%20internal%20email%20reads.%0A%0Ahttps%3A//www.nextgov.com/people/2025/02/opm-procurement-processing-fully-halted-following-agency-layoffs-internal-email-says/403263/&subject=Nextgov.com%3A%20OPM%20procurement%20processing%20fully%20halted%20following%20agency%20layoffs%2C%20internal%20email%20says>The
>     Office of Personnel Management’s procurement unit said it’s no
>     longer able to process contracting opportunities and that all
>     related operations have been halted after a “complete reduction in
>     force” in the agency’s Office of Procurement Operations, according
>     to an internal email viewed by Nextgov/FCW.
>
> The terminations in the agency’s procurement office mean that “all new
> procurement actions, contract modifications, and ongoing solicitations
> are effectively stalled until alternative solutions are identified,”
> said the email sent Tuesday morning by Shreena Morris, who leads the
> office.
>
> “The implications of this are significant, including potential delays
> in mission-critical acquisitions, contract lapses, and increased
> operational risk for OPM. OPO’s limited team will be prioritizing the
> processing of critical contract expirations and funding actions,” the
> notice added.
>
> “We are actively assessing mitigation strategies, including potential
> transition support from external agencies or emergency procurement
> measures. However, I urge all teams to immediately assess their
> procurement dependencies and identify any urgent needs so we can
> prioritize potential workarounds,” it also said.
>
> The email did not include specifics on how OPM’s procurement office
> will prioritize expiring contracts and funding actions, nor details on
> which contracts will be prioritized depending on their date of expiration.
>
> Some of OPM procurement’s biggest spends each year support running the
> Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which contains benefits for
> more than 8 million enrollees; managing USAJobs, where virtually all
> federal job openings are posted; processing online retirement
> applications; and running the federal government’s training platform,
> USALearning, among others.
>
> OPM informed employees in its procurement office last week that their
> positions were being “abolished”
> <https://www.govexec.com/workforce/2025/02/opm-triggers-more-rifs-after-clean-cleaving-entire-office/403200/?__hstc=7334573.707a65fe4f293fe700d07c2cc81ece5b.1738635527231.1739886164700.1740531291620.3&__hssc=7334573.1.1740531291620&__hsfp=3862842400> and
> they would be separated from federal service in 60 days. The moves are
> part of an effort to fold some OPM functions into the General Services
> Administration, one employee impacted by the layoffs told Government
> Executive.
>
> “While the work may go to GSA, it presents a massive risk of failure
> to suddenly transfer administration of them to another agency that's
> unfamiliar with any of it,” the employee said.
>
> The employees impacted by Friday’s moves received reduction-in-force
> notices from acting OPM Director Charles Ezell, who said he was
> issuing the layoffs due to three separate executive orders issued by
> President Trump.
>
> “It is with great regret that I must inform you that your position of
> Procurement Analyst is being abolished, and you have been reached for
> release in the reduction in for action,” Ezell wrote in the notices.
>
> An employee impacted by the RIFs said that the office supported
> functions throughout OPM — including human resources, training,
> communications, retirements and separations and health insurance
> benefits — and at other federal agencies.
>
> “People will suffer and the job will not get done without our work,”
> they said. “There was no thought to this, it's a clean cleaving of an
> entire function of an agency and the agency will not be able to
> function properly without it.”
>
> Earlier this month, OPM also slashed its communications office and
> placed all employees on administrative leave, including its web team,
> according to two sources familiar with the moves.
>