ACUS Update: Seeking Consultants for Six New Projects

Key Takeaways

• Six ACUS projects seek external expertise by June 12 deadline
• Consulting fees capped at $25,000 per project
• Focus areas include discovery, periodic rules, and improper payments
• Recommendations may influence agency practices, Congress, and the President
• Final reports presented at ACUS plenary in late 2027 or mid‑2028

Pulse Analysis

The Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) is opening a competitive round of consulting contracts for six high‑impact projects, each designed to modernize the procedural backbone of federal agencies. By limiting each engagement to a $25,000 fee pool, ACUS encourages boutique firms and academic teams to bring specialized knowledge without the overhead of large consultancies. The deadline of June 12, 2026, creates a narrow window for interested parties to submit detailed work plans that address the nuanced challenges of compliance assistance, discovery, and regulatory experimentation.

Each project tackles a distinct pain point in the administrative state. The compliance assistance initiative seeks best‑practice models for agencies to help regulated entities avoid violations before they occur, while the discovery in agency adjudication project examines how tools such as depositions and electronic evidence can be standardized across diverse tribunals. Parallel efforts on periodic rulemaking and public‑comment processing aim to streamline updates to the Federal Register and leverage AI‑driven analytics, potentially cutting review times and improving stakeholder engagement. The improper‑payment study targets the $1‑trillion‑plus annual overpayment problem, offering a roadmap for detection and remediation that could save taxpayers significant sums.

For policymakers and industry observers, the ACUS effort signals a broader federal push toward data‑driven, transparent governance. Recommendations emerging from these studies will be circulated to agency heads, congressional committees, and the Judicial Conference, creating a ripple effect that may reshape regulatory design for years to come. Firms that secure a consulting role will gain unparalleled visibility into agency decision‑making processes, positioning them as go‑to advisors for future administrative reforms. The December 2027 or June 2028 plenary presentations will serve as a public showcase of the proposed changes, offering a benchmark for measuring the impact of ACUS’s long‑standing mission to improve government efficiency.