Federal e-Newsletter |
Thursday, January 18, 2007 |
CapITal Reps Fed e-Newsletter #437, Just GSA
www.capitalreps.com
1. GSA express program to shorten
time it takes to get on schedules 2. GSA awards contract for
e-travel data analysis 3. FirstGov.gov rechristened
USA.gov 4. GSA to test HSPD-12 credentials 5. GSA schedules a place for HR
line of business 6. Murphy to leave GSA for law firm 7. Report: Consolidation trend to
drive government IT purchasing 8. GSA issues 9. GSA buys data encryption
software
GSA express program to shorten time it takes to get on schedules Washington Technology, 1-17-07 <Lofty goal with lots of qualifiers - let's wait and see what really happens> When she became administrator of the General Services Administration one of Lurita Doan's goals was to decrease the time and burden for vendors to get on the Federal Supply Schedules. Doan figured contractors in turn would pass those savings to the government. GSA is trying to hold up its end of Doan's plan. The Federal Acquisition Service late last week revealed the new FAS Multiple Award Schedule Express program, http://vsc.gsa.gov/fss/MASExpProgram.cfm Under a pilot program, MAS Express is "designed to accelerate new MAS contract awards by allowing proposals submitted by offerors who meet specific criteria for certain products to be awarded significantly faster, with a long-term goal of awarding within 30 calendar days," GSA said in a notice http://www1.fbo.gov/spg/GSA/FSS/FXA/Reference-Number-11007/listing.html posted on http://www.FedBizOpps.gov GSA is focusing on specific schedules for the pilot, including IT hardware and repair and maintenance under Schedule 70. Other products include sports, promotion and recreation under Schedule 78, and recording and reproducing video and audio under Schedule 58. The Express Program is similar to one GSA attempted to set up in the early 1990s, said Larry Allen, executive director for the Coalition for Government Procurement, an industry association in Washington. "The overall intent is laudable - to reduce the amount of time it takes to get on the schedule," Allen said. "There has clearly been a steady drumbeat from small businesses that say the schedule process takes too long. But the reality is [that] I'm not sure if the program will be of much use for people. You have to acquiesce everything up front to participate. Some companies called it the 'drop-your-shorts' approach." Allen said vendors must guarantee their lowest price to GSA, which is nearly impossible for most companies. And if they do guarantee their lowest price, they will face audits in five years, he added. The best way to speed up the time it takes to receive a schedule contract would be to require the use of eOffers http://eoffer.gsa.gov/ and eMods, Allen said. "It has not enjoyed widespread acceptance in the agency," Allen said. "They can't get COs [contracting officers] to use them, but it saves time because vendors don't have to submit paperwork, and things can be easily looked at and modified if needed online." To apply for the program, vendors first must complete an education session titled Pathway to Success, GSA said. "The Pathway to Success program is primarily intended to assist contractors to help make the business decision if it is in their best interests to have a MAS contract," GSA said. "Offerors will receive certificates for completing Pathway to Success, which they must submit with their offers. These certificates are valid for one year, and the employee attending the presentation must still be employed by the company at the time of proposal submission." The training will cover proposal submission, obligations involved in being a schedule contractor, how an offeror must differentiate themselves by pricing, service, delivery and terms, and conditions and opportunities available through the Express Program. GSA expects near-term benefits to include reduction in the time it takes to process a schedule offer, less time to make products and services available to agencies and streamlined collaboration and communication between the contractor and GSA personnel. GSA awards contract for e-travel data analysis FCW, 1-12-07 The General Services Administration has awarded TRX Data Services a five-year contract to develop systems to help the government make the best use of its E-Gov Travel Service program. The contract has a one-year base, with four one-year options, valued at $9.2 million over the five years, according to a notice published on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site. Under the contract, TRX will create tools for consolidating and analyzing travel data, so that government officials get a better understanding of the money being spent on airfare, car rentals, lodging and similar expenses. That data will help officials evaluate and refine federal travel policy and contracts, "leveraging its relationships with suppliers and optimizing the end user experience for both managers and travelers," according to the original statement of objectives. Data sources include the four travel program contractors, multiple travel charge card vendors, travel management offices and travel service companies, such as car rental firms and hotels. In the initial phase of the program, TRX will focus on consolidating data and generating basic management information reports. "The government presently has very limited capability for management information reporting of its travel usage and spend," according to the statement of objectives. In the future, however, TRX will develop business intelligence tools so government officials can dig deeper into the data, identifying trends that may not be readily apparent in standard reports. The contractor is expected to draw on both commercial and government best practices to help establish federal business intelligence and travel standards, the solicitation states. E-Gov Travel is one of President Bush's 24 E-Gov initiatives on the President's Management Agenda. It is an interagency initiative aimed at efficiency, cost savings and better service through an automated and integrated approach to managing government travel. FirstGov.gov rechristened USA.gov FCW, 1-12-07 Officials have changed the name of the popular government information portal FirstGov.gov to USA.gov to have a more recognizable name. They also gave its Spanish sister site, espanol.gov, the new name GobiernoUSA.gov. Officials decided to make the change after conducting public surveys and receiving e-mail requests to change the name. They conducted a telephone survey last year in which nearly 79 percent of the respondents said they preferred the new name rather than the old one. Along with the name change, the General Services Administration, which manages the site, added a new feature to the portal: the Visitors to the United States Gateway. It is a site designed for foreign visitors want to travel, study or work in the United States. "About 25 percent of visitors to USA.gov come from outside of the United States," according to statement GSA posted on the Web site. Earlier this week, GSA revealed that it had added online chat functions to the Web site's Frequently Asked Questions section in an effort to reduce e-mail traffic to the site. To promote the new name, GSA officials said they will launch a nationwide television, radio and print campaign in the spring. When users try to reach the FirstGov.gov and espanol.gov domains, they will be redirected to the renamed sites. GSA to test HSPD-12 credentials GCN, 1-11-07 Agencies must submit the digital certificates embedded on their Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 cards to the General Services Administration by Jan. 19 for testing. GSA will test the credentials to ensure they meet Federal Information Processing Standard 201, according to a memo http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/memoranda/fy2007/m07-06.pdf from the Office of Management and Budget. Karen Evans, OMB's administrator for e-government and IT, told CIOs in the guidance that GSA will report any problems with the certificates within three weeks. Agencies then have three more weeks to fix the problems and resubmit the credentials to GSA for retesting. "Agencies should not consider issuing new credentials until all problems identified in testing are resolved," Evans said in the memo. GSA will pay for the initial testing, but agencies will have to reimburse GSA if its support is needed to fix the credentials' technical issues. OMB also said that, beginning March 1, it will require agencies to post on its Web site each quarter the number of HSPD-12 credentials it has issued. Each report must include the number of employees, contractors and others who have smart cards. Finally, OMB also asked the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency, which is made up of inspectors general, to review agency processes to ensure they are consistent with HSPD-12 and FIPS 201. "We want to ensure business processes are being followed in order to foster the trusted environment needed for the credentials to be accepted by departments and agencies when deemed appropriate," Evans said. GSA schedules a place for HR line of business GCN, 1-8-07 In a move that underscores how the Human Resources Line of Business is maturing, the General Services Administration will establish a place on its HR schedule for commercial shared-services providers. GSA plans to release a statement of objectives next month, and name private-sector providers by the summer. Under an agreement with the Office of Personnel Management, GSA plans to expand the existing 738x schedule, said Norm Enger, OPM's director of the Human Resources Line of Business Program Management Office. The schedule already comprises contractors for human resources services and investigative and reporting services for Equal Employment Opportunity compliance. "Plans are to complete the selection of private-sector HR LOB shared-services centers by summer 2007," he said. The Federal Acquisition Service will administer the procurement. "OPM will facilitate the competition, while GSA will manage the schedule," said another federal official familiar with the initiative, who requested anonymity. The Human Resources Line of Business, led by OPM, is designed to improve business processes, standardize services and reduce costs. "The MOU is a big piece," said Karen Evans, the Office of Management and Budget's administrator for e-government and IT, at a recent event on the FM LOB in Washington. "It [was] trying to sort out the roles and responsibilities for OPM and GSA." The schedule also could provide an approach for other lines of business, such as for financial management. The HR LOB is more advanced than other consolidation initiatives. Requirements are standard and documented, leaving agencies with few other needs, said Jeff Koch, OMB's Internal Efficiency and Effectiveness e-government portfolio manager. "The HR LOB had the most mature and complete enterprise architecture of any of our initiatives and is a good example for people to look at because they make it real," he said in a separate interview with GCN. As the GSA schedule become available, agencies also will have more choices instead of going through a more complicated RFP process. Under the HR LOB schedule, vendors will perform services to certain governmental minimum standards, said Robert Lam, an executive director at Accenture LLP of Reston, Va. GSA will release a statement of objectives in early February as a heads-up to industry and an RFP in mid to late March, said John Sindelar, GSA's soon-to-be-retired associate administrator of the Office of Governmentwide Policy. OMB has named five agencies to provide shared services: the Treasury, Defense and Health and Human Services departments, the Interior Department's National Business Center and the Agriculture Department's National Finance Center. "We're seeing a lot of activity in this area [HR LOB]," Lam said. For example, the Labor Department recently released an RFP for a public or private shared-services provider to replace its current HR and payroll systems with integrated applications. Unlike the HR LOB, federal officials still are trying to figure out the best way of proceeding with the Financial Management Line of Business. "It could very well be similar to HR LOB. I'm not sure that the FM LOB acquisitions plan has been documented or brought to fruition. It's not quite as far along as the HR LOB," Lam said. Murphy to leave GSA for law firm FCW, 1-11-07 Emily Murphy, the General Services Administration's chief acquisition officer, is heading back to the private sector after less than two years in her current position. She will join the law firm of Miller & Chevalier. Murphy will help the firm develop advisory services for government contractors to add to its legal services, said Angela Styles, a partner at the firm. Murphy will work with Styles, former administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, in the government contracting division of the firm. Her start date has not yet been set, but she is leaving GSA at the end of January. Murphy announced her departure to GSA officials Thursday at a morning meeting, according to sources. Murphy was appointed CAO on Feb. 20, 2005. In May 2006, she took on added responsibilities as associate administrator for GSA's Office of Performance Improvement. Murphy will bring a deep understanding of how GSA works from a business perspective, Styles said. Murphy's youth is rare in the government contracting marketplace, Styles added, another benefit for the firm. Styles called Murphy's departure "a significant loss for GSA." Murphy arrived when GSA needed to rework its business processes and better understand its market, Styles said. Murphy's departure comes on the heels of Marty Wagner's planned retirement. Wagner, deputy commissioner of GSA's Federal Acquisition Service, will retire on Jan. 31. Before she was named CAO, Murphy served at the Small Business Administration as a senior adviser for government contracting and business development. She was also acting associate administrator for government contracting at SBA. She worked as legal counsel in the private sector in Washington, D.C., and Virginia. She also handled procurement issues for the House Small Business Committee. Report: Consolidation trend to drive government IT purchasing Washington Technology, 1-5-06 Government Insights predicts that global IT consolidation will heavily influence the direction and magnitude of worldwide government information technology investment for 2007. The research and consulting firm came to its conclusions after speaking with various levels of government leaders, technology vendors, consultants and government services contractors regarding business drivers and technology trends. "The government market, with over $150 billion targeted for technology spending in 2007, is among the top three vertical industries worldwide," says Teresa Bozzelli, chief operating officer and managing director of Government Insights. "With a $9.1 billion dollar increase in technology investments from 2006 to 2007 and a compound annual growth rate projected at 4.1 percent through 2010, this is both a high-value and high-growth industry that is typically less volatile that many other IT industry markets," Bozzeli said. More than half of the federal government's expenditures are allocated to entitlement programs and increased costs of wartime and disaster relief, so technology budgets will receive increased scrutiny in the upcoming budget cycle, the study said. IT spending will continue to be a priority to the extent that it drives or holds down operational costs and improves service delivery to government constituents including citizens, businesses and government partners, the study said. The private sector will increasingly rely on government to assure security and continuity through improved communications and coordination across governments. The study's top predictions are: . Governments will pursue standardization and consolidation. Though the prioritization of resources being consolidated will differ by region, this trend continues to be driven largely by the global movement to reduce operational costs and increase government value through improved service delivery. Government organizations will pursue this path because they recognize that integrating applications, systems and processes will improve interoperability, operational effectiveness and utilization of the technology infrastructure that serves as the foundation for measurable government outcomes. . Information sharing and interoperability will drive improved government service delivery, but also call for new business and decision-making models to maximize IT value. . Government will create new procurement models and strategic sourcing strategies. New collaborative business processes will drive government organizations to create new procurement models and strategic sourcing strategies that focus on the total value of IT solutions to desired business outcomes. Government Insights of Falls Church, Va., is part of IDC of Framingham, Mass. The parent company provides market intelligence, advisory services and events for the IT, telecommunications and consumer technology markets. The study, "Top Ten Predictions for the Government Industry in 2007" (Doc #GI205034), offers five predictions common to government organizations worldwide and five predictions that represent trends across federal, state and local government in the United States, and is available at http://www.idc.com. GSA issues WITS 3 request for proposals Washington Technology, 1-5-07 The General Services Administration has released a request for proposals for the Washington Interagency Telecommunications 3 contract, despite being on the verge of awarding the $20 billion Networx telecommunications contract. In documents released with the RFP http://www1.fbo.gov/spg/GSA/FTS/WTOC/WTOC06RCN0001/listing.html, GSA notifies agency customers that WITS 3 "will serve as a stable platform" for users "to migrate to Networx based on individual agency requirements, funding availability and timelines." But that doesn't mean WITS 3, which is a follow-on to WITS2001, is a bridge contract until Networx is up and running, according to Warren Suss, president of Suss Consulting Inc., a federal IT management consulting firm in Jenkintown, Pa. "GSA's philosophy has always been to give customers choice," Suss said. "My bet is a lot of agencies will continue to use WITS for a long time, and when GSA talks about [an] 'interim platform,' they are using it to describe their long-range plan to promote Networx services. I don't think WITS is going away soon." The overlap between WITS 3 and Networx is significant when it comes to local telecommunications services. GSA said vendors must provide voice services under WITS 3, while data services are optional. Under Networx Universal telecom services vehicle, GSA said, voice and data are mandatory. Suss believes that overlap is not a bad thing. "It is not a question of using WITS for two or three months, but rather agencies making a decision on how they want to handle local services for the long term," he said. "Even in the most aggressive case of an agency wanting to move to Networx, there will be a significant period of time between when Networx gets awarded and when agencies make the decision [about] who they will use. And there will be more time until the services get turned on. Many agencies will use WITS for many years." Verizon Communications Inc. of New York and Qwest Communications International Inc. of Denver are the providers under WITS2001. "I believe GSA hopes to get some of the competitive local-exchange companies into the mix," Suss said. "If they are able to pick up some business from second- or third-tier local-exchange carriers who are hoping to get piece of action, that would be more competition." Suss added that another interesting dimension is whether WITS 3 attracts cable companies that provide voice and data services as well. Some of the larger agencies using WITS2001 include the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and GSA. GSA issued the draft RFP in May and sought vendor comments. The multiple-award contract could be worth $1.8 billion over eight years. Questions regarding the RFP are due Feb. 5, and proposals are due March 5. GSA buys data encryption software GCN, 1-3-06 The General Services Administration will improve the security of 12,000 laptops by installing data encryption software from Credant Technologies Inc. GSA hired the Addison, Texas, company to provide a perpetual software license and corresponding maintenance. The agency also hired Intelligent Decisions Inc. of Ashburn, Va., to install the software initially on every employee laptop and some desktops. Financial terms of the contract were not available immediately. Under the Office of Management and Budget's June 23 memo, every agency by August had to encrypt all data on mobile devices that carry sensitive data and allow remote access only with two-factor authentication. GSA joined the Office of Personnel Management and the Defense Finance and Accounting Services in buying Credant's software, said Eric Hay, a senior systems engineer for Credant. OPM plans to deploy the software to more than 8,000 users, while DFAS would deploy it to about 17,000 users. "Our focus is on encrypting data as it moves on and off devices," he said. "The software extends encryption policies to personal digital assistants, USB drives and external hard drives. The software ensures these components have security on them, and the data is encrypted before they are allowed to sync [with the server]." GSA initially will not use the software on PDAs or other mobile devices except laptops. Hay said the software lets users move beyond PCs and notebooks as needed. "The software is on the enterprise server and talks to Active Directory, so once it is plugged in, it is easy to add new users," Hay said. "The software automatically enforces encryption and pushes it down." GSA also will be able to decide how the data is encrypted, and who has access to the information and could collect audit data. "The users don't control the encryption and don't have to do anything special," Hay said.
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