News | GTS Coalition

Essential Steps to Prioritizing IT expenditures

More and more Federal CIOs (and their staffs) are realizing a need to get their arms around their in-house IT requirements vetting. Since joining ISS in 2013, we have expanded our IT/Data requirements support at NOAA (National Ocean Service and National Weather Service) and Defense Logistics Agency (built and automated the “IT Front Door”). We’ve been able to support various levels of requirements automation and sophistication. Bottom line – we’ve had to serve the client’s mission to get a handle on what’s in their enterprise, and how to efficiently fill new requirements.

We’ve seen our clients realize that when a small agency becomes an enterprise, tools become capability suites and discussions become corporate communications. It happens when the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) realizes they’ve lost visibility over new IT spending for tools, technologies or capabilities, or when the integration and sustainment costs are growing out of control. CIOs need a structured, disciplined review and analysis of new and existing IT investments and capabilities, and they long for standard, repeatable processes. But where do you start?

There are several essential steps when trying to manage your “approval life cycle” and better prioritize IT expenditures:

Provide a single face to the internal customer concerning new capabilities and requirements. That person or office receives reviews, coordinates and tracks requests through a matrixed team of subject matter experts across the organization.
Define the roles and responsibilities of each party in the process, and clarify the rules and policies that make the IT requirements vetting process mandatory.
Establish evaluation and approval criteria, business rules, quality checks and feedback reporting for requirement submissions (business case and life cycle analysis).
Build a knowledge base of existing tools and licenses. Accelerate the approval process when the desired capability exists within current IT solutions or systems.
Check requests against Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) strategies, ensuring correct vetting, and documenting approvals.
Advertise capabilities and approvals to leadership, internal customers, and stakeholders.
Document architecture/configuration changes.
Establish linkages to the budget process where business cases can be vetted.

A skeleton view of a requirements review process has three essential phases, which we have seen broken into more, but rarely fewer steps:

Coherent Requirement Documentation – Every internal request for IT capability (resource dedication) should be approved by a business process owner before submittal. This will help ensure both the clarity and completeness of the request. Once a request is submitted, it should be reviewed by the requirements process owner to ensure it makes sense to the IT subject matter experts (SMEs) who can help translate the request from business process to technology/tool/process definition. Once the analysts and the customers agree that they have accurately captured the essence of the need, the request moves forward to internal vetting and analysis.

Internal Vetting and Analysis – This is the most extensive step because it involves due diligence – ensuring the request improves either business operations or customer interface. Analysts will first check the existing library of technologies and tools to ensure this need can’t be covered by an existing (or planned) capability. If the need can be met with an existing technology or tool, the approval process can be accelerated.

Next the analysts work with the Chief Technology Officer to check for existing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) or government-off-the-shelf (GOTS) tools to fill the need. If there are no existing tools, the CTO may need to help draft documentation to guide a developmental effort, which can reflect a significant time and resource commitment for the organization.

Finally, the analysts assess the relevance to the CIO/CTO strategies, compatibility with existing architectures, and the time/money required to move forward. Once these issues are assessed, the request may be returned to the customer for adjustment/re-work, or forwarded for approval and funding.

Approval and Funding – When the team decides there is sufficient information and analysis to merit a decision, they recommend an approval level (based on resource commitment authorities). For inexpensive efforts, this could mean an approval notice which authorizes the customer to buy the COTS/GOTS tool using office funds. For more complex and expensive efforts, it may mean assigning a priority for resource competition at budget deliberation time.

The complexity of the mission, organization and supported processes will drive the complexity of the requirements approval process. But once it’s in place, a structured, disciplined review and analysis of new and existing IT investments and capabilities using standard and repeatable processes will help prevent redundancy, prioritize investments, ensure architectural integrity and reduce life cycle costs.

Implementation – Integrated Systems Solutions has been developing a variety of requirements management systems for federal customers since 2008. Whether it’s IT requirements, IT modernization, environmental observation requirements, ocean observation requirements, or data/metadata requirements, we have experts who can guide you to a user-friendly, enduring solution. We can match the sophistication and automation of your process (from hands-on committee-based discussions to end-to-end web-based solutions) based on your organizational needs, culture, time and fiscal resources.

Brigadier General Bob Ranck (ret.) is Vice President of Integrated Systems Solutions (ISS), a Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) possessing a Top Secret Facility clearance and ISO 9001:2008 certification. General Ranck served as Director, Warfighter Systems Integration, Office of Information Dominance and Chief Information Officer, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Elaine Duke Joins GTSC as Strategic Advisor

Highly respected acquisitions professional and former Under Secretary for Management at DHS, Elaine Duke joined GTSC as a Strategic Advisor.

“We are beyond thrilled to welcome Ms. Duke to our Board of Advisors. Her 28 year career in the Federal government, and particularly her exceptional understanding of DHS is a tremendous asset to the Coalition’s work,” said Kristina Tanasichuk, Founder & CEO of GTSC. “We believe that her commitment to improving acquisition to infuse more agility, mission focus and ultimately, accountability for mission is exactly in-line with the Coalition’s focus.”

“I am excited at the opportunity to engage with GTSC in support of the homeland mission,” said Ms. Duke, “GTSC has proven in just a few years that the organization and its members are committed to the agencies tasked with securing the country. They recognize that this is a complicated process – from requirements building to acquisition to execution – there are a variety of factors that result in success. I look forward to contributing to each of these factors with constructive partnerships between industry and the government.”

Learn more about Ms. Duke here.

Read the full release.

Comments on DOD-GSA Cyber Resilience Rules Needed!

On Wednesday, March 12, 2014, the Department of Defense (DOD) and General Services Administration (GSA) Joint Working Group on Improving Cybersecurity and Resilience Through Acquisition (Working Group) requested public comments on its draft implementation plan (draft plan) for federal cybersecurity acquisition. See 79 Fed. Reg. 14042 (Mar. 12, 2014). The draft plan is the first of several steps toward implementing the recommendations outlined in the Working Group’s recently finalized report on Improving Cybersecurity and Resilience Through Acquisition (see our previous blog post for a summary).

As comments are due on April 28, 2014, federal contractors and other stakeholders should act quickly to submit their views on what will have a significant and lasting impact on federal cybersecurity acquisition practices.

The draft plan proposes a repeatable, scalable, and flexible framework for addressing cyber risk in federal acquisitions, and by design, it will affect nearly all contracting entities. The draft plan proposes a “taxonomy” for categorizing procurements so that the government can effectively prioritize those in need of additional resources, attention, and safeguards. As proposed, the taxonomy is modeled on Federal Information and Communications Technology (ICT) acquisitions—though the Working Group has asked whether this framework is a workable model for the categorization of all acquisitions. The Working Group would use the ICT framework to categorize all acquisitions that present cyber risk, after which it would separately assess the risks within each category. Categories that present greater cybersecurity risk (based on threats, vulnerabilities, and impacts) would receive more and faster attention in acquisitions. The taxonomy is, in our view, the most significant new development in the draft plan, as it will serve as the principal basis for categorizing the extent of cyber regulations for procurements. This aspect of the plan accordingly warrants particularly close attention.

The Working Group seeks comments in many areas, including whether:

(a) the approach is workable;

(b) the process will obtain sufficient stakeholder input;

(d) the approach will satisfy the goals of Recommendation IV of the final report, i.e., whether it creates a repeatable, scalable, and flexible framework for addressing cyber risk in federal acquisitions;

(e) the major tasks and sub-tasks are appropriate and, if implemented, will achieve the identified outputs/completion criteria;

(f) the taxonomy and category definitions can be used to develop overlays (a fully specified set of security requirements and supplemental guidance that allow for the specific tailoring of security requirements;

(g) factors can be developed to assess each measure of cybersecurity risk (i.e., threat, vulnerability and impact);

(h) other aspects (e.g., annual spending) should be considered in category prioritization; and

(i) in addition to information security controls derived from the cybersecurity framework and other relevant NIST guidance and international standards, other procedural or technical safeguards that address business cyber risk should be included (e.g., source selection and pricing methodology, source selection evaluation criteria minimum weighting and evaluation methodology, etc).

Submit comments here or contact GTSC to provide input to the Coalition’s response.

Brian Finch, a partner in Dickstein Shapiro’s Washington, DC office, is head of the firm’s Global Security Practice. Named by Washingtonian magazine in 2011 as one of the top 40 federal lobbyists under the age of 40, Brian is a recognized authority on global security matters who counsels clients on regulatory and government affairs issues involving the Department of Homeland Security, Congress, the Department of Defense, and other federal agencies. Dickstein Shapiro is a Strategic Partner of the Government Technology & Services Coalition. You can reach Brian at [email protected] (202)420-4823.

Justin Chiarodo represents clients in all aspects of federal, state, and local procurement law. Named by Law360 in 2013 as a “Rising Star” in Government Contracts, Justin has extensive experience in government contracts litigation, compliance, and regulatory matters, with particular expertise in the defense, health care, technology, and professional services sectors.

Daniel Broderick is a Washington, DC-based associate in Dickstein Shapiro’s Energy Practice. He focuses on regulatory and project development matters affecting clients in the electricity industry, including electric market design, municipalization, compliance, certification, and power purchase agreements.

Michael P. Jackson joins GTSC as Steering Committee Chair

GTSC today announced that Michael P. Jackson, CEO of Vidsys (www.vidsys.com) and Former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Transportation has joined the Coalition leadership as Chair of the Steering Committee. Jackson, the CEO of a small business working in the homeland and national security space, joins GTSC’s leadership to “share innovative, pragmatic lessons learned from small and mid-sized businesses serving public agencies responsible for essential security missions.” Read the press release here.

President Releases FY2015 Budget

The President released his FY2015 Budget Brief — a more detailed analysis of the President’s FY 2015 budget will be in the Weekly Insider and posted to the website. To see the budget in detail by agency, click here.

JOIN GTSC DURING MARCH MEMBERSHIP MADNESS!

LOCK-IN OUR INAUGURAL RATES!

For nearly three years, the Government Technology & Services Coalition has been building a community of company CEOs devoted to the homeland and national security missions at the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Defense, State, Justice and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. We have grown to over 140 companies by providing the best value, high quality programming, information and networking in support of our Federal partners’ mission.

We’re different because we were started by small business CEOs. People who had the vision and mission to create a professional, non-profit organization that would devote itself to the mission of our Federal partners and help companies grow and succeed at every stage of their growth in the Federal market. From the Emerging Small Business Group, to the Lion’s Den of mid-tier companies, to our Mentor leaders, the Coalition represents the continuum of success in the homeland and national security market.

Just some of the benefits:

Community devoted to DHS, DOD, DOS, DOJ and ODNI and the cross pollination of ideas and solutions to serve the homeland and national security mission.
Intra-community introductions and opportunities for partnership among like-minded companies.
First class list of Strategic Advisors and Partners to assure you have the best resources available.
Priced for value — and your ROI.
Focus on your external AND internal success with meetings that prepare your infrastructure for execution as well as your outreach to government partners.
Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your business development — saving you time and money.
Provide exceptional Federal advocacy on behalf of companies working in the mission.
Action groups to provide a platform for your leadership and engagement on topics of interest and expertise.
Opportunities to recognize your leadership and excellence through the GTSC Awards for Mentors, Small and Mid-Sized Companies of the Year among many others.
Designation of Leadership Excellence to differentiate your company from others in the field.
Support and assist our government partners achieve their critical missions.
Provide an ethical platform for information exchange between the public and private sector on homeland and national security ideas, technologies and innovations.
Five types of platforms: Insight, Mentoring, CEO to CEO, Capacity Building and Market Solutions.
Lion’s Den devoted to mid-tier companies and their challenges in the Federal market once they achieve “other than small” status.
Thought leadership in a visible and vital community.
Government relations supporting the innovation and quality of products and services provided by GTSC members.
Giving back to our community by employing veterans and raising funds for charities serving the homeland and national security mission.
An much more!!

If you’ve been considering joining us — now is the time. Through the end of March, new members can lock-in our inaugural rates, avoiding a rate increase starting April 1, 2014.

If you’re interested in checking us out, contact us so we can discuss membership and offer an opportunity to attend one of our upcoming sessions.

Thanks to the support of so many in the community GTSC is proud to continue our work to represent your interests, provide our government partners with the best possible services and solutions, and build a better, smarter process to assure the safety and security of our country.

GTSC Members at First Capitol Hill Day!

With our fabulous Strategic Advisor, Michelle Mrdeza and her amazing team at Cornerstone Government Affairs, over 40 companies joined GTSC to carry our voice to Capitol Hill to meet with legislators with jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security. GTSC met with Chair of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Judge John Carter (R-TX) and discussed the Subcommittee’s priorities for the year. GTSC then met with the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, the House Homeland Security Committee and finally, Chair of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency Jeff Duncan (R-SC). Thank you to all the GTSC members who made time to join us on this important day.

BD Issues for 2014

In 2014, effective business development will play an even bigger role in winning contracts. Bill Washburn, Director of Business Development at Octo Consulting and Polo Morales, Business Development Consultant discuss what defines a great business development process, how you should be tackling today’s market challenges, and their tips to win. View the interview.

Trends for 2014

2013 was not an easy year for government and industry. Guests weigh in on 2014’s hot button issues for contractors, from whether there will be an uptick in RFPs, regulations, emerging industry trends, regional impact and more. Featured: Jim Corcoran, CEO of Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, Gigi Godwin, CEO, Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, and Jim Dinegar, CEO of the Washington Board of Trade.