DHS mending acquisition programs

ByJason Miller
Executive Editor
FederalNewsRadio

The Homeland Security Department’s decision to bring in a new program manager for the Secure Border Initiative earlier this week was a move, in part, to add some new energy to the troubled-program.

A DHS official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, says Mark Borkowski brings the expertise needed to push the program forward. Borkowski replaces Greg Giddens, who has led SBI program for three years.

“This is a good time for change. There is a lot of new leadership and younger folks in our organization, and it is expanding,” the official says. “Greg was getting burned out, and we are at a transition point in the program.”

DHS submitted a new plan to Congress earlier this summer with the goal of completing the border fencing by December and putting the technology piece of the program on hold until 2009.

SBI also has come under increasing criticism by Congress and the Government Accountability Office.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) says SBI is one of several programs DHS has spent about $15 billion on since 2003 and received little intended results.

“A casual look at some of the department’s efforts lead to disturbing findings,” Thompson says. “$5 million a mile fences; Transportation Worker Identification Cards that can’t be read; Ships that don’t fit into ports; Formaldehyde soaked trailers that make the occupants sick; And an information sharing program that law enforcement personnel do not want to use.”

The official says the decision bring in Borkowski has nothing to do with the SBI’s problems or Giddens’ performance.

Giddens now is the executive director, facilities management and engineering for Customs and Border Protection.

“Greg’s new role is huge and he has a lot of responsibility,” the official says.

CBP deputy commissioner Jayson Ahern praised Giddens contribution to the SBI program.

“Within CBP, Greg built up an SBI Program Office to design and deploy the technological systems, tactical infrastructure, and transportation services required to gain control of our borders,” Ahern says. “Greg has laid a strong foundation upon which the next executive director of the SBI Program Office, Mark Borkowski, can build. I am confident that Mark, who brings with him 25 years of experience in large systems acquisitions and major program management for NASA and the Air Force, will serve the SBI program very well as we move into this next phase of the program’s development.”

The decision to bring in Borkowski is part of a larger plan by DHS to hire more qualified program managers and improve overall program management across the agency.

Rick Gunderson, the deputy chief procurement officer, told lawmakers at a Sept. 17 hearing before the House Homeland Security Committee that program management his office’s second highest priority.

Gunderson says DHS is establishing a program management framework to offer governance over initiatives. DHS already has a program management council to discuss policies and procedures. And the agency is assessing their programs with outside experts to make sure they are meeting their goals.

DHS also has established a program management office to oversee the assorted high-profile initiatives. It also is developing certification and training requirements for contracting officer, program managers, contracting officer technical representatives and even engineering and testing employees.

Greg Rothwell, a former DHS chief procurement executive, says the agency is taking all the appropriate steps to improve their contracts.

“For a program of any size, it takes a lot of things to go right and one or two things to go wrong that will undermine it,” Rothwell says. “Any program needs a leader with training and skills.”

He adds DHS is in a better position now to bring in the qualified and skilled program managers.

“Three or four years ago, they had only a few people and now have about 250,” Rothwell says. “It is a more of matter of addressing existing needs. Ideally it would have all existed on day one, but it didn’t.”

Rothwell says the biggest remaining challenge for DHS is consolidating as many as nine procurement offices. He says there is a lot of redundancy and bringing them together would make a big difference in how successful DHS is in acquiring goods and services.

Gunderson says DHS also is focusing on improving the quality of its contracting and hiring more acquisition workers.

DHS brought in 49 interns this year in a program to train them to be contracting officers.

Gunderson says DHS also is bringing in retired acquisition workers for training and help.

“We have strengthened many aspects of our acquisition program over the first five years of the department, we will continue to see improvements in our processes and provide our acquisition professionals the tools they need to both meet our mission and achieve acquisition excellence,” Gunderson says.

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On the Web:

FederalNewsRadio – DHS border security projects still in peril

FederalNewsRadio – DHS to sell border successes

Homeland Security Department – Customs and Border Protection (press release)

Homeland Security Department – Secure Border Initiative

House Homeland Security Committee – Hearing on DHS contracting

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