OPM readies for security clearance process changes ahead of 90-day review results

“Inside the Reporter’s Notebook” is a weekly dispatch of news and information you may have missed or that slipped through the cracks at conferences, hearings and other events. This is not a column or commentary — it’s news tidbits, strongly-sourced buzz, and other items of interest that have happened or are happening in the federal IT and acquisition communities.

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OPM preparing for security clearance process changes ahead of results of 90-day review

The results from the White House’s mandated 90-day review of the federal security clearance process should be ready in the coming weeks, based on signals from the Office of Personnel Management.

OPM released a request for proposal last month for a workforce planning study of its Federal Investigative Services (FIS) ahead of any review findings.

“While the Suitability and Security Performance Accountability Council’s review recommendations are not yet known, the review will likely suggest programmatic and organizational changes to the FIS program,” the task orders stated. “In preparation for these changes, OPM’s Workforce Planning study will assess how OPM’s Executive Offices and Administrative and Management Programs would be directly and indirectly impacted, both operationally and financially. The study will also include workload, staffing, and organizational restructuring / redesign recommendations at different staff reduction and/or augmentation levels. Lastly, the study may include process analysis and improvement recommendations.”

On July 9, the White House assigned the Suitability and Security Performance Accountability Council — an interagency group led by the Office of Management and Budget and comprised of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the director of OPM, in their respective roles as security and suitability executive agents and representatives of the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, Energy and others and the FBI,  to conduct a review of key questions related to information security, governance, policy, and other aspects of the security and suitability determination process, to ensure that it is conducted in the most efficient, effective and secure manner possible.

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Supreme Court studies federal procurement and why agencies should care

It’s rare we get to mention the Supreme Court and federal contracting in the same breath. But an interesting case is before the nine justices and it could have a wide-ranging impact on the agencies.

First the background: The case started with Kingdomware Technologies, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business providing government and commercial clients with Web, client, network and mobile applications, about three years ago protesting an award by the Veterans Affairs Department.

According to the USASpending.gov site, Kingdowmware has about 47 contracts worth about $812,000 from an assortment of agencies including the departments of Defense, Justice and Health and Human Services as well as the Small Business Administration and the General Services Administration.

The company targeted the VA as a potential client, hoping that the Vets First program would provide an opening. Under the he Veterans Health Care, Benefits and Information Technology Act of 2006, VA created the Veterans First Contracting Program requiring it to consider service-disabled and veteran-owned businesses first and second priority when purchasing goods and services as long as there are at least two firms who are qualified. This is commonly known as the “Rule of Two.”

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GSA, DHS begin march toward cyber shared services

The Homeland Security Department is taking a different, and maybe somewhat surprising path, for its latest task order under the continuous diagnostic and mitigation (CDM) program.

The General Services Administration, which is acting as the procurement arm for the CDM program, and DHS released task order 2F under the Alliant governmentwide acquisition contract instead of through the program’s $6 billion blanket purchase agreement (BPA) awarded in August 2013 to 17 vendors. The previous five task orders have come under the BPA. GSA awarded contracts to Knowledge Consulting Group, Booz Allen Hamilton, HP Enterprise Services and Northrop Grumman.

The RFP is for continuous monitoring-as-a-service (CMaaS) for 41 small and micro agencies ranging from the Consumer Product Safety Commission to the Federal Trade Commission to the Postal Regulatory Commission.

“The contractor shall design, build, and operate a CMaaS solution for the agencies identified in this task order (TO). The CMaaS solution shall include tools, sensors, CMaaS integration support services, and the use of secure shared services as the platform for tools, sensors, and supporting CDM
Infrastructure,” the RFP released Dec. 3 and obtained by Federal News Radio stated. “The CMaaS integration support services include the planning, provisioning, configuration, operation, and management of tools, sensors, dashboards, and data feeds as well as support for CDM governance. This TO’s scope also includes implementation and maintenance of the CDM dashboard at the agency level. The contractor shall provide agency-specific training for the CMaaS solution, the agency CDM dashboard, and CDM governance.”

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