DHS hires CACI to integrate back-office systems

Technology

DHS hires CACI to integrate back-office systems

The Arlington, Va., firm will merge financial, acquisition and asset management systems. The contract is worth $450 million over 10 years. FEMA is expected to b...

Federal News Network Staff

November 22, 2010 2:46 pm

2 min read

By Jason Miller
Executive Editor
Federal News Radio

The Homeland Security Department awarded CACI a contract to integrate several back office management systems.

Larry Orluskie, DHS director of communications for the Under Secretary for Management, confirmed that CACI will be the prime contract under the department’s Transformation and Systems Consolidation (TASC) program.

TASC could be worth $450 million over a five-year base period and five one-year options.

Sources say it had been on hold until the Office of Management and Budget finished its review of all agency systems.

OMB deputy director for management Jeff Zients announced Friday that of the 20 systems reviewed by the administration, OMB found 10 were on track, five had to be significantly reduced, three had to be accelerated and two were terminated.

Under TASC, CACI will provide an integrated financial management, asset management and acquisition management system. The vendor also will provide program management, change management and integration services to implement and sustain the new system.

“TASC will provide a proven solution that integrates financial, acquisition, and asset management businesses processes, procedures and reporting capabilities,” Orluskie said in an e-mail statement.

“The TASC solution will first be delivered to FEMA. Pending successful migration and approval from our Financial Services Advisory Board, the solution will then be delivered to additional components with an identified critical business need,” according to Orluskie’s e-mail.

Washington Technology first reported the award.

A request to CACI for comment on the award was not immediately returned.

This will be DHS’ second time trying to integrate its disparate financial and procurement systems. DHS tried to integrate up to eight different financial management systems in September 2004 when it awarded a $229 million contract to BearingPoint. But after about $52 million and 18 months, DHS canceled the contract.

And TASC hasn’t gone smoothly either. DHS first issued the request for proposals in 2008. Savantage Solutions protested the RFP in February 2009.

DHS is placing a lot of expectation behind TASC despite its long history of challenges.

Janie Holl Lute, DHS deputy secretary, said in a recent hearing that DHS established an executive steering committee to make sure TASC meets its goals. Lute added that the program will focus on 18-24 month deployment schedule and a plan to minimize cost and risk.