State looks to secure embassy IT

The State Department has awarded a blanket purchase agreement to Jefferson Consulting Group LLC to help evaluate information technology solutions for embassy security.

The five-year contract, the first of its kind, is intended to help the State Department make sure it is getting performance-based contracting and competitive sourcing for work that will be taking place around the world. The value of the agreement was unavailable.

Allan Burman, president of Jefferson Solutions, a division of Jefferson Consulting Group, said the consulting firm would help State officials decide what are the best contract offers under the President's Management Agenda.

"We will be helping to design contracts so they are structured in a way that the State Department will be able to identify solutions they are looking for and allow contractors to come in and see who is best able to do that work," Burman said.

Jefferson Consulting will help the State Department with various contracts including services in support of IT, diplomatic security and consular affairs.

It also will assist the department by providing training for acquisition team members and management personnel.

Burman said Jefferson Consulting has performed similar services for the Small Business Administration, and the Commerce, Treasury, Transportation, Defense, Health and Human Services, Energy, Housing and Urban Development and Education departments.