FEMA contract, Secret Service tech and more NDAA provisions
News and notes from around the federal IT community.
FEMA extends IT contract
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is extending a nearly billion-dollar legacy IT systems support contract to give it more time to develop a comprehensive contract solution.
FEMA's official Justification for an Exception to Fair Opportunity under Federal Acquisition Regulations was published in FedBizOpps on Dec. 16. The document extends the $915 million task order with IBM for FEMA's Enterprise Applications Development Integration and Sustainment (EADIS) program until Dec. 15, 2015, with four optional three month extensions. FEMA said IBM's original contract expired Dec. 14.
FEMA said the extension is necessary to insure "continuity of IT services" as it works on a broader solution to support dozens of disaster recovery and legacy IT systems across the agency.
The document lists almost 80 FEMA systems, including grant tracking, family locator and assessment reporting, that are supported by EADIS.
Tech upgrade eyed for Secret Service overhaul
Along with a much taller White House perimeter fence to help the Secret Service protect the president, a new Department of Homeland Security report recommends the service get dedicated funding to develop and obtain cutting-edge technologies to ensure tech superiority over would-be attackers.
The DHS report, which was initiated in September after a mentally unstable man scaled the White House fence, ran across the lawn and deep into the building before finally being subdued, said the Secret Service is stretched too thin to do its job adequately. The report recommended hiring an additional 85 agents, 200 more uniformed officers, and pushing up the height of the perimeter fence.
Along with those recommendations, DHS said the service's Office of Technical Development and Mission Support, which reviews and refreshes the agency's technological footprint, should receive dedicated funds for technology, both within its own budget and within DHS Science & Technology's budget.
The Office of Technical Development and Mission Support consists of the Chief Technology Officer Program, the Information Resources Management Division, the Technical Security Division and the Chief Information Officer Program.
Defense bill comes with contracting changes
FCW detailed a host of IT policy changes included in the defense authorization bill, but Washington Technology reports that the massive piece of legislation also "contains several provisions that will impact small business contractors in several ways."
Washington Technology details the changes around reverse auctions, women-owned businesses and contract bundling.