Serving Quick Contract Turnarounds

The Homeland Security Department's huge agencywide IT services contract, the Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading Edge Solutions (EAGLE) contract, seems to be attracting a good amount of business early in its conception, according to an INPUT analysis. One reason, according to Jeremy Potter, a senior analyst at INPUT who covers DHS, is the contract’s assurance to DHS buyers that it will provide a quick turnaround for customers.

EAGLE contracting officers seem to be meeting their goal. For the first 15 task orders issued on the contract, DHS contractors made a contract award in an average of 30 days, according to Potter. That continues a decline in IT contract awards, with the average time to award of 159 days for contracts let between 2000 and 2004, 225 days for contracts let between 1995 and 1999, and 425 days for contracts let between 1990 and 1994, according to INPUT. But Potter says he is not sure if DHS can continue to keep its turnaround for EAGLE task orders to 30 days, if demand for its services increase.