FCW Insider: Aug. 12
News, analysis and other updates from FCW's reporters and editors.
Three smaller vendors on the $50 billion government-wide Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contract are likely to be approved to accept task orders in the coming months, according to the latest data from the General Services Administration. Get the latest from Mark Rockwell.
The DOD's Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure procurement is making more headlines than the typical government cloud buy. President Donald Trump has mentioned the deal and new Defense Secretary Mark Esper is reviewing the acquisition plan even as officials far down the chain are prepping an award decision. Against this backdrop, top tech officials at DOD are trying to take control of the "narrative" around JEDI cloud. Lauren C. Williams explains.
Sue Gordon, deputy director at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, tendered her resignation last week. Gordon, who pioneered intelligence community tech and specifically cloud adoption in posts at CIA and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, indicating she didn't want to leave but was clearing the decks so that President Trump could pick his own intel team. Derek B. Johnson has more.
Quick Hits
*** Customs and Border Protection outlined its future-state technology goals in an Aug. 8 solicitation for vendors to modernize the agency's passenger vetting systems. CBP plans to integrate facial recognition into its suite of travel and passenger applications and develop more mobility tools to allow frontline officers to get out from behind glassed-in booths. CBP also is looking to expand self-service tools available to passengers online via mobile app or the web.
*** The Department of Agriculture agreed to extend the transition period for employees of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Economic Research Service who are sticking with the agencies as they relocate from UDSA's Washington, D.C. headquarters to the Kansas City region. The American Federation of Government Employees announced the deal, which includes offering telework to employees planning to relocate through Dec. 30 and incentive payments to offset the loss of locality pay in making the move from DC.
"This is certainly a positive development that could encourage more employees to relocate, but it does not make up for all the anxiety and anguish that employees have been going through since this relocation was first announced," said J. David Cox Sr., national president of AFGE, in a statement.