Weekly Insider
In This Issue: February 3rd, 2014
DEA FEBRUARY 19:  MICHELE LEONHARDT, DEA

Join the Government Technology & Services Coalition to hear about the mission, challenges and priorities for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.  

 
Guest Speaker:
Michele Leonhardt
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency  
February 19, 2014
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM 

REGISTER

 

BESTPRACTICECAPACITY BUILDING FEB. 21:  Best Practices in Contracting for DHS & DOD

Join GTSC for a Capacity Building session focused on assuring you don't learn the hard lessons on your own skin!    

Repeated project delays and cost overruns in Government contracts have turned the spotlight onto core issues of supplier selection, supplier integrity and supplier competence. Increasingly, Government agencies will test for a supplier's capability to define and meet their contracted commitments - and this will include the need to demonstrate a robust commercial assurance and contract management process. For suppliers, this represents an opportunity to pro-actively demonstrate capability. This session will discuss the steps your organization could take to establish competitive advantage.

 

After years of practice and experience, the IACCM has brought together best practices in government contracting from around the globe.  Paired with the former procurement officer of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, this session will combine what best practices can be applied toward contracting with DHS and the Defense Department.

 

Guest Speakers:

 

 

Tim Cummins

President & CEO
IACCM
Strategic Partner, GTSC 

 

 

Tom Essig  

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! 

Former Chief Procurement Officer, Department of Homeland Security  

Owner, TWE, LLC

Strategic Advisor, GTSC

 

 

REGISTER

 

blog
GTSC BLOG:  NEW GSA/CYBER SECURITY RULES IN ACQUISITION

By Justin Chiarodo, Brian Finch, and Daniel Broderick   GTSC Blog

 

On January 23, 2014, the Department of Defense (DoD) and General Services Administration (GSA) Joint Working Group on Improving Cybersecurity and Resilience Through Acquisition (Working Group) submitted its eagerly anticipated final report on integrating cybersecurity requirements into all federal procurements. This report, which satisfies Executive Order (EO) 13636 and Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 21, includes recommendations on the increased use of cybersecurity standards in all federal acquisition activities, including strategic planning, capabilities needs assessment, systems acquisitions, and program and budget development.  Read the blog.

dhsnewsDEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY NEWS
ICE CLAIMS RECORD AMOUNT OF ENFORCEMENTS

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is claiming two records for 2012 -- record numbers of detainees and removals.  ICE detained 477,523 aliens during 2012, an 11 percent increase from the year before. The agency also removed 419,384 individuals, an 8 percent increase from 2011. Both topline numbers are records.  Read the full statement here.

 

FEMA: AVERAGE YEAR FOR DISASTERS

The Year 2013 was an average year for disasters according to statistics released by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Agency, as part of its annual statistics report, said that there were 95 disasters in 2013. The year 2011 was a record year for major disasters according to FEMA, but the two subsequent years since 2011 have produced far fewer, 47 and 62 disasters, respectively. The 20 year average, according to FEMA is 57.5 disasters annually. Find more FEMA's reports here.

 

GAO: MORE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING WOULD ENHANCE CYBER SECURITY OF PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITIES

GAO recently found that there may be weaknesses in state and local government emergency operations centers because of the lack of coordination and focus by Federal agencies. GAO's objective was to determine the extent to which federal agencies coordinated with state and local governments regarding cybersecurity efforts at emergency operations centers.  The report found that except for supporting critical infrastructure planning, federal coordination of these activities was generally not targeted towards or focused on the cyber security of state and local public safety entities involved in handling 911 emergency calls. Until DHS, in collaboration with stakeholders, addresses the cyber security implications of the emerging technologies in planning activities, information systems are at an increased risk of failure or being unavailable at critical moments.  GAO recommends that the Secretary of Homeland Security collaborate with emergency services sector stakeholders to address the cyber security implications of implementing technology initiatives in related plans. DHS concurred with GAO's recommendation. Read the GAO Report here.

 

CBP GROUNDS DRONE FLEET AFTER CRASH

U.S. Customs and Border Protection's small fleet of unmanned aircraft systems remained grounded late last week after the agency crashed one plane that broke down over the Pacific Ocean near San Diego on the morning of January 28th. The agency took that step Tuesday as a precaution soon after a flight crew "put down"  the Predator B aircraft that experienced a mechanical failure while on patrol off the California coast, CBP spokesman Michael Friel said in a statement. Read Federal Times' Coverage here.

 

GAO: 31 PERCENT OF FEDERAL WORKFORCE CAN RETIRE IN 2017

GAO found that from 2004 to 2012, the Federal Workforce grew by more than 250,000 workers -- in part due to the government's increased mission focus on cybersecurity.  The report cautioned that agencies will need to implement workforce planning efforts in order to keep mission-critical areas like cybersecurity fully staffed in the face of many workers becoming retirement-eligible in the coming years.  GAO found that federal civilian employment grew 14 percent from 2004 to 2012, from 1.88 million to 2.13 million. Three agencies - the Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs departments - accounted for 94 percent of this increase. GAO found that as of September 2012, nearly 270,000 (14 percent) of workers were eligible to retire, and that number is expected to increase to 600,000 (31 percent) by 2017, GAO found.  Read the report here.

 

GAO: MERCHANT MARINES SHOULD EVALUATE TRAINING 

GAO recently conducted a study evaluating the Merchant Marines and their training techniques. The Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2012 mandated that GAO review mariner training. The report examines the availability of maritime training, the availability of financial assistance for maritime training, and Maritime Administration actions to ensure mariners meet commerce and defense needs.

 

GAO analyzed documents and interviewed officials from Maritime Administration, the Coast Guard, the Department of Defense, maritime-training providers, unions, and companies. The report expressed concerns about Maritime Administration's focus on the oceangoing sector, especially as the maritime industry has evolved to predominantly serve domestic waterways. GAO recommends that MARAD study and identify potential problems in ensuring that U.S. mariners are adequately trained to meet the needs of the entire maritime industry.  Read the report here.

 

STUDY: OLYMPIC SECURITY NEUTRALIZES TERRORIST THREATS 

The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, supported by the Science & Technology Directorate of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Center of Excellence at the Universaity of Maryland, released a study that indicates no consistent increase or decrease in the frequency of terrorist attacks during the Olympics, suggesting that efforts to reinforce security are generally effective at mitigating any potential threats that may exist.   Read the study here.

DODcatastrophicDEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS
C4ISR DEMAND TO GROW OVER NEXT 5 YEARS

A report by MarketsandMarkets projects the global C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems) market to be worth $93.04 billion by 2019. The current global C4ISR market is estimated to be $83.13 billion in 2014.

Overall demand is expected to increase as a result of increased reliance upon C4ISR systems, as warfare continues to become more asymmetric.  According to the analysis, continued demand for integrated solutions will drive the global market.

 

Joint ventures between firms provide an advantage in winning C4ISR contracts due to their ability to provide integrated solutions for networked environments. These companies will transition toward faster and more efficient systems, according to the analysis. Airborne systems are predicted to have the highest growth rate compared to all other platforms, making up 40 percent of the total market share. Demand for cybersecurity, geospatial systems, biometrics, mobility solutions, synthetic aperture radar sensors, and UAVs will continue to increase. Read the report here.

 

ARMY TO EXPAND USE OF VIRTUAL TOOLS

The Army Contracting Command has issued a notice asking for companies interested in demonstrating virtual reality technologies for military training. The Army is looking to incorporate more virtual environments, augmented reality tools and gaming into its training, as a way of preparing troops for major field exercises. The effort is part of a strategy to while adhere to tight budget constraints. You can read the notice here.

 
VA SEEKS INDUSTRY COORDINATORS FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT 

The Veterans Affairs Department has released the first call for bids for its next-generation electronic health record system, with a focus on support services for the Health Systems Informatics division of the Veterans Health Administration.  The sources sought notice for the new version of Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture, called VistA Evolution, makes it clear that the Health Systems Informatics division will drive development in cooperation with the VA Office of Information and Technology. the contract also requires support of VA project teams which will work with Defense and the IPO to ensure interoperability of health records between the two departments. VHA wants a fast response from industry, with replies due Feb. 6, eight business days after it was posted. You can read the notice here.

 

DOD IG: AGENCY MET REQUIREMENTS FOR BATTERIES 

The Department of Defense Inspector General led an inquiry into whether whether the Defense Logistics Agency effectively fulfilled warfighter requirements for batteries designated mission-critical by military services.The IG found the Agency met the 4-day continental U.S. time definite delivery standard for 82 of 96 requisitions for mission-critical batteries reviewed at four continental U.S. installations. The Agency did not meet the 4-day standard for 14 requisitions because the batteries were on backorder or deliveries were delayed. However, they found no adverse impact to the customer operations where the 14 requisitioned mission-critical batteries delivered did not meet the 4-day standard. Adverse impact was avoided because customers used alternative replacement batteries on-hand that performed the same intended need or identified alternative solutions until the requisitioned batteries were delivered. Therefore, DOD IG did not make recommendations.

You can read the report here.

 

GAO: REFORMS NEEDED FOR DOD PAY DESIGNATIONS 

A GAO report examined special pays, such as imminent danger pay, and benefits for service members who are assigned, deployed, or on temporary duty travel. In the course of that review, GAO identified issues related to DOD's process for reviewing and making decisions on imminent danger pay area designations.  The report found that due to the absence of clear procedures and policies specifying time frames for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense to complete reviews of imminent danger pay area designations and render a final decision, DOD is spending millions of dollars annually for imminent danger pay in that may not warrant this designation.

 

GAO recommends DOD to take the following two actions:

1. Expeditiously complete the review of the imminent danger pay area designations in the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility and decide whether to adopt the U.S. Central Command and the Joint Staff's recommendations; and

2. Revise its guidance on imminent danger pay area designations to include specific time frames for completing periodic reviews of imminent danger pay area designations.  Read the report here.

odninewsOFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE NEWS
ODNI OUTLINES WORLD THREAT ASSESSMENT

In presenting his report to The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the Nation's Spy Chief, James Clapper, outlined the various threats facing the Intelligence Community worldwide.

  • CYBER  The DNI identifies the increasing dependence of society on cyber and digital infrastructure as a continued vulnerability. The Threat Assessment predicts that continued network exploitation and disruption such as denial of service attacks will continue and that destructive attacks that neutralizes systems or delete data will increase. Citing attacks on South Korea and the U.S. financial system, the report says that governments across the world are developing both defensive and offensive cyber capabilities.  The report also identifies China and Russia as threats -- both because of differing "values" and activities to change international standards.  According to the report, China is expected to continue its pursuit of economic development, military preparedness and domestic stability through cyber and that China's network attacks and intellectual property theft is expected to continue.  DNI also identifies vulnerabilities in industrial control systems (ICS) and SCADA systems and increased addition of "smart objects" connected to the internet as new and increasing vulnerabilities.  Virtual currencies, such as bitcoin, and emerging technologies such as 3D printing also pose new and evolving threats.  
  • COUNTERINTELLIGENCE  DNI identifies the insider threat as a critical vulnerability and that both Russia and China continue to seek information potentially harmful to U.S. interests.    
  • TERRORISM  While downgrading the likelihood of a large scale attack against the U.S. by al qa'ida operatives, the DNI report says that instability in the Middle East is creating new and diverse terrorist groups leading to new power centers and less predictability of attack.  Al qa'ida in the Arabian peninsula is still actively working for an attack on the U.S. Additionally, homegrown violent extremist (HVEs) still pose the most likely and frequent threat to the U.S.  
  • INTERNATIONAL  Among the many threats outlined, Clapper highlighted the turmoil in Syria as a magnet for terrorist-linked fighters. Clapper said that Syria has recruited approximately 7,000 fighters from as many as 50 different countries. He said that intelligence officials are concerned that fighters possessing western passports might be indoctrinated and trained in Syria to carry out attacks against U.S. or its allies.  Moving beyond Syria, the report highlighted the recent spike in attacks in Iraq as a concern, as well as the threats surrounding the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia. However, with regards to the Olympics, officials believe while remote areas of Russia may remain a target, they are confident in the security for the games themselves.  
  • WMD/NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION Intelligence officials also mentioned Nuclear dangers posed by isolated Nations. Clapper seemed optimistic of the new deal with Iran to step down its nuclear enrichment activities, but also concerned about North Korea's expansion of its enrichment efforts.    Read the statements here.

NEW REPORTING METHODS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY ORDERS AUTHORIZED 

Attorney General Eric Holder and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said that the administration is acting to allow more detailed disclosures about National Security Orders. This action will allow for more detailed disclosures about the number of national security orders and requests issued to communications providers, and the number of customer accounts targeted under those orders and requests including the underlying legal authorities. Through these new reporting methods, communications providers will be permitted to disclose more information than ever before to their customers.  The administrated stated: "The declassification reflects the Executive Branch's continuing commitment to making information about the Government's intelligence activities publicly available where appropriate and is consistent with ensuring the protection of the national security of the United States."  You can read the statement here. 

statenewsDEPARTMENT OF STATE NEWS
KEYSTONE PIPELINE SAFE SAYS STATE
A review of the Keystone XL pipeline released Friday by the State Department found the project would have little impact on climate change, supporting the case for the controversial project as it heads to the White House for a decision on its construction.The president has no deadline to issue a decision on the pipeline's permit.  Federal agencies now have 90 days to submit comments about the final assessment. Then the president will have to determine whether Keystone XL is in the best interest of the country.  Read more about the pipeline here.

 

mentorAPPRECIATE YOUR MENTOR?  DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 14!

The Government Technology & Services Coalition and Government Contracting Weekly have partnered to recognize exceptional mentors in the government contracting community.  

 

"The Mentors" awards program recognizes and salutes government contractors for their leadership and concrete actions in assisting small government contracting firms through mentoring, training, inspiration, teaming and cooperation.  Large firms that mentor small companies play a critical role in saving their Federal clients money and time, commit to putting action behind the mantra of bringing "innovation and creativity" to the Federal mission and bring a higher level of professionalism to the contracting community.  Join us and nominate your mentor today!


fedcornerFED CORNER:  BILL WEINBERG

 

BILL WEINBERG

Director and Head of Contracting Activity (HCA)-ICE

Bill Weinberg is the Head of the Contracting Activity for the U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Washington, D.C. He brings to this position over 27 years of federal acquisition expirence which includes over 13 years of leadership experience in procurement operations. Mr. Weinberg began his professional acquisition career with the Department of the Navy at the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). He served as the Contracting Officer for several major weapon systems, procuring complex systems and services for the naval fleet, for almost 22 years. While at NAVSEA, he awarded the Navy's first multiple award contracts for the portal-based electronic procurement system known as SeaPort, with a potential ceiling of $14.5 billion, which represented a major innovation in the approach to procuring engineering and support services for the Navy enterprise.  Mr. Weinberg joined the ICE Office of Acquisition Management in 2007, serving first as the Assistant Director for Detention Management, and then as Deputy Director and Acting Head of Contracting Activity. He was instrumental in advancing detention reform initiatives and maturing the acquisition of critical information technology enhancements. He gained a reputation for building coalitions both internally and externally.  Read Bill's full Biography here.

 

newsofnoteNEWS OF NOTE


Proposed Law: CTOs Control IT Projects

Proposed legislation

would give the U.S. government's chief technology officer the power to review and take charge of major information technology projects throughout the government.

The Act would put the power of legislation behind the position of federal chief technology officer. The CTO was created by the Obama Administration.

The legislation would also put the CTO in charge of a Digital Government Office that reviews all agency proposals for major IT projects. Read the bill here.


U.S. will seek death penalty for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

The U.S. Justice Department announced that the United States will seek the death penalty against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the 20-year-old accused of detonating two bombs the Boston Marathon last Aril, killing three people and injuring more than 200 others. The younger Tsarnaev faces thirty counts in the bombing, including use of a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death and the bombing of a public place. Since 1964, the federal government has only executed three people, including Timothy Mc�Veigh who was convicted in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Read the announcement here.

 

Cyber Criminal Pleads Guilty to Developing and Distributing Notorious Spyeye Malware

The Department of Justice announced that a Russian national has pleaded guilty to his role as the primary developer and distributor of the malicious software known as "SpyEye," which, according to industry estimates, has infected over 1.4 million computers in the United States and abroad.

According to DOJ, SpyEye is a sophisticated malicious computer code that is designed to automate the theft of confidential personal and financial information, such as online banking credentials, credit card information, usernames, passwords, PINs, and other personally identifying information.  

  Read the release here.

  

Check out SBA's updated training course on Contracting Opportunities for Veteran Entrepreneurs. This improved self-paced course gives an introduction to federal contracting opportunities for Vets, including how to land government contracts, the importance of industry clusters and how to access SBA certification.
Read more here.
 
 

Obama to Raise Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors

In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Obama will announce he is using his executive authority to raise the minimum wage for workers under new federal contracts to $10.10 per hour.  Obama has asked Congress to increase the minimum wage for all workers from $7.25 per hour to $10.10. As yet, lawmakers have not acted to do so. Raising contractors' wages can be done through an executive order and does not require Congress' approval.

 Read the Statement here.

 

GTSC CEO Named Contributing Editor to GCW
Kristina Tanasichuk, Founder & CEO of the Government Technology & Services Coalition was named

Government Contracting Weekly's first Contributing Editor for homeland and national security. Tanasichuk will work with GCW to identify challenges and opportunities in the Federal Market.  Read the release.

 

Obama: War in Afghanistan Will End in 2014

President Barack Obama says a small contingent of troops may remain in Afghanistan next year, but he's promising to declare an end to the war there at the end of 2014.

Obama said during his State of the Union speech Tuesday that Afghanistan will take responsibility for its own future after the end of the year. He said any U.S. troops that remain beyond 2014 will only help continue to train Afghan forces and carry out counterterror operations against al-Qaida and other extremists.Obama did not say how many troops might remain in Afghanistan after this year.  Read the Statement here.

 
 
SBA will host a Twitter Chat for young entrepreneurs in recognition of National Entrepreneurship Week to learn how to turn their business idea into a reality, the steps to starting a business, and the know-how needed to help their businesses succeed. Read more here.
 
 
 

CBP Featured in New Reality Series

A new Travel Channel reality series, "Border Rico," begins January 28 and takes an in-depth look at efforts to secure the challenging border on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. The show is scheduled to air Tuesday and Wednesday nights.  Read the story here.

 

 

Obama To Nominate
Rogers as NSA Director

President Obama has interviewed and decided to nominate Navy Vice Adm. Michael S. Rogers as the new director of the National Security Agency. According to Sources, Rogers will be the President's pick for Pentagon's cyberwarfare organization, along with the NSA. Read Rogers' Bio here. here.

 
Report: F-35 Fighter Software Still Flawed
The Pentagon's chief tester said in his annual report to Congress that the $397 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program suffers from such severe software problems that aircraft could not conduct operational missions today. The software is being developed my Lockheed Martin.  Read the report here.

 

 

 
Join SBA for the next ChallengeHER event in Norfolk, VA February 19. This event will help women-owned small businesses learn how to take part in the WOSB Federal Contract Program and grow their businesses through federal contracting.Read more here.



quoteQUOTE OF THE WEEK:  

"Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and respect for authority." 
-- Vince Lombardi 

It's About the Mission. The Government Technology & Services Coalition (GTSC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(6), non-partisan association of innovative, agile small and midsized company CEOs that create, develop, and implement solutions for the Federal homeland and national security sector. These companies founded the Coalition to band together to work with their Federal partners to achieve their mission despite significant budget challenges by bringing the innovation, creativity and exceptionalism of successful small businesses to the homeland and national security mission. 
 
Our vision is to provide an ethical, effective platform for information exchange between the public and private sector on homeland and national security ideas, technologies and innovations.
 
Our mission is to provide exceptional advocacy, capacity building, partnership opportunities and marketing in the Federal security space for small and mid-sized companies, and to support and assist our government partners achieve their critical missions with the highest integrity; best and most innovative technologies; and results-based, quality products and services to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to and recover from any terrorist attack or natural disaster.
 

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