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August 7, 2020 By cs

Frictionless acquisition means changing hearts and minds, not necessarily processes

The Office of Federal Procurement Policy’s new cross-agency priority goal isn’t about changing the acquisition rules or processes.

Instead, the goal of frictionless acquisition is about how contracting officers, program managers, industry and so many others view what it takes to buy a product or service.

Michael Wooten, the administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, said frictionless acquisition is part of his plan to reduce complexity through leadership.

“We are really focused on reducing the time between when a person conjures up a need and when they get what they want,” Wooten said in an exclusive interview with Federal News Network. “We think the opportunities for friction are significant because of the scale and scope of the federal acquisition system, the complexity of our requirements can be mind boggling when you look at some of the systems under development, whether it’s the Defense or Energy departments or whomever, and then the myriad systems and processes that support this.”

As a result of this friction, Wooten said agencies, contractors and taxpayers are feeling the brunt through increased costs, increased time to market and decreased value.

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/acquisition-policy/2020/07/frictionless-acquisition-means-changing-hearts-and-minds-not-necessarily-processes/

August 5, 2020 By cs

Pentagon expects 7,500 companies CMMC certified by 2021

The Defense Department anticipates that by next year 7,500 companies in its industrial base will hold certifications that they meet new cybersecurity requirements.

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification version 1.0 requirements are part of the Pentagon’s push to protect industrial base networks and controlled unclassified information from cyber attacks. The CMMC rules will require contractors to be certified by third-party auditors, which will ensure that contractors are adhering to certain standards. Organizations will be required to meet different levels of security requirements depending on the type of work they are doing, with level 1 being the least burdensome and level 5 the most stringent.

An “estimated 7,500 companies will be certified in 2021,” Katie Arrington, chief information security officer in the office of the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said during a webinar hosted by cybersecurity company Celeruim “That doesn’t seem like a lot but if you think about the interconnectivity of the [defense industrial base] it’s a certification that’s good for all DoD contracts for three years.”

By 2026, all solicitations are expected to include CMMC standards that companies must meet if they want to do business with the Pentagon.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2020/7/23/pentagon-expects-7500-companies-cmmc-certified-by-2021

July 28, 2020 By cs

The absurdity of government contracting

It is time for a top-to-bottom review of the acquisition process.

I take no joy in writing this article, but it is a desperate plea for improvement.

From 1995-2001, I worked for the Department of the Army as a contract specialist procuring advanced communications and electronics systems, equipment and services.

The first contract I ever negotiated was valued at over $3 million opposite an emerging company from Massachusetts. I had just finished my four-week Contracts 101 training in Virginia, and I was eager to put my newfound knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), and Army Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (AFARS) to work on behalf of the Army and the American taxpayer. Then reality set in. Despite being armed with this new knowledge and skill, I was hamstrung by a procurement system so vast, complex and rigid it would make Kafka blush.

Throughout the course of my next seven years with the Army, we were promised acquisition reform, enhanced efficiencies, paperless transactions and less red tape, particularly in connection with the procurement of commercial items and services.

Since leaving the Army, I have focused my practice primarily on commercial contracts in a variety of industries, ranging from media and entertainment to digital advertising and technology. Increasingly, however, I have been handling more government contracting issues for our clients, including negotiating contracts for prime and subcontractors and handling diligence and regulatory issues in connection with mergers and acquisitions. It never ceases to amaze and disappoint me how different these commercial contracts are to federal contracts. The commercial process is still so much faster and efficient; the contracts are generally much shorter and less complex; and the parties are able to navigate contentious issues through negotiations rather than having to abide by a panoply of opaque and largely wasteful regulations.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.afcea.org/content/absurdity-government-contracting

July 2, 2020 By cs

Defense information network to host data repository for contractors’ cybersecurity audits, official says

Applications are now available for aspiring assessor organizations, which will also need to have their security certified.

Information about organizations seeking a stamp of approval under the Pentagon’s new Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program will be stored on the Department of Defense Information Network, according to the head of the accreditation body working with DOD on the CMMC.

Currently, DOD contractors mostly pledge adherence to requisite cybersecurity practices. The CMMC, taking effect with a rule change expected this fall, will require all defense contractors to have their cybersecurity status audited and certified by an independent third party before they can do business with the department.

The program has raised concerns among some contractors about cybersecurity for the apparatus being set up to manage the certifications and audit data, such as a repository DOD officials will use at the time of award to check whether prospective prime contractors and their associated subcontractors have achieved the necessary certification.

“DOD intends to maintain their instance [of the repository] on the DOD network and we will be responsible for populating that,” said Ty Schieber, chairman of the board for the CMMC accreditation body.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2020/06/defense-information-network-host-data-repository-contractors-cybersecurity-audits-official-says/166375/

June 26, 2020 By cs

Accreditation body to begin training CMMC auditors

An accreditation body facilitating implementation of the Pentagon’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) version 1.0 has opened up training for third-party auditors, according to an official.

The upcoming cyber requirements are a reflection of the Pentagon’s push to protect defense industrial base networks and controlled unclassified information from cyber attacks. The CMMC rules will require contractors to be certified by third-party auditors, which will ensure that companies are adhering to certain standards. As the initiative is phased in, contractors will have to meet different levels of security depending on the work they are performing, with level 1 being the lowest and level 5 the most stringent.

“We are busy doing pathfinders in the DoD. We are getting ready to launch our pilots,” Katie Arrington, chief information security officer in the office of the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said June 24 during a webinar hosted by cybersecurity company PreVeil. “The Accreditation Body opened the door for training registration for [certified third-party assessor organizations] two days ago.”

The CMMC Accreditation Body was set up to train organizations conducting CMMC compliance assessments on behalf of the Pentagon.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2020/6/24/pentagon-to-begin-training-thirdparty-cmmc-auditors

The Office of Federal Procurement Policy’s new cross-agency priority goal isn’t about changing the acquisition rules or processes.

The Defense Department anticipates that by next year 7,500 companies in its industrial base will hold certifications that they meet new cybersecurity requirements.

It is time for a top-to-bottom review of the acquisition process.

Applications are now available for aspiring assessor organizations, which will also need to have their security certified.

An accreditation body facilitating implementation of the Pentagon’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) version 1.0 has opened up training for third-party auditors, according to an official.

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