Civilian Agencies Spotlight – PSC Calls for More Time and Information on CIO-SP4 | Acquisition Forecast Scorecard Released
July 13, 2021
PSC Advocacy
PSC makes the voice of the government professional and technical services industry heard on key acquisition policy, legislation, and other developments to government leaders and leading news organizations.
PSC Calls for More Time and Information on CIO-SP4
In a June 28, 2021 letter, PSC urged the National Institutes of Health Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center (NITAAC), within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to extend the proposal due date and provide industry with more complete information regarding the Chief Information Officer-Solutions and Partners 4 (CIO-SP4) Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC).
Despite opportunities for NITAAC to incorporate industry feedback and socialize requirements among industry partners, potential offerors found many surprises in the May 25, 2021 final CIO-SP4 RFP. In the month since that release, numerous amendments and answers to questions containing imprecise and at times inconsistent language have only contributed to further confusion among interested offerors. Five companies filed pre-award protests with the Government Accountability Office. NITAAC is expected to take corrective action by including two examples of past performance for each task areas instead of one and small firms part of the SBA mentor-protege program are eligible for contractor teaming arrangements. If you have continuing concerns or feedback about CIO-SP4, please contact policy@pscouncil.org.
PSC Releases Third Annual Acquisition Business Forecast Scorecard
Today, PSC released the third annual PSC Federal Acquisition Business Forecast Scorecard. The scorecard examines publicly-available agency procurement forecasts from sixty federal departments and sub-agencies. Discover which agencies landed in the “good,” the “fair,” and the “needs improvement” categories. Click here to access the scorecard.
PSC Comments on OMB RFI regarding Advancing Equity and Support for Underserved Communities
On May 5, 2021, OMB released an RFI on “Methods and Leading Practices for Advancing Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through Government” based on Executive Order 13985 signed by President Biden. The RFI seeks input, info, and recommendations regarding available methods, approaches, and tools to help assess “whether agency policies and actions (e.g., programs, services, processes, and operations) equitably serve all eligible individuals and communities, particularly those that are currently and historically underserved.”
In its July 6, 2021 comments on the RFI Area 3, “Procurement and Contracting,” PSC expressed strong support for the U.S. Government’s efforts to leverage acquisition as a catalyst for implementing the Biden Administration’s priorities, such as advancing equity and support for underserved communities through government, while urging OMB to establish clear procurement and contracting goals and baseline measurements. For more information, click here.
Other Notable PSC Actions
PSC Requests Extension of CARES Act Section 3610 (6/15/2021)
PSC Requests Your Feedback or Assistance
PSC keeps you informed on key acquisition policy, legislation, and other developments that can impact market dynamics and your business.
DHS Monthly Meetings with PSC Staff
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of the Chief Procurement Officer is continuing monthly meetings with PSC. As PSC continues to raise issues of concern and ideas from our member companies, please contact Bradley Saull at saull@pscouncil.org if you have a concern or idea that you would like PSC to address with DHS. Click here for the latest information from the meeting on May 20, 2021 and June 17, 2021. The July meeting will be focused on getting industry input for the DHS equity action plan in accordance with Executive Order 13985 and the May 5 OMB RFI. Please send your ideas or feedback to policy@pscouncil.org.
It was reported last week that DHS Chief Procurement Officer Soraya Correa will be retiring at the end of the month. We will push for these regular association meetings to continue under new leadership.
Acquisition and Technology Policy Updates
NIST Updates Definition of Critical Software in Response to Cybersecurity EO
On June 25, 2021, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released an updated definition of Critical Software directed by Executive Order 14028. Per EO 14028, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) must use this updated definition “to develop a list of software categories and products that are in scope for that definition and thus subject to the further requirements of the EO.”
NIST now defines critical software “as any software that has, or has direct software dependencies upon, one or more components with at least one of these attributes:
- is designed to run with elevated privilege or manage privileges;
- has direct or privileged access to networking or computing resources;
- is designed to control access to data or operational technology;
- performs a function critical to trust; or,
- ·operates outside of normal trust boundaries with privileged access.
Click here to access more information of NIST’s updated definition of Critical Software, including position papers and a virtual workshop that helped informed and coordinated NIST’s approach to actions within EO 14028. Also, if you have any issues, concerns, or questions regarding this latest update, please send those inputs to policy@pscouncil.org.
Upcoming PSC Events
PSC holds more than a hundred events each year. These dynamic and valuable events provide members and their government partners a forum for discussion on the key issues and government missions.
Government Affairs Committee – August 6, 2021
Join PSC on August 6, 2021 for our virtual Government Affairs Committee meeting. The Government Affairs Committee (GAC) meets the first Friday of every month and is often referred to as “the best information exchange in town.” Each meeting features a discussion, on a non-attribution basis, of critical legislative, regulatory, or other policy issues. Register for this meeting here.
Contract Working Group – August 12, 2021
Join PSC on August 12, 2021 for our next Contract Working Group meeting virtually to discuss upcoming GWACs, Executive Orders, Sam.gov, acquisition policy, and your valued take on PSC’s policy approach toward government stakeholders. Click here for more information and to register.
In Case You Missed It
Federal Acquisition Conference – June 22
PSC’s annual Federal Acquisition Conference was held virtually on June 22 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. ET. Speakers included OMB Deputy Director for Management Jason Miller, GSA Assistant Commissioner got Professional Services and Human Capital Categories Tiffany Hixson, DHS Chief Information Officer Eric Hysen, HHS Deputy Senior Procurement Executive Katrina Brisbon, and NASA SEWP Program Manager Joanne Woytek. For more information on how you can access this exclusive content, please contact Jean Tarascio at tarascio@pscouncil.org.
Get Engaged
The Civilian Agencies Council has a broad portfolio with many opportunities to engage with senior government officials and your peers. This report is just a brief overview of our extensive work to date, with many more offerings coming this year. Please engage with us on our programming and recommend additional areas of interest to you via policy@pscouncil.org. For more information on any other items, please contact PSC Vice President for Civilian Agencies Bradley Saull at saull@pscouncil.org.