In a May memorandum, GSA announced that beginning June 8, the agency would start collecting information for new contracts of all sizes — including “micropurchases” — from software offerers and contractors. That information would attest to government-specified secure software development practices.

Nick Mistry, the chief information security officer for Lineaje, a software supply chain security management company, said in an interview with FedScoop that he believes GSA’s June 8 start for the new guidance is “a really good thing for both the industry and government.”

The self-attestation requirements “will obviously add another step in the process, but it’s a very necessary step,” Mistry said. “Will there be a period of confusion where people don’t know exactly what’s required, both on the government side as well as industry side? But I think those things will just shake out over time. I think the net benefit is all positive.”

A GSA spokesperson said in an email to FedScoop that the agency “held multiple industry listening sessions before crafting our implementation of OMB memos M-22-18 and M-23-16. GSA took feedback from these sessions into consideration while also ensuring we met the deadlines in the OMB memoranda.”

The spokesperson noted that the agency “met the deadline for implementation to best support our customer agencies” and integrated the self-attestation form into its existing IT standards process to make attesting “as frictionless as possible” for the GSA’s vendors. 

The GSA  is encouraging software vendors to create an account on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s repository website, the spokesperson added.

In March, CISA released the Secure Software Development Attestation Form, which required the companies that manufacture software used by the federal government to “attest to the adoption of secure development practices.” That form could either be submitted to a repository or emailed to the relevant agency. 

GSA noted in its May memorandum that while the agency already had a requirement for its IT department to “approve software before it could be acquired and used,” the OMB memo mandated the department to update “how it collects, reviews, retains and monitors industry attestation information.”

The post For GSA, a new step to secure the software acquisition process begins appeared first on FedScoop.

A total of 95 entities — 31 large businesses and 64 small businesses — received awards under the sequel to the Information Technology Supplies and Support Services contract, also known as ITSSS, the agency said in an update on SAM.gov. The new agreement will serve as the primary vehicle for the agency’s IT services for the next eight years.

The award marks the largest contract vehicle for IT services ever established by the FBI, according to the agency. Investments for the previous ITSSS totaled over $2 billion. 

“ITSSS-2 will provide the FBI with streamlined acquisition procedures and a vetted Vendor Pool to establish call orders more efficiently,” the agency said in the update. 

The FBI also noted that it will establish “a forecasting tool to identify upcoming requirements on a timely basis and to allow ITSSS-2 vendors to appropriately plan their proposals.” The bureau said it will be holding informational meetings with stakeholders in coming weeks.

Efforts to create the vehicle began in December 2021 when the FBI partnered with the General Services Administration on the blanket purchase agreement, according to the agency’s updates SAM.gov. In February 2024, the bureau said it was in the last phase of evaluation but an award wouldn’t be made until bid protest challenges to the contract filed with the Government Accountability Office were resolved. 

The post FBI’s $8 billion information technology services contract is its largest ever appeared first on FedScoop.

During the Scoop News Group-produced Amazon Web Services Innovate Day event, Skip Jentsch, cloud products manager for GSA, shared that the agency is focused on “new” special ordering procedures implemented for procuring cloud computing on a consumption basis. 

“GSA has stepped in and created this special ordering procedure,” Jentsch said during the event. “And all it does is that any kind of contract or [blanket purchase agreement] led against the GSA schedule, cloud special item number, is firm fixed price.”

Jentsch hinted at potential legislation that would further help address gaps in federal acquisition regulation. He said these regulations do not mention cloud or how to pay for cloud on an incremental basis. 

Separately, Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, last month introduced the Federal Improvement in Technology Procurement Act, which focuses on assisting agencies with the procurement cycle for IT capabilities such as cloud computing.

The legislation, which passed through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee without opposition on Wednesday, would require federal procurement rules to update and get rid of “obsolete, overly burdensome or restrictive requirements” to allow an ease of process for contractors and collaborations between the public and private sectors.

A spokesperson for Cruz said in an email to FedScoop that the senator “believes increasing competition within the procurement process for emerging technologies is essential for lowering government costs, protecting taxpayers, and allowing innovative small businesses to compete on a level playing field for government contracts.” 

A committee aide for Peters told FedScoop that the bipartisan vote “signals its strength to continue to advance” and that the senator will work to continue building support. While there isn’t a House companion yet, the aide said “the committee is hopeful there will be interest for the House to take on this important effort.”

This story was updated May 16, 2024, with information on the committee vote on the Federal Improvement in Technology Procurement Act and comments from Cruz’s spokesperson and a Peters aide.

FedScoop reporter Madison Alder contributed to this story.

The post GSA focused on cloud procurement efforts for agencies, official says appeared first on FedScoop.

In addition to work on the action plan, which centers on transparency and public access to information and research pertaining to the federal government, the committee will advise the GSA’s administrator on open government issues, challenges and opportunities that emerge in order to support the agency’s open government secretariat. 

“The OG FAC will allow GSA to tackle emerging open government issues, challenges, and opportunities through expert advice from these stakeholders,” Krystal Brumfield, GSA’s associate administrator for government-wide policy, said in a press release. “We look forward to receiving innovative suggestions on the development of the sixth Open Government National Action Plan as well as other efforts to strengthen open government policy and public engagement.”

The committee, as outlined in a Federal Register post, will consist of between 10 and 20  federal and non-federal members that possess “strong background and expertise” in open government and improving government delivery services. Outside of federal agency officials, the committee is open to nominees from state and local government, industry and academia. 

The post lists background themes to include anti-corruption, digital governance, gender and inclusion, media freedom, public participation and more. 

The GSA said the OG FAC will meet “at least four times per year” and the convenings will be open to the public unless otherwise determined by appropriate authorities. 

Additionally, the agency’s open government secretariat is set to host a public session in May to field questions regarding the selection process and timeline.

The post GSA welcomes nominations for advisory committee focused on federal transparency efforts appeared first on FedScoop.

But for the General Services Administration, the decision to go all-in on AI wasn’t really up for debate.

“We’re doing this because it’s GSA’s job to have shared services for the government,” GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said Thursday. “And generative AI tools are going to be a giant help in that.”

Speaking at AIScoop’s AITalks event, Carnahan said GSA is currently operating seven different sandbox environments, and there’s “more to come” across the agency with AI. Fully embracing the technology is a matter of recognizing that public- and private-sector tech leaders are “going to decide whether we’re on the right or wrong side of history on this topic, whether we get it right for the American people,” she said. “If we do, it opens up all kinds of possibilities.”

Exploring those possibilities to the fullest extent comes down to buying “best-in-class AI technologies,” Carnahan said. The agency plans to partner closely with industry, she added, and its IT category management office within the Federal Acquisition Service is in the process of developing an acquisition resource guide for generative AI and specialized computing infrastructure. 

“This is a big deal,” Carnahan said, “because procurement officers need to know about these new technologies. A sneak peek of what you’re gonna see in there is going to identify a lot of common challenges. It’s gonna identify use cases. It’s gonna help procurement officers navigate the marketplace so the missions of these agencies can be fulfilled.” 

The GSA is also focused on highlighting products that already have FedRAMP approval, part of the newly released roadmap for the federal government’s cloud services compliance program. Carnahan said that the strategy document is aimed at making FedRAMP more scalable, more secure and easier to use.

For any budget-strapped agency considering new AI projects, Carnahan pushed the Technology Modernization Fund as a means to “go outside your budget cycle and get access to funding for these new tools.” TMF is currently soliciting proposals from agencies with ideas for AI projects. 

“We expect to see a lot of interest from across the government,” Carnahan said. “If your agency hasn’t thought about using the TMF for your AI proposals, you should do that. Now is the best time for it.”

For the GSA internally, a new Login.gov pilot leveraging facial matching technology best represents the agency’s commitment to “using technology ethically and responsibly and securely for the public good,” Carnahan said. The pilot will help people verify their identities remotely, though the GSA is pledging to minimize data retention and ensure “that personal information is protected and not shared. And it is never sold.”

This next phase of the GSA’s work on the governmentwide single sign-on and identity verification platform, which includes a partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, is emblematic of what the agency views as its mission to deliver secure and inclusive products. And although there are “precarious uncharted waters ahead” when it comes to full-scale adoption of AI tools and systems, Carnahan is bullish on the government’s prospects.

“We know that by working together through our government teams, industry teams, that we can get to the other side,” she said. “The American people are counting on us to get it right. There is no time to waste. So let’s all get to work.”

The post GSA administrator: Generative AI tools will be ‘a giant help’ for government services appeared first on FedScoop.

The first PIF cohort of 21 fellows, introduced Monday, will work with “a broader technology focus” under their respective assignments at 14 agencies with “high-impact priorities.” Meanwhile the second group of fellows — to be announced this summer — will focus solely on artificial intelligence, according to the GSA, which houses the program under its Technology Transformation Services branch.

“More than ever, federal agencies are looking for top talent to help them improve the digital experience of their customers, better leverage data and enhance cybersecurity,” Robin Carnahan, GSA administrator, said in a release. “We’re excited to see how these innovators put their skills to work for the public good and collaborate alongside agency leaders to better deliver services for the American people in their moments of need.”

The agency shared in the release that the first cohort will be working “alongside partners to create innovative solutions that advance national priorities.” The AI-focused PIFs coming later in 2024 will aim to deliver on the AI executive order that President Joe Biden issued last year, which named the PIF program as one of the existing federal technology pipelines for recruiting AI talent into government. 

Previously, PIFs have worked on a variety of efforts, such as projects to improve data sharing throughout the Department of Veteran Affairs and ensure data-driven decision-making through modernization within the Department of Justice, among many others. The PIF program was launched in 2012 by the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy before it was transferred to GSA in 2013. During that time, the program has hosted more than 250 fellows who have worked at more than 50 agencies. Many of those fellows continue on in other innovative and often tech-focused roles within government.

So far, in light of the October AI executive order, the Biden administration has continued working towards recruiting and retaining an AI-talent workforce to keep up with the competition and challenges posed by the technology. 

Recently, the administration has established funds for the technology’s research and development talent recruitment alongside the other gaps for AI talent within the federal government.

The post GSA announces new Presidential Innovation Fellows focused broadly on tech, with a second AI cohort coming later in 2024 appeared first on FedScoop.

The $1.2 trillion deal would be the final appropriations for the current fiscal year and avoid a government shutdown on Friday. Congress previously passed a fiscal year 2024 appropriations package earlier this month to fund six agencies. In addition to the rescission for TMF, the Thursday bill would also pull back $10 million already appropriated for the U.S. Digital Service under the American Rescue Plan.

In a statement to FedScoop, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., said he is “deeply disappointed” in the funding cuts and called the rescission of funds “draconian.” The Virginia Democrat assured that he will continue working to ensure resources for government technology demands, and highlighted that the cuts “jeopardize the health and safety” of those who rely on government services, such as families, veterans and first responders. 

“We have got to stop treating government IT as a luxury,” Connolly said in the statement. “It is a vital part of the federal government’s technology infrastructure and it plays an indispensable role in ensuring government agencies are functioning at their best on behalf of the American people we serve.”

The TMF, housed under the General Services Administration, is aimed at funding high-priority tech modernization projects throughout the federal government. The fund currently manages 51 investments across 29 federal agencies that in total are worth over $800 million. TMF received $1 billion from the American Rescue Plan in 2021. 

But GSA and Office of Management and Budget, whose officials lead the board that manages the fund, have had difficulty convincing lawmakers to meet the funding levels the Biden administration has requested. A Senate appropriations panel, for example, approved language last July that would have taken back $290 million from the TMF. 

A spokesman for Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said in an emailed statement that the rescission, “although less than what was in the Senate bill, is disappointing and damages the U.S. government’s ability to strengthen its cybersecurity and modernize its IT systems.”

Moran, who authored legislation that created the fund, will “work to ensure that this program is funded next year to get our agencies back on track,” the spokesman said.

The White House recently requested $75 million for the fund in fiscal year 2025, which is a decrease from $200 million in its 2024 request.

Previously, Connolly and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., announced the Modernizing Government Technology Reform Act of 2023, which extended the TMF until 2030 and added additional reporting requirements for high-risk IT systems used across the government. Additionally, the act would require funds to be repaid for sustainability and solvency. 

Last month, the GSA updated the TMF’s repayment policy, in concert with OMB, to reflect a more consistent repayment floor at 50%, with some rare exceptions to help the fund allow entities to continue investing in tech and cybersecurity modernization for years to come. 

In response to a FedScoop inquiry about the cuts, the OMB pointed to a Statement of Administration Policy, which supported the “swift passage” of the appropriations.

GSA didn’t immediately respond to a FedScoop request for comment.

The post Fiscal 2024 spending package would rescind $100 million from TMF appeared first on FedScoop.

In a statement to FedScoop, a GSA spokesperson said the agency has put corrective actions in place and intends to provide the plan to OIG later this month. The spokesperson said the report will include “enhancements to acquisition processing procedures that ensure that compliance with all applicable laws is precisely documented.”

GSA’s Office of the Inspector General released a report in January detailing the agency’s purchase and use of Chinese-manufactured video-conference cameras with “known security vulnerabilities” that were not compliant with the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, or TAA.

At the time of the original report, OIG shared that GSA records indicated that the non-compliant video cameras had not been updated and remained susceptible to vulnerabilities. Out of 210 active cameras, the OIG report noted that 37 had not been updated with the most recent software version, which was from September 2022. Additionally, 29 of the cameras “had not been updated to the June and July 2022 software versions that addressed the prior security vulnerabilities,” the report found.

The GSA spokesperson told FedScoop that as of Friday, the agency “has 172 OWL devices that are approved for use around our environment. All 172 devices have been updated to the latest software version.” The spokesperson added that the GSA has not found any additional security vulnerabilities and that it has a “strong zero trust architecture to prevent cyber threats and bad actors.”

“GSA is confident that the use of the OWL video conference cameras has been and remains secure under our security protocols,” the spokesperson said. “GSA took several measures to assure the ongoing security of these devices, including limiting their connectivity to the internet, discontinuing a subset of the cameras that did not meet our standards and conducting ongoing threat monitoring, patching and maintenance.”

The agency’s Office of Digital Infrastructure Technologies (IDT) “misled a contracting officer with egregiously flawed information” to purchase 150 video cameras as part of a pilot project overseen by the GSA’s Federal Acquisition Services’ Federal Systems Integration and Management Center (FEDSIM), according to the report.

GSA Chief Information Officer David Shive and Deputy Inspector General Robert Erickson testified Thursday before the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation regarding the audit’s findings. Shive said he was unaware of “any evidence suggesting that GSA IT personnel sought to intentionally mislead acquisition.”

“As a result of this audit, GSA has put in place new processes and improved documentation requirements,” Shive said. “The team has strengthened our alternatives of analysis documentation … [allowing] for possible solutions to be adequately analyzed and locked down once the analysis is completed.”

In response to a question from subcommittee Chairwoman Nancy Mace, R-S.C., about possible intentions behind the purchase, Erickson said that the OIG’s report did not find any evidence of ill intent, referring to the purchase as “gross incompetence.”

The OIG recommended four action items for the GSA in its original report, including to “return, or otherwise dispose of, previously purchased TAA-noncompliant cameras.” The agency partially concurred with that point, stating that a subset of cameras that did not meet GSA standards was discontinued and that it is “confident that the use of the detailed video conference cameras are secure under our current security protocols.”

The headline of this story was updated March 4, 2024, to better characterize the OIG’s findings.

The post GSA working on corrective action plan following OIG report on ‘noncompliant’ video-conferencing camera purchase appeared first on FedScoop.

Mill will be responsible for managing the GSA’s cloud security strategy and “help lead the implementation of government-wide technology initiatives,” according to a news release from the agency. With TTS, Mill will join the GSA entity that assists other agencies in creating accessible and effective digital services, offers programs like 18F, a consulting office that helps other agencies buy or build digital services, and more.

Mill served as a senior adviser to the federal chief information officer, within the Office of Management and Budget, before his most recent appointment with the GSA. During his time there, Mill played “key roles in support of the Federal Zero Trust Strategy, the draft FedRAMP Modernization Memo and the Technology Modernization fund,” per the release.

In a previous stint with GSA, Mill led governmentwide tech policy initiatives and oversaw the creation of Login.gov, according to MeriTalk. Additionally, he served as a senior technology adviser on election security for the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. 

The GSA’s TTS unit also offers programs like the United Stage Digital Corps and the Presidential Innovation Fellowship, both of which are services intended to encourage technologists and civil servants to start careers within public service and try to help solve some of the nation’s challenges.

These programs were included in the artificial intelligence executive order’s 45-day deadline to “develop and implement plans to support the rapid recruitment of individuals as a part of a federal government-wide AI talent surge.”

The post Ex-White House adviser to oversee cloud strategy for GSA’s Technology Transformation Services appeared first on FedScoop.

Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar wants to get “great people into government” to assist in regulating and managing AI uses across federal departments and agencies, she said Tuesday in an interview with FedScoop. Prabhakar said that the office is excited to search for AI talent — one of OSTP’s primary tasks as laid out in the long-awaited AI executive order.

One of the highlights of the order includes a push to increase AI expertise in government. OSTP, along with a handful of other agencies, has 45 days to plan a “national surge in AI talent in the federal government.” The office is called to carry out the same talent recruitment task for other emerging technologies as well. 

The AI talent search has already begun in other agencies and departments, including the General Services Administration, where Administrator Robin Carnahan is focused on hiring tech experts to update the agency’s processes and systems, and at the Office of Personnel Management, where Director Kiran Ahuja said in a July memo that the agency would provide other agencies with “general and technical AI competencies” to be used for the hiring and training of AI talent.

Said Prabhakar: “We are looking for great people who want to serve their country and do big things. All kinds of AI expertise. That can be deep machine learning expertise about driving research, but also people who know how to think about how [AI is] going to affect people’s lives and maybe be part of how we can regulate and manage it.”

OSTP showcased different federal research and development projects across agencies and departments Tuesday during a White House “demo day.” Prabhakar said she wanted “people to be able to sample and see everything” at the event. 

Prabhakar attributed the beginning of the conception for the demonstration event to President Joe Biden and how he “always talks about how America can be defined in a single word, and that word is ‘possibilities.’”

“That’s why scientists and engineers come to work every single day. That’s what we get to contribute, is pathways into the future that we want,” Prabhakar said. “I know that federal [research and development] across so many different agencies and departments, it’s just opening these vistas for the future and in so many different areas. … When you see it all together, you start saying, ‘This is what a great nation does to create its future.’ We want to give people that experience and celebrate it.”

Biden’s EO states that OSTP and consulting agencies “shall identify priority mission areas for increased federal government AI talent, the types of talent that are highest priority to recruit and develop to ensure adequate implementation of this order and use of relevant enforcement and regulatory authorities to address AI risks, and accelerated hiring pathways.”

Carnahan, meanwhile, said earlier this year that the GSA is “laser-focused” on hiring experts to update digital services that the agency uses. The EO tasks the GSA with recruiting talent into government, and Carnahan plans to carry out this responsibility partially through the Presidential Innovation Fellows and the U.S. Digital Corps, according to an April interview with FedScoop.

Additionally, the OPM is set to coordinate the rapid advance of a federal AI workforce with OSTP and other consulting agencies, according to the EO. 

Ahuja noted that a major aspect of Biden’s executive order is recruiting tech workers that “can help us scale AI and the federal government.” When asked whether hiring for AI is different from hiring for cyber or IT positions, Ahuja said no, pointing to competencies that OPM released in July for AI-related positions in government. “I think we have to perfect the model of how we hire and then incorporate AI into it,” she said.

Talent acquisition is just one part of many agencies’ involvement with the EO. Prabhakar said that now that it has been signed, the country has a responsibility to establish safe usage and risk management, while also focusing on the implications for work.

AI is “powerful, it’s broad, it’s fast-moving, it’s going to change our lives in lots and lots of different ways,” Prabhakar said. “It’s a power that could be used for good and for ill. [Biden] was very clear from the beginning that our job, the country’s job, is to manage the risk so that we can get all of the benefits that come with it.” 

And while the EO “takes some very important, substantial steps” with regard to safety, privacy, risks for bias and implications for work, Prabhakar acknowledged that “those are only the first steps.”

Madison Alder contributed to this article.

The post OSTP director stresses importance of AI talent search following executive order appeared first on FedScoop.