08 Jul 15. DISA preps SETI, Encore II contracts. The Defense Information Systems Agency is preparing to move forward on a handful of key acquisition efforts, including a broad engineering services contract and a big IT services follow-on contract vehicle. DISA officials expect to open bidding this summer on the agency’s omnibus Systems Engineering Technology and Innovation (SETI) contract vehicle as well as Encore III, a follow-on to the $12bn-ceiling, DISA-led IT services contract utilized by multiple government agencies.
“We have what I would call an omnibus engineering contract we’re in the process of finalizing right now, all the requirements, called SETI,” Alfred Rivera, director of DISA’s development and business center, said at a recent industry event. “We’re looking across the enterprise and saying instead of having all these different engineering contracts and – I hate to say stove-piped, but identified by program office or business line – and have an enterprise engineering vehicle that all of our program offices and business lines can go to and acquire engineering support as necessary.”
DISA hosted an industry day for SETI on June 1, where agency leadership outlined the 20 performance task areas in the vehicle’s scope of requirements, but the final details are still being hashed out, including an exact date for a request for proposals.
“The acquisition strategy for [SETI] has not been finalized. DISA recently hosted an industry day to obtain inputs from industry and mission partners to refine and finalize our approach,” a DISA spokesperson said. “When we complete the market research and defining the acquisition strategy we will share the information along with a planned schedule.”
Rivera added that he expects contracting activity in the coming months related to the Encore III contract, the follow-on to Encore II, which DISA has utilized for more than $5 billion in IT services since 2008.
“We have the Encore III follow-on contract going out this summer…it’s for different types of services, from technical support to program management, to some specialized capabilities such as system administration and data administration,” Rivera said. “Those are probably two of the biggest omnibus contracts we have on the street right now.”
Dave Bennett, director of DISA’s implementation and sustainment center, said significant acquisition activities will continue into the fall.
“Our Forecast to Industry, in the November timeframe, will get into details of contract game plans, if you will, across the agency,” Bennett said. “Contracts are managed and executed at the center levels, and each center has variety of contracts they’re either executing or planning. I have variety of contracts in evolution stage, if you will, that will support the enterprise computing center and operations. Each center has contracts going throughout the year, but the big ones mentioned are big ones that industry is paying attention to right now.”
As Rivera and Bennett look toward systems engineering and IT services procurement, the General Services Administration is eyeing DISA as a partner for its Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions telecommunications contract vehicle.
The 15-year, $50bn contract is part of GSA’s broader Network Services 2020 strategy, and GSA has added a new clause to EIS language that aims to entice the Defense Department – which was not part of the predecessor Networx contract vehicle. The new clause is in the EIS contract’s geographic coverage section and better aligns the contract with the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation System.
“We’ve been working with the technical requirements and management operations requirements with DISA folks out of Scott Air Force Base [Illinois] for the last year and a half, as well as other agencies,” said Fred Haines, EIS program manager, according to FCW. “Putting DFAR clauses into EIS helps DoD.” (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
17 Jun 15. DISA: Cost to do cyber battle with US must rise. Treat