Page 12 - FCW, June 2017

Commentary|VENKATAPATHI “PV” PUVVADA
IT acquisition reform’s time is now
Promising examples abound, but real leadership focus is needed to overhaul the federal IT acquisition system
VENKATAPATHI “PV” PUVVADA ispresident of Unisys U.S. Federal.
I recently testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on actions the govern- ment could take to modernize its
IT acquisition process. The hear-
ing covered a lot of ground, but much of the discussion focused on how much of the IT budget goes to operating and maintaining legacy systems and on ideas to significantly improve federal acquisition.
Since that hearing, we’ve already seen some progress. Reps. Will Hurd (R-Texas) and Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) introduced the Modernizing Govern- ment Technology Act of 2017, which would authorize new funding mech- anisms for agencies that will result in long-term savings, less duplica- tion of effort and systems designed with cybersecurity in mind.
I was pleased to see that House lawmakers passed the bill, and I’m optimistic the Senate companion bill will advance, too. There is also good alignment between the MGT Act, the recent cybersecurity executive order, the Trump administration’s budget proposal and the objectives of the recently established American Technology Council. Each recogniz- es that modernization, risk-managed governance and shared services are foundational to achieving meaning- ful digital government services and security.
Although the broader acquisition system is badly in need of signifi- cant overhaul, there are some good initiatives that can build momentum for a modern digital government. Language in the Federal IT Acquisi-
tion Reform Act requiring the devel- opment of IT acquisition cadres within agencies is helpful. The fiscal 2017 National Defense Authoriza- tion Act seeks to limit the Defense Department’s reliance on lowest price, technically acceptable for professional and IT services — an
Modernization, risk- managed governance and shared services are foundational to achieving meaningful digital government services and security.
approach that should be expanded governmentwide.
In addition, the Department of Homeland Security’s Procurement Innovation Lab and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Buyers Club are excellent examples of forward-looking solutions that encourage innovation.
A few examples, however, are not enough. Urgent leadership focus is needed to deliver broad and comprehensive IT acquisition reform that is aligned with positive outcomes for our citizens. Recom- mendations from me and the other hearing panelists covered a broad spectrum, with some urging a com- plete overhaul and others calling for
the proliferation of best practices and cultural change.
And with agency transformation plans under development, the emer- gence of a draft defense acquisition reform bill from Rep. Mac Thorn- berry (R-Texas), insight into the Sec- tion 809 Panel’s findings at a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing and the release of the Cloud Center of Excellence’s guidance on buying cloud services, there’s likely to be much more to discuss.
So what are the critical success factors federal agencies should con- sider as they seek to modernize IT and reform the acquisition system?
I suggest:
1. Foster communication and col- laboration through improved gov- ernance — within government and with industry partners.
2. Institutionalize agile acquisition methods, along with the use of state- ments of objectives and the adoption of innovation templates in solicita- tions to incentivize new ideas.
3. Accelerate key leadership appointments for open positions to provide executive sponsorship of high-priority initiatives.
4. Increase leadership commitment to acquisition and IT workforce training initiatives and the establish- ment of procurement innovation labs at every agency.
5. Encourage collaborative efforts between government and industry to adopt IT acquisition best practices.
Undoubtedly there are others, and I would urge you to join the conversation. n
10 June 2017 FCW.COM