Page 20 - FCW, November, December 2018

Alliant 2 Contract Guide
View from the Top
Bill Zielinski Talks Performance, Risk, Markets and Innovation
Bill Zielinski is the deputy assistant commissioner for IT in GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service. Prior to joining GSA, he served as CIO at the Social Security Administration and served in the office of the Federal CIO.
“My goal is to really help agencies move out on their technology and initiatives in a fast and efficient manner,” he says.
vehicle, it allows agencies to execute on their technical requirements much more quickly.
Q: Alliant 2 is a Best-in-Class vehicle, right?
A: Yes, Alliant 2 is defined as a best in class vehicle. We, as the government, have the ability to understand
what we’re buying, from whom we’re buying, how much we’re spending on those things, and to really use the data that comes from the vehicle to put more leverage
into the marketplace to improve outcomes and to improve prices. So there are many ways in which the Alliant 2 vehicle really does meet the President’s Management Agenda of utilizing something that’s already in place, leveraging best practices that are there, utilizing providers on this contract that have a proven track record of delivery and allowing procurement of new and emerging technology.
Q: Contracting is more than a transactional vehicle for facilitating acquisitions. It’s also a policy tool, right?
A: What I’m seeing in federal IT
for the better part of the last 15 years is the realization that letting agencies buy whatever technology they want and then try to figure out how to make it IT compliant or
Q: Alliant 2 is an extension of its predecessor, Alliant 1. What’s new?
A: The Alliant family of vehicles
are the next generation of governmentwide acquisition contracts for IT services. Building on the successes of its predecessor, Alliant 2 really helps agencies by putting in place a series of IT service providers that have demonstrated experience and track records in bringing IT service capabilities
to agencies – just about any type
of technical capability that might support their missions. It sets in place a floor for pre-competed terms and conditions for Alliant2 providers and a ceiling for prices.
Q: IT evolves quickly. How will Alliant 2 remain viable?
A: The team made sure that for Alliant 2 they will have the ability to on board providers and technical capabilities as necessary to reflect changes in the marketplace. And because it is a pre-computed vehicle, agencies are able to move to a contract award and start executing
on their technical capabilities much faster than if they’re trying to do this on the open market and starting from scratch.
Q: How does Alliant 2 fit with the President’s Management Agenda and IT Modernization?
A: There’s about $100 billion spent each year on technology in the government. About $58 billion
of that goes through contracts.
And part of what this President’s Management agenda attempts to
do is: No. 1, it puts that focus on technology. No. 2, it really asks agencies to keep their eye on the ball of modernization –future technology and capabilities that will ensure that we’re modernizing for the future. No. 3, it asks agencies to take more of a governmentwide approach, rather than reinventing the wheel at each agency.
Q: Meaning?
A: For those places in which there are already technical solutions built, we should leverage those. In the particular case of the Alliant 2
S20
FCW | CUSTOM REPORT