Page 21 - FCW, November, December 2018

compliant from a security standpoint is probably not the most successful strategy. There is this growing recognition that we, collectively as a community, can buy down the risk that’s associated with the deployment of technology, whether that’s from a national security standpoint or from a compliance with policy standpoint.
Q: How do you get there?
A: As we talk about acquisition strategy and putting governmentwide acquisition contracts in place, we’re implanting those requirements into the vehicle itself. When we compete these vehicles, they have baked-in requirements, whether it’s compliance with cyber security requirement, federal acquisition regulations or other policies that are out there.
Q: You’re using the contract to get ahead of known challenges?
A: When we pre-compete the vehicle, that means that we are getting agreements from providers of those services. When agencies use Alliant 2, they have a level of surety that all the terms and conditions are going to be fully complied with, putting them in the best posture.
Q: How does a vehicle like Alliant 2 have a broader impact?
A: I’ll bring up small business interests. In government, we have aggressive small business utilization goals. The Alliant 2 contract has an ambitious goal of 50 percent of all subcontract dollars performed by small businesses over the life of the contract.
Q: The Technology Modernization Fund was created as a way for agencies to finance critical IT needs. What bearing does Alliant 2 have on TMF?
A: Over 15 years you’ve seen a sharper focus on modernization. I think things like the Modernizing Government Technology Act and the associated Technology Modernization Fund are tools agencies have to do that. Alliant 2 provides an avenue
for agencies to modernize their IT infrastructure and provide highly qualified contractors to agencies’ needs, so agencies can incorporate Alliant 2 within their acquisition planning to meet their TMF goals.
Q: What are the challenges for a long-term contracting vehicle like Alliant 2?
A: Alliant was highly successful, well- liked and utilized by agencies. But we took a lot of time in working both with agencies and conducting market research and receiving industry input for the development of Alliant 2. A hallmark of the program is its caring for the customer and the outcomes that they want. We also have very direct relationships with industry partners. We’re finding out from them what works and doesn’t work.
Q: What is the impact of those industry relationships?
A: We heard from them that Alliant 2 should have the ability to bring to bear leading edge technology. That feedback was highly influential. Those insights from industry allowed the team to better understand agency requirements and to reflect those in
the final product.
Q: Alliant 2 is barely out of the gate. How’s it going so far?
A: Alliant 2 is off to a very brisk start. Q: Other than volume, what are the
benchmarks for Alliant 2’s success?
A:Wehavetotakealookatthe performance and the ability of providers on the vehicle to execute successfully on the customer requirements. We do customer surveys and get customer feedback that tells us how well the vehicle
is performing for customers. We look at things like ease of use. We look at the likelihood of customers recommending Alliant 2 to others .Wetakealookatthevalueof what’s paid for versus what’s being delivered.
Q: Anything else?
A: I’d love to to do some
benchmarking against the broader IT market and be able to assess whether the services and products that are being delivered through Alliant 2 are in alignment with the needs of the federal IT community. To me, that would be the reflection that we’re actually getting into their hands the services, the products, the capabilities that agencies actually need to carry out their mission.
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