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DARPA to Seek Studies for Simplified Urban Operations
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DARPA to Seek Studies for Simplified Urban Operations

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) plans to solicit studies that simplify military engagements in urban environments and address the limits of current intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance methods.

DARPA said Thursday in a SAM notice it seeks the Non-Escalatory Engagement to reduce Dimensionality or NEED capability for the reduction of complexities in urban environment missions.

The agency seeks research concepts that apply social behavioral science to help autonomous vehicles determine who or what poses threats in urban environments. These studies would create a library of engagements to guide these vehicles.

The government would award an other transaction agreement worth $1 million for each two-phase project under the program. Interested parties may submit responses to the presolicitation through Nov. 13.

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Dovel Technologies Subsidiary Wins $135M Task Order to Support FEMA NFIP; Mike Cosgrave, Damon Griggs
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Dovel Technologies Subsidiary Wins $135M Task Order to Support FEMA NFIP; Mike Cosgrave, Damon Griggs

A Dovel Technologies subsidiary, Ace Info Solutions, has been awarded a potential five-year, $135 million Alliant 2 Task Order from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the company reported on Tuesday. 

"AceInfo is excited to leverage our proven agile solutions development expertise to support this mission-critical program," said Mike Cosgrave, AceInfo COO. "We greatly value our strong relationship with FEMA and are committed to supporting the PIVOT transformation."

Under the task order, AceInfo will support the development, maintenance and modernization of NFIP’s PIVOT system. The PIVOT system will facilitate and consolidate NFIP's core business activities throughout flood insurance policies. 

This contract includes product development and enhancement and robust data analytics to support informed, real-time decision making, operations and maintenance, end user support, program management and security.

"Our team, through AceInfo, offers a combination of deep domain experience and advanced technologies to meet FEMA NFIP's modernization goals," said Damon Griggs, Dovel CEO. "We are excited to support this new contract and further FEMA's mission of helping people before, during and after disasters."

About Dovel Technologies 

Together, Dovel and AceInfo are a trusted government partner that blends deep domain expertise with advanced technologies to help our customers solve complex problems that improve, protect, and save lives. As a rapidly growing company, we combine entrepreneurial spirit, customer focus, and an outcomes-based approach to support agency missions in health IT, life sciences, public safety, and grants management.

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FedRAMP’s Ashley Mahan on Increase in Cloud Services Reuse
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FedRAMP’s Ashley Mahan on Increase in Cloud Services Reuse

Ashley Mahan, director of the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), said FedRAMP saw a 50 percent rise in government agencies reusing certified cloud services in fiscal year 2020 as those organizations work to meet the telework requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, FedScoop reported Monday.

Mahan said agencies have filed about 3,000 reusability requests for cloud security offerings.

“We’ve really just seen government and industry working hand in hand together during this time to start using these innovative services but also with a very strong emphasis on security,” she said during CyberTalks.

Mahan noted that FedRAMP is collaborating with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop the machine-readable Open Security Controls Assessment Language to help facilitate the authorization process.

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SBA Inspector General Issues FY 2021 Management Challenges Report
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SBA Inspector General Issues FY 2021 Management Challenges Report

The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) office of inspector general has issued a report on eight performance and management challenges facing SBA in fiscal year 2021.

The first two challenges cited are the susceptibility of SBA’s economic relief programs like the Paycheck Protection Program to abuse and fraud risks and the impact of eligibility concerns and inaccurate procurement data in small business contracting programs on the reliability of contracting goal achievements.

“Managing COVID 19 stimulus is the greatest overall challenge facing SBA currently. This crucial new challenge is exacerbated by persisting management and performance challenges best described as systemic. Pandemic response has, in many instances, magnified the challenging systemic issues in SBA’s mission-related work,” the report states.

Other areas that need improvement are the oversight of information technology investments and security risks; risk management and oversight practices; administration of Section 8(a) business development program; identification of improper payments in loan programs; grants management oversight; and disaster assistance program.

SBA removed several challenges from the report to mark its progress in addressing those issues. Those areas are human capital management, exclusions for determining governmentwide federal contracting goal-setting guidelines, quality control program to reduce improper payments and quality control program.

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GSA Completes Migration of FPDS Reporting Functions to Beta SAM Website
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GSA Completes Migration of FPDS Reporting Functions to Beta SAM Website

The General Services Administration (GSA) officially ended Saturday, Oct. 17, the reporting functions on the Federal Procurement Data System website to mark the final transition of those functions to the Data Bank tool on the System for Award Management’s beta website, Nextgov reported Monday.

GSA started moving the FPDS’ administrative, static, standard and ad hoc reporting functions to the beta SAM website in March as part of a soft launch.

“The transition went smoothly over the weekend,” a spokesperson for GSA told the publication. “We are seeing a steady level of usage, supporting a proportional number of simultaneous users as the old FPDS reports module.”

The report said more than 7,500 reports run were recorded as of 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19.

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USAF Rolls Out 5G Modernization Project for Nellis AFB
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USAF Rolls Out 5G Modernization Project for Nellis AFB

The U.S. Air Force Warfare Center has partnered with the Department of Defense to implement 5G technology into the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada in a move to build a dual-use military and commercial network within the installation. 

The partnership will incorporate a fixed network into Nellis AFB prior to its transition to a mobile network as part of the 36-month project. The project will also cover modernization efforts for the Nevada Test and Training Range.

USAF aims to disaggregate and deploy existing command and control architectures in an agile combat employment scenario via the use of 5G technology.

"We must share data among decision makers at the speed of relevance," said Maj. Gen. Charles Corcoran, commander at USAFWC.

AT&T secured a three-year contract from USAF to provide 5G network infrastructure and associated support services to Nellis AFB.

USAF Rolls Out 5G Modernization Project for Nellis AFB

Join Potomac Officers Club for its 5G Summit on Oct. 27, 2020 to learn about the impact that innovative technologies and 5G integration have on the private and public sectors, the steps the federal agencies have taken to remain up to speed with the rapid advancement of technology, and the future programs, plans and priorities as the nation aligns with emerging technology.

Hon. Ellen Lord, undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment at the Department of Defense (DoD) and four-time Wash100 Award recipient, will be featured as the keynote speaker.

Don’t miss out on this must see event! Register here for Potomac Officers Club's 5G Summit on October 27th.

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Commerce Dept Unveils Funding Opportunity for Entrepreneurship Support Programs
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Commerce Dept Unveils Funding Opportunity for Entrepreneurship Support Programs

The Department of Commerce (DOC) has introduced a $25 million grant competition that seeks to help entrepreneurs mitigate economic, health and safety risks brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The department said Wednesday that it will award grants to entrepreneurship support programs that will assist various regions and communities in the U.S. under the Scaling Pandemic Resilience through Innovation and Technology challenge.

Wilbur Ross, secretary at the Commerce Department, said the government has to build supply chains and technologies to augment support networks and resources for entrepreneurs and respond to the pandemic.

Ross added the Economic Development Administration received $1.5 billion in funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to assist communities prepare and respond to any effects caused by the spread of Coronavirus.

According to the Commerce Department, EDA has earmarked $805.3 million to support over 780 recovery assistance projects.

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VA Migrates Data for Upcoming EHR Implementation; Robert Wilkie Quoted
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VA Migrates Data for Upcoming EHR Implementation; Robert Wilkie Quoted

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has finished data-related preparations needed for the new VA health record's upcoming implementation in the Pacific Northwest region. VA said Thursday that it migrated clinical and demographic data to the new EHR that will launch late October in the said area.

The migration allows health care practioners to visualize information via the EHR modernization system at the Washington-based Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center.

“Giving our VA clinicians quick, secure access to patient data means we are making progress to improve Veteran safety and health outcomes,” said Robert Wilkie, VA secretary and a 2019 Wash100 Award recipient.

This recent milestone in the EHR migration effort follows VA's launching of the Centralized Scheduling Solution, a new patient appointment system, in Ohio about two months ago.

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DoD, NSA Launch Cyber Workforce Dev’t, Diversity Program
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DoD, NSA Launch Cyber Workforce Dev’t, Diversity Program

The Department of Defense (DoD) has partnered with the National Security Agency (NSA) to launch a workforce training program aimed at promoting cybersecurity skills development to help close the nation’s cyber talent gap.

NSA said Thursday its National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) is collaborating with the DoD’s Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) on the Cybersecurity Education Diversity Initiative (CEDI) to ensure that graduates of participating schools are  “job ready” for government-focused cyber work.

CEDI participants will have access to DoD and NSA-sponsored cybersecurity programs, certified instructors, educational resources and internships with partner businesses.

Students from the participating institutions will also receive paid stipends and take part in hands-on exercises at a virtual cyber range within the Maryland Innovation and Security Institute.

In addition, participating historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and minority-serving institutions will receive advisory support on program development under the CEDI effort.

“This partnership is a revolutionary approach to developing the cybersecurity workforce of the future,” said Diane Janosek, commandant of NSA’s National Cryptologic School (NCS). “Thank you DoD’s [OSBP] for creatively addressing the critical need for cybersecurity professionals in the Defense Industrial Base.”

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DoD’s Undersecretary for Policy Gets New Information Responsibility
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DoD’s Undersecretary for Policy Gets New Information Responsibility

The Department of Defense (DoD) has granted the undersecretary of defense for policy a new responsibility over information operations, as required by the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, C4ISRnet reported Thursday. 

The undersecretary will concurrently serve as the DoD's principal information operations adviser, an executive who will help the secretary of defense make informed decisions on information operations.

Lt. Col. Thomas Campbell, a DoD spokesperson, told C4ISRnet that the newly established role would focus on improving DoD's oversight and integration across the information landscape.

James Anderson, a former intelligence officer with the U.S. Marine Corps, currently serves as the undersecretary of defense for policy on an acting basis.

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