Security contract smorgasbord. (View from the Hill).Five billion dollars is up for grabs. That's roughly the procurement budget of the department of Homeland Security Noun 1. Department of Homeland Security - the federal department that administers all matters relating to homeland security Homeland Security executive department - a federal department in the executive branch of the government of the United States , branded with the Bush stamp of approval in late November. For would-be government contractors, the new department is messy but potentially lucrative. In Congress' haste to fortify for·ti·fy v. for·ti·fied, for·ti·fy·ing, for·ti·fies v.tr. To make strong, as: a. To strengthen and secure (a position) with fortifications. b. To reinforce by adding material. the nation against terrorism, it granted Homeland Security a kind of "fast-track" authority to purchase from the private sector and assign grants. This means Homeland Security can behave like a free-market enterprise. It can enter into joint ventures and conduct or sponsor cooperative research. At the same time, Congress exempted the department from the strict rules that regulate federal contracts. Unlike most agencies, Homeland Security needn't adhere to the General Services Administration The General Services Administration (GSA) was established by section 101 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C.A. § 751). The GSA sets policy for and manages government property and records. schedule. It can procure goods or services "off budget," meaning without a line item on its budget, for reasons of secrecy, much like the CIA CIA: see Central Intelligence Agency. (1) (Confidentiality Integrity Authentication) The three important concerns with regards to information security. Encryption is used to provide confidentiality (privacy, secrecy). does. "It's a dramatic departure from traditional procurement rules," concludes Manik Rath rath (rä, räth), circular hill fort protected by earthworks, used by the ancient Irish in the pre-Christian era as a retreat in time of danger. , associate general counsel at the technology-oriented IIT Research Institute IIT Research Institute (IITRI) is a contract research organization (CRO) located in Chicago, Illinois. IITRI is an independent corporation that operates in collaboration with its parent entity, the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT). in Chicago, who authored a white paper on the subject titled, A Chief Executive's Guide to Piloting the Company through the New Department of Homeland Security. Rath argues that the government reorganization will "present challenges and confusion to the procurement community for some time," but that the department will "have great flexibility in marshaling federal resources and in acquiring goods and services In economics, economic output is divided into physical goods and intangible services. Consumption of goods and services is assumed to produce utility (unless the "good" is a "bad"). It is often used when referring to a Goods and Services Tax. ." Already, a number of law firms have opened special legal divisions in Washington, D.C., to help federal contractors adapt to the changes. Cities and organizations across the country, meanwhile, are hosting conferences to help local businesses exploit the opportunity. Most of the department's $40 billion budget reportedly has already been allocated, but the department plans to grant between $3 and $5 billion in new contracts, primarily for technology. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion