Homeland Security delays solicitation for IT consolidation

The Homeland Security Department has postponed until after the holidays a request for proposals for integrating its financial, acquisition and asset management processes.

Department officials expect to publish the solicitation for Transformation and Systems Consolidation on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site by Jan. 9, several weeks after the Dec. 17, 2008, release date they originally planned.

The revised solicitation follows a draft version circulated in October. DHS accepted comments on the draft until Nov. 7 and prospective bidders had until Dec. 15 to submit initial proposals that would determine whether they qualified to compete for the contract. Federal agencies that are designated as shared service providers of human resources and financial management under the President's Management Agenda goal to expand e-government also are eligible to bid, under the rules of public-private competition established by the Office of Management and Budget in Circular A-76.

Members of Congress and the Government Accountability Office have criticized DHS for delays in consolidation of disparate IT systems from the 22 agencies that combined to form the department in 2003.

According to the solicitation's cover letter, DHS is "seeking a partner to transition components from existing environments to the integrated solution" that relies on a set of standardized business processes. The winner of the contract will be responsible for the following:

Analysis and documentation of system requirements;

System design, development and configuration;

IT security controls and integration;

System integration, quality assurance and user acceptance testing;

Implementation;

Training;

Operations, maintenance and enhancements.

The award will be a single indefinite delivery-indefinite quantity performance-based contract with a five-year base period and five optional one-year extensions. DHS did not release an estimated value for the contract, but noted in the draft solicitation that "actual cost or pricing will be established on a task order basis." Inquiries can be e-mailed to contracting officer Michael Scott, at Michael.B.Scott@dhs.gov.