Hill outlines new acquisition IT practices for Defense

Congress directed the Defense Department to improve its acquisition process for information technology systems by requiring more involvement from end users and incremental software development.

The final version of the fiscal 2010 Defense authorization act, which a Senate and House conference committee approved on Wednesday, also asked the department to develop what Congress called "leap ahead" cyberwar capabilities and to cut $192.6 million from the Military Health System information technology budget.

In an effort to improve the IT acquisition process, which has led to projects that are frequently over budget and behind schedule, the bill requires Defense to ask new technology users for their input at the beginning of a project. The department also must follow rapid prototyping and a modular approach to systems development. The Hill based the recommendations on a March Defense Science Board report that proposed a new model for buying and developing IT systems.

The bill also authorized the department to enter into agreements with companies to temporarily exchange IT managers so Defense workers can learn the best practices in software development.

The initiatives are in answer to a call by Marine Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to develop software in days rather than years, according to a source who asked not to be identified. In March, Cartwright said Defense is "building software code and tools based on the aircraft carrier development cycle."

Defense needs a new management structure and investment review process to develop advanced defensive and offensive cyberwar capabilities, the bill noted. Congress also required Defense to report within a year on the recruitment, retention and career paths for military and civilian cyber personnel, including whether it has enough staff to carry out its expanding cyber mission.

The bill also allows Defense to train civilians from the private sector at the Defense Cyber Investigations Training Academy in Linthicum, Md. The training will be limited to employees of Defense contractors or whose work is related to national security. Up to 200 private sector students will undergo training at one time.

Congress temporarily restricted the Military Health System from using $192.6 million in its fiscal 2010 health IT budget until William Lynn, deputy secretary of Defense, submits a report detailing improvements the agency has made in managing the development of health IT systems. In its report on the bill, Congress said it is "concerned that significant doubts have been raised in relation to both health information systems performance and program integrity, which require attention and resolution at the highest levels of the department."

The IT funds also will be fenced off until the two departments report on the progress they have made on developing a joint virtual lifetime record that will include benefits and health information, the bill said.

Lynn also must include in the report how Defense and the Veterans Affairs Department have met requirements to develop an interoperable health record system.