GSA Wanted to Know

The General Services Administration asked the Coalition for Government Procurement this summer to find out what government security managers -- those in charge of physical security, like buildings, and those in charge of information security -- thought about the services the agency offers in the way of security convergence. (In the past, managers in charge of physical security and those in charge of information security rarely worked together. But companies and agencies are increasingly "converging" the methods to secure physical assets and data because the two are inextricably linked. Without securing one, you can’t secure the other.)

The security execs didn't hold back in telling GSA what they thought, according to the survey report. Here are what some managers in charge of physical and information security had to say:

“There is a lot of red tape associated with procurement.”

“GSA is a ‘big mess’ with a lot of contract vehicles.”

“There is layer after layer of contracting bureaucracy.”

“Have you ever tried as a PM to use GSA Advantage!, which is anything but easy to use?”

“The department has a GSA guru who is really the only person that can navigate GSA.”

“GSA should be telling people how to use GSA in a way that’s easy.”

Hat tip: FCW.com