GSA picks local official to oversee Alliant effort

Tom Howder, former director of expanded services at the General Services Administration, will lead a local team developing the Alliant governmentwide acquisition contract for information technology products and services.

John Johnson, assistant commissioner of service development and delivery at GSA's Federal Technology Service, was put in charge of the GWAC in August. Development work has been under way at GWAC centers in San Diego and Kansas City, Mo., but Johnson wanted to have a development team at the agency's Washington, D.C., headquarters, too.

GSA officials have not decided on Howder's new title, said GSA spokeswoman Mary Alice Johnson. As director of expanded services, Howder oversaw the Metropolitan Area Acquisition and Connections telecom contracts.

Johnson temporarily suspended work on Alliant after taking over until he could determine whether the project is headed in the right direction. Johnson said he wants the contract to provide a solid foundation for IT acquisitions for the next several years and not simply replace the expiring GWACs.

That suspension will end by Nov. 11. Johnson, who spoke Oct. 27 at a Government Electronics and IT Association conference, said he planned to hold an industry day soon.

GSA might publish another round of draft requests for proposals before the final RFP comes out, Johnson said, but that is a decision that officials have not yet made. GSA issued earlier draft RFPs in April.

Johnson also is working on SatCom-II, a new contract to replace nine satellite communications contracts that GSA manages. Those contracts will expire by the end of the year, and Johnson expects SatCom-II to be awarded in early 2006.