USDA set to release EIS task order

The Agriculture Department is about to issue a task order under the General Services Administration's $50 billion next-generation telecommunications contract, which will become part of the bedrock for USDA's continuing modernization effort, the agency's CIO said.

Although rumors of agencies releasing task orders under GSA's Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) contract have been common in the last few months, USDA's task order could be released within days, CIO Gary Washington told FCW at an ACT-IAC event on July 23.

In his remarks at the event, Washington said EIS is a fundamental component of his agency's efforts to transform its infrastructure. 

"We have 17 networks currently at USDA," he said. "We want to get down to one. We want to get to the point where it's a managed service and a hybrid of contractors and government…. We're very excited about some of the things -- such as modernization, improved performance and delivery of services -- that we're going to be able to provide."

"We have to complete this by 2023," he added, referring to GSA's deadline for agencies to transition to EIS.

Although Washington said USDA would use EIS to help modernize the agency, telecom carriers have said that so far, they have not seen EIS solicitations that seek to leverage the contract aggressively to address overall IT modernization.

USDA has been on the cutting edge of modernizing its facilities as well as its internal and public-facing services. It has been a lighthouse agency for the federal Centers of Excellence effort and has been rolling out public-facing services at Farmers.gov to make life easier for its customers in the field. Washington said the agency also plans to expand its mobile loan apps program.

The agency has its work cut out for it because of its extensive reach across the nation. It has offices in "every county in the country" Washington said. "We have a very strong need" to get internet access to facilities that are sometimes located in rural, underserved communities.