Director's Corner

Initially developed by Carnegie Mellon University for the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the National Defense Industrial Association, the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), is a proven, outcome-based performance model and the globally accepted standard for improving capability, optimizing business performance and aligning operations to business goals. CMMI provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes that ultimately improve their performance.

Now that you have learned about oral presentations and the multiphase downselect technique, the final article in our three-part series will examine the Comparative Analysis technique. As you learn more about the different techniques for streamlining your acquisition, remember that no matter what technique you use, you should always follow your agency’s policies on procurement.

NITAAC recently announced it obtained 801 certification for fiscal year 2022.  But what exactly is 801 certification and why is it so important? To answer that question, let’s start by looking at the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The NDAA is the name for a series of federal laws that determine the annual budget of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). The U.S. Congress oversees the defense budget through two yearly bills: the National Defense Authorization Act and defense appropriations bills.

Now that you have learned about oral presentations, the second article in our three-part series will examine the multiphase downselect technique.  As you learn more about the different techniques for streamlining your acquisition, remember no matter what technique you use, you should always follow your agency policies on procurement.

There are several techniques federal government evaluation teams can use to streamline acquisitions.  In this three-part series, NITAAC will explore the benefits of three common techniques: oral presentations, multiphase downselect and comparative analysis.

We will begin the series with a deep dive into oral presentations.  Please remember that no matter what technique you use, you should always follow your agency’s policy on procurement.

Dear Federal Partners,

Information technology manufacturers and suppliers across the country are struggling with significant supply chain disruptions that are impacting their ability to meet customer and market demands. The supply-chain bottlenecks -- around the world -- have caused record shortages of many products that American consumers are used to having readily available, such as household goods, electronics and, most importantly to NITAAC, information technology (IT).

The current push for modernization is not just about updating or replacing old technology. It’s about “creating the platform for change”— that is, finding more cost-effective, innovative approaches to delivering IT and improving service to the citizen. A common component of the push for IT modernization is delivering data, information and transactional services across multiple platforms to enhance how citizens engage with the government.

There are many reasons an agency might decide to use an assisted acquisition.  Oftentimes, agencies use assisted acquisitions simply because they do not have the time, or manpower, to complete the acquisition in-house. In other cases, an agency may not have the expertise needed to complete the procurement.

Now in its 18th year, Cybersecurity Awareness Month builds interest in the importance of cybersecurity and the resources needed for all Americans to be safer and more secure online. The theme for Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2021 is “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.” The theme empowers individuals and organizations to own their role in protecting cyberspace because if everyone does their part, cyberspace will be more resilient for everyone.

At NITAAC, we not only are fueling information technology (IT) modernization across the government, we are leading by example. As one of the federal government’s top sources for ‘everything IT,’ NITAAC has taken the message of modernization to heart and has reimagined how agencies acquire IT.