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Cost Estimating NewsBrief: December 6, 2024
DLA Exploring Use of Digital Twins for OT Systems Security
(ExecutiveGov) The Defense Logistics Agency is integrating artificial intelligence and zero trust into cyber digital twins to help protect operational technology systems from cyberattacks through two Phase 1 contracts under the Small Business Innovation Research program. DLA said Wednesday the first SBIR contract, which concluded in September, integrated AI into the cyber digital twins to help detect anomalies associated with potential cyberthreats. “By continuously analyzing this operational data, AI can recognize deviations and alert DLA personnel to unusual activities that may suggest a cyberattack in real time,” said Barry Humphrey, Logistics Technology Research program manager at DLA. Read More
Pentagon has a new way to tackle disconnect between financial and acquisition systems
(Federal News Network) There are a lot of reasons why it takes more than two years to build the annual Defense budget. But one of them is the fact that DoD’s acquisition systems and its financial management systems don’t talk to each other — at least not very well. That’s a problem the Pentagon is starting to solve though as programs big and small begin to coalesce around a common lexicon, and officials are hoping for some big management gains thanks to that added visibility. The new approach, called the Centralized Unique Program Identifier (CUPID) is a partial answer to one of the key problems the Congressional commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE) identified in its final report… Read More
Army aims to move its pay system to the cloud by 2027
(NextGov/FCW) The Army is moving its personnel and pay system to the cloud, an effort that has begun in earnest with the hiring of Oracle to host the HR records of more than 1 million soldiers. Announced last month, the effort will move the guts of the Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army, which the service uses to manage recruitment, personnel, and soldiers’ medical files, to a custom-cloud environment. Plans are being drawn up by the IPPS-A product management team at Army Program Executive Office Enterprise. The new system must be operational by December 2027, a PEO spokesperson said. Read More
OMB Guidance Seeks to Help Improve Federal Procurement Forecasts
(ExecutiveGov) n a memorandum published Friday, OMB said agencies should improve forecast content quality by establishing a standardized set of data elements, improve timeliness of forecast information and enhance access to forecasts by making forecast data available through a centralized view. According to OMB, a public crowdsourcing campaign carried out by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy has helped inform such priorities. OFPP worked with hundreds of small businesses and large companies to better understand the needs of vendors. Read More
Prime minister pledges to sign off 150 infrastructure DCOs this parliament
(New Civil Engineer) Prime minister Keir Starmer has pledged to expedite the sign-off of 150 development consent orders (DCOs) for infrastructure during this parliament. This bold commitment, aimed at revitalising the UK’s infrastructure and boosting economic growth, was made during his ‘Plan for Change’ speech on 5 December. Starmer emphasised that this move is designed to eliminate bureaucratic delays and foster an environment that supports swift construction and innovation. “We are at a pivotal moment for our nation,” he stated. “We must invest in our future, and that starts with ensuring our infrastructure can meet the challenges of tomorrow.” Read More
Report Stresses Need for Boosting Federal STEM Workforce, Offers Suggestions
(FEDweek) A report by a study commission convened by the White House on building up the nationwide workforce of those with skills in the STEM fields stresses the growing importance of those skills in the federal workforce and makes suggestions for improving recruitment and retention. The report makes the familiar observation that “Among the greatest challenges toward ensuring a robust federal STEM workforce is the competition for qualified talent with the private sector. In general, industry can offer higher salaries and additional incentives (e.g., signing bonuses). Read More
Experts recommend using TMF to focus on product — not project — delivery
(NextGov/FCW) The Technology Modernization Fund has frequently been praised for its ability to solve one problem for agencies: access to multi-year funding when most budget allocations are set for a single fiscal year. But the revolving fund housed at the General Services Administration also has the potential to spread better technology practices across the government, a group of civic tech and government IT stakeholders argue in a “Day One” memo published by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Federation of American Scientists. Read More
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