The Federal Government Needs Your Help!

The media hype can overwhelm us just by turning on the television, but as a potential government contractor, I want you to read and view the news in a whole new way.

Say to yourself, "How can I help?" If your business can solve the major pains the government is experiencing these days, it will be easier for you to approach the potential customer at the agency. In fact, the people being quoted or noted in the stories are typically your "End Users" and are very difficult to find.

Here are some examples of stories that hit the news this week. Can you help the government solve these problems today or in the future?

* Pain #1: DoD Systems Hacked

"Hacker arrested for breaching DOD systems with 'botnets' published 11/04/05 - By Rob Thormeyer, GCN.com

Link: http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/37514-1.html

Excerpts from Article:

"The arrest Thursday of 20-year-old Jeanson James Ancheta of Downey, Calif., is the first of its kind and a stark reminder that even the most secure computer system is vulnerable, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Central District of California."

"The good news is he did not breach the network for obtaining proprietary information," said James Aquilina, assistant U.S. attorney for Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes.

"The concern is that he would be able to do it" if he wanted to, Aquilina added. "That's the scary part."

* Pain #2: Southern Border of US Needs Protection

"DHS, Congress offer border security plans," 11/04/05 - By Alice Lipowicz, GCN.com

Link: http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/37506-1.html

Excerpts from Article:

"Contract awards for the integrated border security system will begin in fiscal 2006, and deployment will occur in fiscal 2007, Chertoff said.

"The border initiative also includes an additional 1,000 border agents, greater detention capacity, expedited removal of illegal aliens, increased use of fencing and lighting, and other measures." Chertoff's new program appears to encompass the $2.5 billion America's Shield Initiative, a proposed system of thousands of video surveillance cameras and detection devices at the Mexico and Canada borders that had been announced to contractors in 2004. While Chertoff did not mention America's Shield by name, industry sources expect that America's Shield is being folded into the broader program."

Long Term Border and Immigration Strategy Announced, DHS.gov website: Link: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=4923

Excerpts from Website:

* More agents to patrol our borders, secure our ports of entry and enforce immigration laws;

* Expanded and more efficient detention and removal capabilities to eliminate "catch and release" once and for all;

* A comprehensive and systemic upgrading of the technology used in controlling the border, including increased manned aerial assets, expanded use of UAVs, and next-generation detection technology;

* Increased investment in infrastructure improvements at the border - providing additional physical security to sharply reduce illegal border crossings; and

* Greatly increased interior enforcement of our immigration laws - including more robust worksite enforcement

* Pain #3: Too Many Chiefs

IRS commissioner: Agencies have too many management chiefs," Gov.com, by David Petera

Link: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=32706&dcn=e_tma

Excerpts from Article:

"Staff functions have been fragmented, so they're largely impotent," IRS Commissioner Mark Everson said at the Executive Leadership Conference. Everson also argued that chief information officers need not report directly to department secretaries. "I think that's ridiculous," he said.

A better approach is to integrate agency management functions with business needs, Everson said. The IRS recently retooled its information technology organization in a bid to become more responsive to tax administration needs.

Among the changes was the creation of a consolidated application development organization called Applications Solutions, which absorbed the agency's Business Systems Modernization Office and integrated it with Information Technology Services, the legacy applications office.

W. Todd Grams, the IRS' CIO, also appointed Art Gonzalez, a recent private sector hire, into the new position of deputy CIO.

* Pain #4: OBM Reports Take Too Long

"Program reviews strain OMB, agency staff, By Amelia Gruber, GovExec.com November 1, 2005

Link: http://webmail.pas.earthlink.net/wam/msg.jsp?msgid=19235&folder=INBOX&x=-1973844759#4

Excerpts from Article:

Formal evaluations of federal programs completed by the White House each budget cycle are labor-intensive and fail to provide specific enough suggestions for management improvements, the Government Accountability Office said in a report published Monday.

"OMB and agencies continue to search for ways to make PART assessments more rigorous and consistent," said OMB Deputy Director for Management Clay Johnson in a written response to the report. "Additionally, we are implementing information technology solutions to make application of the PART less burdensome and more collaborative."

* Pain #5: FEMA Response

DHS Chief sees FEMA operating like a success full business," By Greta Wodele, Congress Daily, November 4, 2005

Link: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=32734&dcn=e_tma

Excerpts from Article:

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Friday he plans to restructure the besieged Federal Emergency Management Agency to efficiently operate like a 21st century distribution company with the ability to track and locate supplies.

Experts from inside and outside the government are working with FEMA -- widely criticized for its response to Hurricane Katrina -- to build an "effective distribution of supplies and people" during an emergency, he added.

* Pain #6: Base Realignment

"Base closure recommendations go into effect," By Tom Shoop, GovExec.com and Contributing writer: Megan Scully of CongressDaily, November 9, 2005

Link: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=32780&dcn=e_gvet

Exerpts:

The recommendations of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission to restructure the Defense Department's network of facilities across the country went into effect Wednesday, after Congress opted not to take action to block them.

The nine-member BRAC Commission delivered its recommendations to President Bush on Sept. 8. He passed them on to the House and Senate on Sept. 15. Legislators then had 45 legislative days in which to reject the recommendations, or they would go into effect automatically. That deadline expired at midnight Tuesday.

* Pain #7: Creating an Intelligence Sharing Office

"House Hears Call to Support New Intelligence Office," GovExec.com, by Greta Wodele, Congress Daily, November 9, 2005

Link: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=32774&dcn=e_gvet

Excerpts:

Russack told lawmakers his office has hired a dozen officials and plans to add a dozen more to the roster by the end of the month. The office has also set up two pilot programs to determine policy, technology and security needs for information sharing. One initiative provides New York FBI field officials with e-mails and alerts on handheld wireless devices about relevant intelligence. Russack said he would like to have a dozen similar pilot projects by the end of next year and expand the New York initiative to metropolitan police in that city and Washington. His office also wants to create an electronic directory of sources for federal agencies with lists of professionals across the federal government as well as state and local governments, the private sector and academia.

"DHS Intelligence Chief seeks improved information sharing," By Greta Wodele, Congress Daily, October 20, 2005

Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1005/102005cdam2.htm

Exerpts:

Allen told lawmakers during a joint hearing with two House subcommittees that Chertoff has put him in charge of a new intelligence and analysis wing to collect and disseminate information across the department and down to state and local officials.

"That means the secretary is counting on me to marshal all the intelligence and information in Homeland Security's component agencies and deliver it to him in a way that he can use to make timely, risk-based decisions about how to deploy the department's human and material resources," Allen said.

* Pain #8 Pandemic:

"National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza," the White House website, November, 2005

Link: http://pandemicflu.gov/

Planning and Response Link: http://pandemicflu.gov/plan/

Excerpts from Websites:

"Planning for a Pandemic"

To enhance preparedness, the federal government will:

*Develop federal implementation plans to support this Strategy, to include all components of the U.S. government and to address the full range of consequences of a pandemic, including human and animal health, security, transportation, economic, trade and infrastructure considerations.

*Work through multilateral health organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and regional organizations such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, as well as through bilateral and multilateral contacts to:

*Support the development and exercising of avian and pandemic response plans;

*Expand in-country medical, veterinary and scientific capacity to respond to an outbreak; and

*Educate populations at home and abroad about high-risk practices that increase the likelihood of virus transmission between species.

Continue to work with states and localities to:

*Establish and exercise pandemic response plans;

*Develop medical and veterinary surge capacity plans; and

*Integrate non-health sectors, including the private sector and critical infrastructure entities, in these planning efforts.

*Build upon existing domestic mechanisms to rapidly recruit and deploy large numbers of health, medical and veterinary providers within or across jurisdictions to match medical requirements with capabilities.  

Pay attention and read between the lines - the government needs your help.

Here's to six more sales calls today!