PEO Pulse - May 22, 2020

►► UPCOMING EVENTS

• May 28 – ACT Assumption of Charter Virtual Ceremony

• June 12 – Army Birthday Virtual Observance (details to come)

• June 16 – IPPS-A Inc II Change of Charter Virtual Ceremony (to be conducted on CVR/Teams)

• June 18 – PEO EIS Virtual Lunch and Learn: A Day in the Life of a Deputy Product Manager/Lead

• June 26 – WESS Change of Charter Ceremony (details to come)

►► CAREER DEVELOPMENT/HR

JOB OPENING: IT SPECIALIST (ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE), AESIP HUB

The Director of Human Resources has posted an internal job announcement for IT Specialist (ENTARCH), AESIP Hub, NH-2210-04. The position, located at Fort Belvoir, is open to those with Level III certification in Acquisition Career Field “Information Technology,” or the incumbent must be able to obtain certification within 24 months of appointment. Those interested should provide a resume, SF50 and ACRB prior to the close date of June 1, 2020 to Ms. Debra A. Lee at debra.a.lee.civ@mail.mil. For details about the position, please email her or contact her at 703-806-3195.

NEW EMERGENCY LEAVE AVAILABLE TO ARMY CIVILIANS AFFECTED BY COVID-19

(Army News Service, May 18, 2020) Army employees affected by the coronavirus pandemic will have the option of taking up to two weeks of emergency paid sick leave in addition to other paid leave entitlements.

►► PEO EIS IN THE NEWS

PEO EIS WELCOMES NEW PROGRAM EXECUTIVE OFFICER IN FIRST-EVER VIRTUAL CHANGE OF CHARTER CEREMONY

(May 22, 2020) Ross R. Guckert accepted the charter to serve as the new program executive officer for the Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS) during a May 21 virtual change of charter ceremony livestreamed from Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

FCW INSIDER/QUICK HITS

(FCW, May 22, 2020) The Army is getting a new program executive officer for enterprise information systems. Ross Guckert, previously the deputy program executive for PEO Soldier, which focuses on developing equipment, will take over from Chérie Smith who retired May 21.

OBITUARY: KEVIN CARROLL

(FCW, May 21, 2020) Long-time Army procurement expert Kevin Carroll has passed away. Carroll was a Fed 100 award winner in 1998, 2002, and 2007, and treasured in the federal IT community for his humble, adept and skillful management as program executive officer of the Army's Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS).

NEW JOBS FOR TWO ARMY ACQUISITION LEADERS

(Defense News, May 21, 2020) The Department of Defense announced new Army leaders for two of its acquisition offices May 21. The Army named Ross Guckert as the new leader of Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems, according to a May 21 tweet.

GCSS-ARMY FACILITY SUPPORTS DOD’S CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE

(May 19, 2020) Global Combat Support System – Army (GCSS-Army), part of PEO EIS’s Army Enterprise Systems Integration Program (AESIP) portfolio, has worked hard to support the DOD’s COVID-19 response efforts on a number of fronts.

CACI COMPLETES DEPLOYMENT OF ARMY NATIONAL GUARD PERSONNEL AND PAY SYSTEM

(WashingtonExec, May 18, 2020) CACI International said it has completed implementation of the Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army for the U.S. Army National Guard.

ATIS CONTRACT AWARDED

(May 15, 2020) The U.S. Army Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS) recently announced that Perspecta has been awarded a contract to execute the Acquisition, Testing, and Deployment (AT&D) phase of the Business Capability Acquisition Cycle (BCAC) for development of the Army Training Information System (ATIS). 

►► ARMY NEWS

EXCLUSIVE: HERE’S THE ARMY’S PLAN TO “REOPEN” AMID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

(Task & Purpose, May 20, 2020) “The Army is preparing a color-coded system for commanders to implement as they look to loosen restrictions on their bases, according to internal documents obtained by Task & Purpose — mirroring new guidelines released Tuesday from the Pentagon to all military branches.”

ARMY BRACES FOR POST-COVID CUTS: GEN. MURRAY

(Breaking Defense, May 20, 2020) Over the last two years, the Army has cut or cancelled more than 240 programs to free billions for its 34 top priorities, from hypersonic missiles to new rifles. Some of those 34 may have to die as the economy and budget reel from the COVID-19 pandemic.

PROJECT CONVERGENCE: LINKING ARMY MISSILE DEFENSE, OFFENSE, & SPACE

(Breaking Defense, May 18, 2020) As the Army urgently develops its 31 top-priority technologies for future war, service leaders are studying a proposal to field-test some of them together later this year, Army officials told me.

►► FEDERAL NEWS

WHAT GOOGLE’S NEW CONTRACT REVEALS ABOUT THE PENTAGON’S EVOLVING CLOUDS

(Defense One, May 20, 2020) Google will build security-and app-management tools for the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit, deepening the Silicon Valley giant’s military ties and illuminating the challenges facing the Defense Department’s drive to a multi-cloud environment.

FEDERAL CIO SHEDS LIGHT ON WHAT AGENCIES ARE LEARNING IN COVID-19 RESPONSE

(Nextgov, May 19, 2020) COVID-19 and the quick shift to remote work opened federal officials’ eyes to areas for improvement in their pre-pandemic practices and escalated insiders’ acceptance of fresh modes and technologies, according to Federal Chief Information Officer Suzette Kent.  

CRITICAL UPDATE: WHY THE PENTAGON’S CYBERSECURITY CERTIFICATION PROGRAM INSPIRES HOPE AND FEAR

(Nextgov, May 19, 2020) The implications of the Defense Department’s plan to subject its suppliers to independent cybersecurity audits, a program known as Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, apply far beyond the defense industrial base. Contractors of all shapes and sizes are in a tizzy. 

THE CURRENT APPROACH TO AWARDING BIG MULTIPLE-AWARD CONTRACTS IS BROKEN – HERE’S HOW TO FIX IT

(Federal News Radio, May 19, 2020) It’s been awhile since I’ve jumped back on my soap box, but after the latest news of protests delaying yet another large multiple award, government-wide contract, it’s time to bring back the call for competition at the task order level.

GSA TERMINATES MCKINSEY & CO.’S SCHEDULE CONTRACT

(Federal News Network, May 19, 2020) The General Services Administration has terminated the multiple award schedule contract of McKinsey and Company.

HACKERONE’S SERVICES FORMALLY AUTHORIZED FOR USE BY FEDERAL AGENCIES

(Fifth Domain, May 18, 2020) Ethical hacking company HackerOne has achieved authorization for use by federal agencies as the government prepares to create vulnerability disclosure programs for public-facing websites.

PANDEMIC RAISES NEW CYBERSECURITY CONCERNS FOR NAVY

(National Defense, May 18, 2020) An increase in telework during the COVID-19 pandemic has created new concerns about cybersecurity in the Navy, according to a service official.

CORONAVIRUS PUSHED AIR FORCE TO MOVE INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENTS ONLINE. OFFICIALS WISH IT HAD BEEN SOONER.

(WFED, May 15, 2020) Like everyone else, the Air Force has had to move its conferences online because of the coronavirus pandemic. But after a few experiences with virtual meetings, the service’s top acquisition official now sees them as the preferred way of interacting with industry — not as an emergency stopgap measure.

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PEO Pulse is a weekly digest of relevant news, upcoming PEO EIS events, and updates to keep our workforce informed. The digest contains curated content from external sources and does not indicate PEO EIS endorsement of the views or ideas expressed therein.

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Strategic Communication Directorate
Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems
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