*
...Government Accountability Office states that DHS rushed the
development of requirements for the next-generation network requirements
without adequately consulting with state, local and tribal users.
_____
Democrats ask DHS to halt work on network
By Alice Lipowicz
<http://www.fcw.com/online/news/153283-1.html>
http://www.fcw.com/online/news/153283-1.html
Published on July 25, 2008
Two senior House Democrats have called on the Homeland Security Department
to immediately suspend work on its second attempt to build a secure national
information-sharing network to send unclassified terrorism alerts and other
messages to state and local agencies and private organizations.
In May, the department hired General Dynamics to develop the $62 million
Homeland Security Information Network-Next Generation (HSIN NextGen), which
is supposed to incorporate lessons learned from an earlier network that
failed to attract many users.
However, after receiving a briefing on the new project, Reps. Bennie
Thompson, (D-Miss.), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, and Jane
Harman (D-Calif.), who heads one of that panel's subcommittees, sent a
letter July 23 to DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff asking that the program be
halted so some problems can be addressed.
Thompson and Harman said they were responding to a review by the Government
Accountability Office that states that DHS had rushed the development of
requirements for the next-generation network requirements without adequately
consulting with state, local and tribal users.
"We accordingly request that the department cease all work on the
development and implementation of the HSIN Next Generation until
requirements have been defined and validated for all of the department's
state, local and tribal law enforcement, and other partners," the House
members wrote.
They also asked the department to provide in 60 days documentation on money
spent on the program to date and on how DHS intends to fulfill the
requirements of the end users, among other details.
In response, DHS defended its acquisition strategy for HSIN NextGen.
"We appreciate their interest in the matter, and we'll respond to their
questions promptly," said Russ Knocke, DHS spokesman.
"Based on previous conversations with Congress and the GAO, we have already
developed an acquisition strategy that addresses their concerns as well as
satisfies their questions about outreach to state, local and private sector
partners," Knocke said.
Knocke also defended the department's approach as a balancing act of speed
and appropriate consultation.
"They're basically saying, 'Do it cheap and do it fast, but make sure you
talk to everyone and keep them all happy about it.' Doing something fast,
means you have to be willing to make decisions. Doing something by
committee, means that you'll face some unavoidable delays," Knocke said.
The goal, Thompson and Harman wrote, is to avoid the problems that have
plagued the department's initial attempt at secure information-sharing known
as the first HSIN.
The department halted new work on HSIN in September 2007, but has continued
to operate and maintain the system while the next-generation version is
being acquired.
HSIN NextGen will be a secure platform for information management,
collaboration capabilities and search services with enhanced capabilities.
DHS, when it debuted the program, said the upgraded network will help users
meet their collaboration and information-sharing needs.
DHS plans to consolidate the more than 100 aging Web portals on the legacy
HSIN into the new enterprise collaboration Web portal.
General Dynamics' initial contract is worth $18 million and up to $62
million over five years, DHS said in a statement.
_____
DHS moves ahead on info sharing network
By Ben Bain
Published on June 6, 2008
<http://www.fcw.com/online/news/152754-1.html>
http://www.fcw.com/online/news/152754-1.html
The Homeland Security Department plans to pay General Dynamics One Source at
least $18 million to upgrade its Homeland Security Information Network
(HSIN), which shares sensitive but unclassified data among federal, state,
local and private sector organizations.
The HSIN Next Generation (NextGen) will be a secure and trusted national
platform for information management, collaboration capabilities and search
services with enhanced capabilities, DHS said in a statement. The department
also said the upgraded network will help users meet their collaboration and
information-sharing needs.
DHS' plans to consolidate the more than 100 aging Web portals on the legacy
HSIN into the new enterprise collaboration Web portal.
The HSIN NextGen task order award happened late last month and was announced
today. It is worth $18 million initially and up to $62 million over five
years, DHS said in a statement.
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