The National Security Agency isn't a traditional fixture in the Defense Department commercial marketplace, instead doing most of its own technology and programs in-house. But officials at the agency want that to change.
NSA is set to launch an innovative acquisition shop designed to improve how – and how much – the agency buys commercial goods and services from the private sector.
"NSA's industrial base right now is struggling," Jennifer Walsmith, NSA senior acquisition executive, said at a March 9 event, according to FCW. "We have more people leaving right now in our industrial base to the commercial market," and, like in other areas of the government, attracting and retaining talent is tough when competing against industry.
Walsmith said NSA leaders need to reach out more to the commercial sector, including to companies that aren't necessarily among the usual defense industrial base suspects and therefore unfamiliar with the federal acquisition process and culture.
NSA is in the midst of a broader overhaul that includes acquisition and culture, among other areas. In December agency officials announced NSA 21, a sweeping plan to reorganize at the agency, improve the workforce and infuse more innovation into its operations. A big part of that will mean moving away from doing everything in-house, NSA Director Adm. Mike Rogers said in December.
"I'm not sure that that optimizes us for the future," Rogers said. "How do we create a framework that enables us to work with the private sector in a much more integrated way?"
There's evidence of a start, at least: In December NSA released a terse broad agency announcement "seeking innovative technologies in a number of key areas of interest," directing potential partners to the NSA website.
