CIA announces new acquisition framework to speed tech adoption

Source Domain: www.nextgov.com

The Central Intelligence Agency said it’s overhauling how it procures technology from the private sector, as part of an effort to more quickly adopt leading-edge capabilities for use in its missions.

The new acquisition framework, made public Monday, involves a centralized vendor vetting system and a streamlined IT authorization process to “significantly reduce the time between when CIA defines a mission requirement and when it receives operating authority,” the agency said in a prepared statement.

The framework “also provides clear pathways for CIA to leverage its unique authorities to acquire essential capabilities, rapidly onboard breakthrough technology prototypes, and modernize its core systems to meet urgent mission needs,” the agency added.

Efstathia Fragogiannis, an alum of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, joined the agency as its new procurement chief in November and will be spearheading the effort, according to a CIA official who spoke with Nextgov/FCW ahead of release.

The new framework responds to years of recognizing the government’s slower procurement timelines, which can create obstacles for innovative, new companies and impede the agency’s ability to quickly access needed new technology, the CIA official said. Against the backdrop of economic and national security concerns from foreign adversaries like China, the new framework is needed now more than ever, added the official.

In recent months, the CIA has taken notable steps that underscore its role in U.S. national security priorities, from rolling out Mandarin-language recruitment videos aimed at encouraging Chinese officials to secretly share information with U.S. intelligence, to carrying out covert operations in Venezuela.

During his confirmation hearing, CIA Director John Ratcliffe stressed the need for the spy agency to accelerate and modernize how it procures technology. For years, the CIA has leaned on the private sector to aid in its secret missions, relying on…

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