DISA formally designated as single service provider for Fourth Estate optimization effort

by Tabitha L. Kuykendall
Fourth Estate Network Optimization Program

The Deputy Secretary of Defense signed the Fourth Estate Network Optimization Execution Guidance memorandum designating the Defense Information Systems Agency as the single service provider of common use information technology services.

The memo grants DISA the authority to direct the transition for 14 Fourth Estate defense agencies and field activities.

The Fourth Estate Network Optimization program, under the DISA Defense Enclave Services Directorate, is charged with executing this effort by moving the agencies onto the newly optimized network known as DoDNet.

“We are responsible for delivering a consolidated Fourth Estate network, enterprise services, end-user devices, desktop support and local and wide area network connectivity,” said Air Force Col. Chris Autrey, Defense Enclave Services military deputy and Fourth Estate Network Optimization lead. “Through this process, DISA will manage all applications, tools, processes and the contracts necessary to support the Fourth Estate organizations and their day-to-day common IT functions.”

The Fourth Estate Network Optimization will modernize the DoD IT architecture, consolidate networks, reduce costs, improve business practices and mitigate operational and cyber risks.

The 14 organizations onboarding between fiscal years 2020-2025 onto DoDNet include:

• Defense Information Systems Agency.
• Defense Technical Information Center.
• Defense Microelectronics Activity.
• Defense Media Activity.
• Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
• Defense Contract Management Agency.
• Defense Contract Audit Agency.
• Defense Manpower Data Center.
• Defense Finance and Accounting Service.
• Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
• Defense Logistics Agency.
• Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
• Missile Defense Agency.
• Defense Health Agency.

This effort will result in more than 800 IT government personnel transferring to DISA over a period of six years. Personnel will continue to perform their present duties and most will continue to work at their current locations.

Incoming personnel will also be able to leverage all of DISA’s benefits, which includes flexible schedules, eLearning, Competitive Development Training Programs, agency-paid professional certifications and licensing, voluntary rotational assignments, employee assistance programs and wellness programs.

Global Service Center contract

Within this large effort, reforming IT contracts across the department are also a key priority. Specialists coordinated a cross-agency collaboration and successfully awarded the Global Service Center contract in early September.

This contract is the first major step by the Fourth Estate Network Optimization program to converge disparate service desks across the Fourth Estate into a single managed service, providing multi-tiered problem, incident and event resolution to approximately 250,000 users.

"This was an outstanding demonstration of teamwork, persistence, technical, procurement and legal expertise," said Douglas Packard, Procurement Services Directorate executive. “The team went above and beyond to help develop a defensible record, which was no easy feat given the complexity of the GSC requirements."

Ongoing IT reform activities include cloud and data center optimization, enterprise collaboration and IT tools, network and services optimization.

Posted November 12, 2019