The Pentagon is looking to implement a new procurement rule that would block contracting officers from prioritizing the lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) when considering IT purchases, the department said in a Tuesday Federal Register notice.
The potential rule change would follow through on provisions included in the last two defense authorization bills urging the Department of Defense to place a higher premium on cyber security over cost when it comes to technology procurement.
“Use of the LPTA process should be avoided, to the maximum extent practicable, when acquiring information technology, cyber security services, systems engineering and technical assistance services, advanced electronic testing,” officials wrote in the notice.
A proposed IT procurement rule change follows congressional pressure on the Pentagon to address network security flaws and a recent GAO report detailing persistent cyber security vulnerabilities in DoD weapons systems (Defense Daily, Oct. 9).
Both the FY ’17 and ’19 defense authorization bills included language to move away from LPTA consideration for defense IT contracts. The proposed rule would cover this provision, while the recently passed FY ’19 defense authorization bill also called for the rule to eventually be extended to civilian contracts as well.
Certain exceptions under the new rule would allow for LPTA consideration, including if “no, or minimal, additional innovation or future technological advantage will be realized by using a different source selection process.”
DoD is accepting public comment on the proposed rule through Feb. 4.