Photo By Christopher Gillis | Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) Director William Lietzau...... read more read more
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The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) continues its transformation as leadership of the agency’s Program Executive Office (PEO) transferred during a Change of Charter Ceremony held at the agency's Quantico headquarters on Nov. 15.
DCSA Director William Lietzau presided over the event, accepting the charter from outgoing PEO Terry Carpenter and transferring it to incoming PEO Jeff Smith, who recently served as the Executive Program Manager of the National Background Investigation Services (NBIS).
In 2019, the deputy secretary of defense directed the transfer of several information technology acquisition programs to DCSA. The new mission required an acquisition capability to oversee the diverse IT development programs transitioning from across the federal government. The acquisition capability would need to achieve milestones and monitor costs to avoid volatile increases in budget requirements while delivering the best technology to help secure the U.S. government’s technologies, services and supply chains. The entity was the PEO, formally established on Oct. 1, 2020.
“If you look at where we were a year or two ago, you will see how dependent we’ve been on PEO,” said Lietzau while crediting Carpenter’s leadership in building a program executive office that enabled DCSA to function as an agency. “We’re now moving Terry to another part of the agency where we need him to start thinking about the future.”
As the DCSA chief technology officer (CTO), Carpenter is charged with looking to the future to focus on long-term goals in developing the agency’s information technology strategy.
In a workforce message, Lietzau explained the CTO role, “To oversee our research and innovation efforts and to develop a future-oriented technology strategy for the enterprise. This change consolidates several roles and activities presently in the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), PEO, and Chief Strategy Office. These changes reflect the natural maturation of the agency – the CTO leads our thinking regarding new capabilities for the future. After deciding on which capabilities the agency will invest, the PEO builds those capabilities and the OCIO ensures that the agency’s IT systems support our mission on a daily basis.”
Carpenter received a Distinguished Service Award for his efforts as the PEO and was commended for his work on NBIS. Per the award citation: “Mr. Carpenter served with distinction leading the National Background Investigation Services program and the Program Executive Office. The security and testing foundations he put in place for NBIS were lauded throughout the Department as the model for large-scale agile software factory acquisition programs. Mr. Carpenter directed multiple initiatives that helped define and implement critical underpinning capabilities to support DCSA’s digital transformation.”
“It’s enormous to think about what we’ve done with this ability to make our agency operate more efficiently. It’s impossible to name everyone, but you trusted me, wrestled with ideas, you planted the seed and made them grow,” said Carpenter. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with you and make a difference in national security.”
As NBIS executive program manager, Smith managed the federal government’s integrated information technology system for comprehensive personnel vetting — from initiation and application to background investigation, adjudication and continuous vetting.
NBIS is the federal government’s one-stop-shop information technology system for end-to-end personnel vetting — from initiation and application to background investigation, adjudication, and continuous vetting. NBIS is one consolidated system designed to deliver robust data protection, enhance customer experience, and better integrate data across the enterprise.
“I say it a little differently -- we are not planting seeds but building a foundation. Each and every day, lay the foundation because you can’t build a house without the foundation,” Smith said. “Something we didn’t talk a lot about -- we were a PEO and we were NBIS, trying to fight two different battles. As of today, I get the opportunity to reconstitute PEO and make it one team, one fight. It is predicated in starting with a foundation. Agilely, this team will come together and add the building blocks to form a high performing PEO. I look forward to taking on that challenge.”
| Date Taken: | 12.07.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.07.2022 12:38 |
| Story ID: | 434680 |
| Location: | QUANTICO , VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 908 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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