FEMA wants ID management support

The Federal Emergency Management Agency wants innovative pricing options for software that would control access and identity management of the agency's computer systems to deal with surges in use.

FEMA published a Request for Information on Jan. 23 seeking to identify existing commercial-off-the-shelf or government-based solutions that would meet its needs. Responses are due by Feb. 6.

The solution must accommodate requirements for a variety of users, including FEMA personnel, contractors, state and local partners, first responders, disaster victims, and federal government partners, the agency said.

Because of the variability of the users, FEMA is seeking a pricing approach that takes into account how often and when the various users require access.

“It is a desire of the agency to obtain a pricing approach that supports the variable nature of the size of the FEMA user community,” the notice states. “During periods after large disasters and other events, the agency user base may substantially increase in size for a period of time. The vendors should provide creative pricing structures where possible such that FEMA does not have to pay [or pay less] for accounts that are infrequently used, but still active.”

Currently, FEMA uses a customized integrated security and access controls system developed during the past 10 years. It is looking for a solution, or group of solutions, to facilitate better control and auditing, ease of use, better integration with other FEMA systems and partners, and lower costs over the long term, the notice said.

The proposed new solution must recognize and manage spheres and levels of access for each user, and sometimes recognize multiple privileges for a single user, depending on the assignments, the notice said.