USDA looks for help with agile development efforts

The Agriculture Department wants to move its IT development efforts to a more modular approach and it is looking for an 8(a) small business to help it manage that process.

Specifically, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service needs help with a variety of IT management issues as it moves toward modular development efforts, often called sprints.

FAS manages agricultural export opportunities and global food security efforts. Agricultural products represent  one of the largest categories of exports for the U.S. economy.

In sources sought notice, USDA is looking to see whether an 8(a) small business can help it manage a modular IT development process. The agency wants to move in this direction to save money and reduce the risk of IT projects running overbudget and behind schedule while delivering negligible results.

According to a draft statement of work, the agency is looking at six work streams that would include multiple substasks.

The contractor or contractors will be part of integrated project teams that will include government and contractor personnel, including contractors working under other contracts. The teams will use agile software development techniques.

Some of the support to be supplied includes assess programmatic success, consolidate functions, and streamline management and IT process to improve transparency and controls.

The statement of work also includes the list of software to be used in the development environment including Windows 7 and 10, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and 2008, Microsoft Visual Studio .Net, SAP Business Objects and Reporting Tools, Microsoft SharePoint, MS Team Foundation Server 2012, Veracode, and Microsoft Project & Project Online.

Responses are due July 20.