GDIT to Provide Application Development, Cybersecurity Services to US Courts Under $298M BPA

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has awarded General Dynamics Information Technology a five-year, $298 million blanket purchase agreement to provide application development, operations and engineering, and cybersecurity support services. Work under the contract also includes implementing an approach that will ensure secure and rapid software delivery, GDIT said.

The company has been supporting AOUSC with advanced technology capabilities and services for over 25 years. “This contract gives us another opportunity to further advance its mission,” said John Ludecke, GDIT vice president and federal civilian division general manager.

AOUSC has been making efforts to boost its DevSecOps capabilities following a cybersecurity executive order in May 2021 and the Government Accountability Office’s July report criticizing the gaps in the cybersecurity skills of AOUSC’s IT workforce. GAO highlighted the absence of a chief information officer with enterprise-wide authority to oversee IT projects and address issues.

Without a CIO, the administrative office’s associate director for the Department of IT Technology Services acts as the main IT adviser. AOUSC officials admitted that the associate director does not have authority over other office units, which run their own IT programs.

While the agency seeks improvements to its largest IT projects, GAO noted that the office “doesn’t know how much its IT projects will cost, doesn’t have a handle on how IT’s money is spent, and doesn’t even know if its IT employees have the right skills and training.”

The judicial branch is not required to hire a CIO but the watchdog recommended establishing the position to help AOUSC solve technology challenges.