CIA announces new acquisition framework to speed tech adoption

The Central Intelligence Agency said it’s overhauling how it procures technology from the private sector, as part of an effort to more quickly adopt leading-edge capabilities for use in its missions.

The new acquisition framework, made public Monday, involves a centralized vendor vetting system and a streamlined IT authorization process to “significantly reduce the time between when CIA defines a mission requirement and when it receives operating authority,” the agency said in a prepared statement.

The framework “also provides clear pathways for CIA to leverage its unique authorities to acquire essential capabilities, rapidly onboard breakthrough technology prototypes, and modernize its core systems to meet urgent mission needs,” the agency added.

Efstathia Fragogiannis, an alum of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, joined the agency as its new procurement chief in November and will be spearheading the effort, according to a CIA official who spoke with Nextgov/FCW ahead of release.

The new framework responds to years of recognizing the government’s slower procurement timelines, which can create obstacles for innovative, new companies and impede the agency’s ability to quickly access needed new technology, the CIA official said. Against the backdrop of economic and national security concerns from foreign adversaries like China, the new framework is needed now more than ever, added the official.

In recent months, the CIA has taken notable steps that underscore its role in U.S. national security priorities, from rolling out Mandarin-language recruitment videos aimed at encouraging Chinese officials to secretly share information with U.S. intelligence, to carrying out covert operations in Venezuela.

During his confirmation hearing, CIA Director John Ratcliffe stressed the need for the spy agency to accelerate and modernize how it procures technology. For years, the CIA has leaned on the private sector to aid in its secret missions, relying on contractors, commercial data and private-sector technology to fill gaps in intelligence collection and operational reach as national security challenges have grown more complex.

“We’re optimizing our approach to working with the private sector,” Ratcliffe said in a statement. “CIA’s rapidly evolving mission demands a radical shift towards a culture of speed, agility and innovation. By leveraging the best technological solutions available today, the CIA will be better equipped to meet the intelligence challenges of tomorrow.” 

The CIA has long been deemed a human intelligence agency at heart, but its ability to recruit sources and assess findings has become increasingly tied to technology. In 1999, it launched In-Q-Tel, a nonprofit investment arm designed to spot and fund startups building cutting-edge tools for U.S. intelligence and defense agencies.

It has notably spent the last 15 years or so aggressively shifting its technical backbone to a multi-billion-dollar commercial market of cloud and AI services. In 2019, CIA began the buildout of its vast Commercial Cloud Enterprise designed for data storage, computing and analytics. And about a decade ago, it launched its Directorate for Digital Innovation to augment its tech and cyber capabilities.

“CIA is open for business. We’re entering a range of commercial partnerships, from startups to industry leaders, in areas like AI, biotech, FinTech and microelectronics,” agency deputy director Michael Ellis said in remarks provided to Nextgov/FCW. “If you’re a company pushing the boundaries of emerging technologies, we want to partner with you to help CIA stay ahead of foreign adversaries by getting game-changing capabilities into the hands of our officers faster.”