Awarding agency: General Services Administration · Funded by Department of Defense
Who got paid, how much, for what, and whether it is defensible. Citizen opinion on the record, not a mandate.
Status and record
SYSTEM SOFTWARE LIFECYCLE ENGINEERING SSLE
$557.2M · DELIVERY ORDER · General Services Administration · AL
FEDERAL SPENDING · CITIZEN OPINION
Was this federal payment to SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION worth it?
$557.2M · General Services Administration to SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
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What this award is
AI analysis
This contract pays Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) to maintain and improve software systems used by the Department of Defense (DoD). The company will handle the full life cycle of that software, meaning everything from designing and building it to updating and eventually retiring it.
DEEPER CONTEXTAnalysis · Risks · Arguments
WHY THIS MONEY IS BEING SPENT
WHY WAS THIS FUNDED?
The DoD regularly contracts outside technology companies to manage complex software systems that support military and defense operations. Additional program information is not available about the specific legal authority or program behind this particular award.
WHAT PUBLIC PROBLEM IS IT TRYING TO SOLVE?
Military and defense agencies rely on large, complex software systems to carry out their missions, and those systems require continuous engineering support to stay secure, functional, and up to date. This contract is meant to ensure those systems do not fail or become outdated.
WHO BENEFITS?
DoD personnel and military operations that depend on reliable software systems are the primary beneficiaries. Employees of SAIC, including engineers and technical staff likely based in Alabama, also benefit through the jobs this contract supports.
Plain-language reading generated from the USASpending award record. Not legal or financial advice.
RISKS AND TRADEOFFS
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
At over $557 million, this is a large single-vendor contract, which can limit competition and make it harder to switch providers if performance falls short. The contract type is listed as unknown, which makes it difficult to assess how costs are controlled and whether taxpayers are protected from cost overruns.
WHAT HAPPENS IF FUNDING IS REMOVED?
Without this contract, the DoD software systems covered by it could fall behind on critical updates, security patches, or technical support. This could disrupt defense operations that depend on those systems.
FOR AND AGAINST
ARGUMENTS FOR
- •Maintaining up-to-date, secure software is essential for national defense, and outsourcing to a specialized firm can provide technical expertise the government may not have in-house.
- •Awarding a multi-year contract provides stability and allows the contractor to plan and staff the work more efficiently than short-term arrangements.
- •SAIC is an established defense contractor with experience in large-scale government technology projects, reducing the risk of starting from scratch with an untested vendor.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
- •Over half a billion dollars going to a single company without a clearly identified contract type raises questions about competition, oversight, and cost accountability.
- •Long-term, large contracts can create dependency on one vendor, making it costly or difficult for the government to switch if better options emerge.
- •Without more public detail on exactly which systems are covered and what deliverables are expected, it is hard for citizens or oversight bodies to evaluate whether this money is being spent wisely.
SPENDING TIMELINE
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