CIA-Special Forces Cooperation-Training To Be Outsourced
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) "culture" and "counterterrorism (CT) targeting methods and practices" are the focus of training that a Northern Virginia contractor was slated to begin providing this month to the elite U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), recently located procurement-documents show. According to a sources sought notice that The Peacock Report obtained via a routine search of the FedBizOpps database, USSOCOM had intended to award a sole-source contract for the classes to SpecTal, a Reston, Va.-based consulting firm composed of ex-CIA, FBI, Dept. of Defense, State Dept., and other former federal employees.
"SPECTAL is the only known source for the required training," a notice dated May 15 said. "They are the only known source which can provide training based on direct operational experience."
However, it appears that other potential contractors may have contested this proposed sole-source award, evidenced by a revised notice posted to FedBizOpps on May 29. In that notice, USSOCOM notified contract-seekers that the previous solicitation document was:
NO LONGER VALID. THIS REQUIREMENT IS BEING PROCURED THROUGH FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION. PLEASE SEE SOLICITATION NUMBER 05222007 AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: http://www.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/USSOCOM/SOAL-KB/05222007/listing.html
Although the link leads to a "Not Found: Does Not Exist On This Server" message, a database search of the above-mentioned solicitation-number did indeed result in a separate solicitation for competitive proposals -- a solicitation that USSOCOM issued, ironically, one week before the release of the modified notice from May 29.
The following is a run-down of the proposed training regimen... regardless of who teaches the classes. According to the original and revised documents:
Training on CIA Culture, at a minimum, shall include instruction on the following:
1. Cultural differences between the CIA and Special Operations Forces (SOF);
2. Strategies for increasing cooperation between the CIA and SOF both in theatre and at HQ SOCOM and examples where cooperation failed at both levels;
3. Exercises, at both levels, which will increase cooperation;
4. Demonstration of successful completion of this course means a student will be able to understand the cultural differences between the CIA and SOCOM, operate within the CIA environment, request information from the CIA and support a CIA lead operation.
Training on CIA CT targeting, at a minimum, shall include instruction on the following:
1. Targeting methods and practices overview;
2. Targeting as analytical support to operations;
3. Targeting as adding structure and process to operations, including the basics of human assets and the human source acquisition cycle;
4. CIA targeting concepts and methodologies;
5. An applicable targeting exercise bringing together all instructional areas;
6. Demonstration of successful completion of this course means a student will understand DoD and CIA targeting, roles of targeteers, philosophies of targeting and the differences between DoD and CIA in each of these areas.
