Navigating Acquisition and Procurement for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Data Analytics

Many questions exist in terms of how to engage in an effective acquisition and procurement process for AI products, services, and technologies. This talk will walk through some of the key considerations and challenges that you are likely to face, as well as the terms and conditions that you’ll want to be clear about when managing through the process to ensure a good outcome.

Presenters

Omid Ghaffari-Tabrizi

As the Acquisition Lead focusing on program management at the IT Modernization Centers of Excellence (CoE), Omid stood up the acquisition team that supports internal needs as well as those of each of the CoE agency partners. He leads the modernization efforts for procurement processes and acquisition shops within GSA, as well as throughout the government. Culminating in the efforts currently underway at the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) and Department of Labor, Omid’s work has developed tools and the processes that use those tools to buy the latest technology being implemented in the government, including AI and RPA. Prior to joining the CoE, Omid did similar work for login.gov and the 18F Office of Acquisitions. Before joining the government, Omid was an attorney specializing in contract law.

Keith Nakasone

Mr. Keith Nakasone is the Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Acquisition Management, within the Office of Information Technology Category (ITC) in GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS). The Federal Acquisition Service provides buying platforms and acquisition services to Federal, State and Local governments for a broad range of items from office supplies to motor vehicles to information technology and telecommunications products and services. As an organization within FAS, ITC provides access to a wide range of commercial and custom IT products, services and solutions.

Acquisition Management provides oversight of strategy development, internal training for the acquisition workforce, and system support for executing ITC’s acquisition, some of the largest in government, such as Schedule 70, IT Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts (GWACs) and Telecommunications contracts such as Networx and Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS). Additionally, the office establishes training and development programs to ensure a trained, engaged, innovative, and forward-thinking acquisition workforce.

Mr. Nakasone started his civil service career in 1989 specializing in the field of Procurement with an emphasis in Telecommunications and IT Services, Hardware and Software. Prior to joining ITC, Mr. Nakasone served as Senior Procurement Executive at the FCC overseeing the Acquisitions and Procurements, Contracting Officer’s and Contracting Officer’s Representatives Certification Programs, as well as responsible for the Small Business goals for the agency.

Eric Ewing

Eric Ewing has over 8 years of experience in data, analytics and artificial intelligence initiatives. Eric has served as a senior advisor to multiple federal Chief Data Officers, providing leadership, guidance, and expertise into enterprise modernization initiatives. With the CoE, Eric consolidates and organizes long and short term strategy for data and AI while leading initiatives for the management of data as a strategic asset. Prior to joining the CoE, Eric was a data scientist and senior consultant leading key analytics programs, AI research and development, and IT supply chain security initiatives with both private and public sector partners.

This webinar is hosted by the Artificial Intelligence Community of Practice, the federal government only community dedicated to AI.