OTIA is headed by Assistant Commissioner, Mark Borkowski, and is responsible for:

• Innovation
• Acquisition Policy, Process and Documentation
• Acquisition Workforce
• Business Cost and Financial Management
• Life Cycle Logistics
• Operational Integration and Analysis Directorate
• Program Management
• Systems Engineering
• Technology Management
• Test and Evaluation

Innovation

Innovation is a complex subject that organizations approach in many different ways. Senior leaders and many others within OTIA are currently studying innovation and the critical role OTIA can play in inspiring and catalyzing a culture of Innovation, not only in OTIA, but across all of CBP. Before this can be accomplished, however, the organization must answer the following questions: What exactly is innovation? What is TECHNOLOGY innovation? What innovation is OTIA responsible for? What is the best way to foster innovation in the government context? The organization continues to address these challenges while driving innovation to improve CBP’s mission performance and examining tools that might help OTIA along on this journey.

Acquisition Policy, Process and Documentation

The Acquisition area interprets, develops and facilitates the implementation of acquisition management policies and guidelines including the tools a PMO or program needs to navigate the acquisition process.

Acquisition Workforce

The Acquisition Workforce Branch provides information and guidance to support the development of acquisition workforce professionals in CBP. This includes supporting and assessing acquisition workforce developmental and training needs, managing the DHS certification process for the acquisition career fields that support CBP Program offices, and managing the DHS Contracting Officer Representative (COR) program through support of COR certification, training and developmental needs for CBP.

Business Cost and Financial Management (BCFM)

The BCFM area encompasses all aspects of business financial management. It includes life cycle cost estimating (LCCE), financial planning, formulating budgets, budget analysis and execution, and earned value management (EVM).

Life Cycle Logistics

Life Cycle Logistics is a multi-functional discipline concerned with ensuring that support considerations are an integral part of the system’s design requirements; that the system can be cost effectively supported through its entire life-cycle; and that the infrastructure elements necessary to the initial fielding and life cycle support of the system through retirement are considered.

Operational Integration and Analysis Directorate (OIAD)

OIAD coordinates with the operational components to identify and document mission needs and gaps, operational requirements and concepts of operation. The OIAD ensures both material and non-material solutions are selected/designed and tested to meet operational needs. OIAD also assists the operational components to identify and evaluate new and emerging technology to address mission gaps.

Program Management Office (PMO)

The PMO area provides the information and documents pertaining to the creation and sustainment of CBP Program Offices and programs. This includes required start-up documentation, plan templates, assessment/reporting tools, and office framework best practices.

Systems Engineering

The Systems Engineering area is an interdisciplinary approach encompassing the entire technical effort to evolve and verify an integrated and balanced set of system, people, and process solutions that satisfy customer needs. These efforts included requirements development and tracking, technology development, technology maturity, manufacturing, IT, configuration management, quality, safety, human factors, work breakdown structures, technical reviews, data, SELC tailoring and risk management.

Technology Management

The Technology Management division seeks to obtain information from industry, as well as government partners, that will provide Customs and Border Protection with insight into existing technology that can be fielded now as well as technological advances that might be expected in the near future (3-8 years out).

Test and Evaluation

The Test and Evaluation (T&E) division within Systems Engineering Directorate focuses on assisting the CBP Program/Projects in establishing and implementing a consistent and disciplined test process in alignment with DHS Directives 102-01 and 26-06 in order to deliver quality products to our end users. The T&E area covers not only T&E policy, but, also independent verification and validation testing, development and deployment testing, and operational testing.