All States District of Columbia DC Government — Office of the Mayor / OCTO

City  District of Columbia · Account Intelligence

DC Government — Office of the Mayor / OCTO

The District's executive branch as a technology buyer: OCTO runs the DC-Net fibre network, the enterprise cloud and the citywide security program and sets IT standards, while OCP holds the central contracts. Both sit in the City Administrator's GovOps cluster, and budgets are tight because federal job losses have hit revenue while the city heads into a change of mayor in January 2027.

Washington, DC Last updated Oct 1, 2026
Central IT (OCTO) + central contracting (OCP)Role$113.2M (−30.9%)OCTO operating budget (FY27 approved)$64.9MOCTO capital plan (FY27–32)City Administrator (GovOps cluster)Reports toBowser leaves office Jan 2027Transition

Overview

The District of Columbia's executive branch reports to Mayor Muriel Bowser. On technology the buying centre is the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), led by CTO Stephen N. Miller. OCTO develops and maintains the District's technology infrastructure, runs the major enterprise applications, and sets technology policy and standards for District agencies. OCTO and the Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) both sit in the Government Operations (GovOps) cluster overseen by City Administrator Kevin Donahue.

OCTO runs DC-Net, the District's fibre-optic network. The CTO describes it as the backbone for internet, VoIP, wireless, data-centre and data-transport services, serving more than 90 agencies, over 100 nonprofits and federal partners. OCTO also runs the Enterprise Cloud and Infrastructure Services (ECIS) platform: about 2 petabytes of data, 3,000 virtual servers and 500 shared databases for more than 80 agencies. It also provides citywide email and identity for about 39,000 mailboxes, a mainframe, and a Security Operations Center that the budget says protects against more than 1 billion malicious intrusion events a year.

Budgets are under pressure. The CFO's June 2026 revenue letter reports that D.C. has lost 28,000 federal jobs (15%) since January 2025 and that its unemployment rate was 6.1% in May 2026. Bowser's final budget closed a $1.1B gap. The Council restored cuts partly with reserves, and the Mayor let the budget go ahead unsigned, warning of an $837M 'fiscal cliff'. For Dell the practical message is this: OCTO's FY27 approved gross operating budget falls 30.9%, mostly because of lower federal grant funds, but its capital plan funds a new DC-Net network refresh and replacement of security hardware. A new mayor takes office in January 2027.

How this account buys
  • OCTO sets District-wide IT policy and standards, runs the shared infrastructure (DC-Net, ECIS cloud, email/identity, mainframe, SOC), and its enterprise licensing and contracts team develops citywide IT contracts and reviews other agencies' IT procurements. OCTO is the technical gate for most executive-branch IT buys
  • OCP, under Chief Procurement Officer Nancy Hapeman, is the central contracting office. OCTO manages enterprise licensing agreements for all agencies in partnership with OCP, and the DC Supply Schedule (DCSS) is OCP's multiple-award schedule, with an Information Technology, Equipment and Software category
  • OCTO and OCP both report into City Administrator Kevin Donahue's GovOps cluster (alongside DGS, DCHR and DMV). Donahue told the Council in March 2026 that GovOps is leading the District's use of AI in the workplace and streamlining procurement
  • Large agencies hold their own budgets and technology teams. The Office of Unified Communications (OUC) has its own CIO function running 911/311 telephony, computer-aided dispatch, public-safety radio and mobile data computers for MPD and Fire/EMS. MPD's FY27 budget is $687.9M gross as approved ($674.5M of it proposed local funds). DMV runs its Destiny licensing system on OCTO-supported applications. DCPS buys and manages its own student-device fleet
  • Fastest compliant paths: Dell's District participating addendum to the NASPO ValuePoint Computer Equipment contract, or a DCSS IT-category holder. Clear OCTO's standards and security review first

Where Dell Can Play

  • Pursue the DC-Net refresh and SOC hardware funding: OCTO's new $14.1M Enterprise Cyber Security Initiative ($9.0M in FY27) and the $2M-a-year Cybersecurity Infrastructure project both replace end-of-life equipment. Bring Dell server and storage content and a lifecycle-replacement plan to CISO Suneel Cherukuri and the DC-Net team.
  • Pitch ECIS private-cloud and data-protection refresh to CTO Stephen Miller. The environment runs about 3,000 VMs, 2 PB and 500 shared databases for 80+ agencies, and enterprise backup hardware is already listed as a related capital project. Frame the offer as cost avoidance to suit the FY27 cuts.
  • Work the NASPO ValuePoint Computer Equipment participating addendum, which expires June 30, 2027. Start renewal talks with OCP early, confirm which District contracting offices can order against it, and check which Dell partners hold DCSS IT-category positions. Track B26-0594's changes to the schedule.
  • Position AI PCs and on-premises inference inside the District's governance model: Mayor's Order 2024-028 values review, mandatory responsible-AI training, and the data-privacy controls the CTO set out in June 2026. Tie them to named workloads such as DC.gov AI search and the 311 app rebuild with OUC.
  • Brief City Administrator Donahue's GovOps team now, and plan to re-engage the Lewis George transition after November, because priorities and leadership may change in January 2027 and the next mayor inherits an $837M fiscal cliff.

Budget & Fiscal

OCTO's FY2027 approved operating budget is $113.2M, down 30.9% from $163.9M in FY2026, with FTEs falling from 206 to 195. Most of the drop comes from a $42.6M cut in federal grant funds (reduced 'to align the budget with projected grant awards'). The DC-Net operations line falls from $76.3M to $27.4M. Local funds fall 8.3% to $83.6M (the Mayor proposed $84.0M, which OCTO's April testimony gave as $83.9M, -7.9%). The capital side grows: $26.9M of approved FY27 capital (+68.9%) and $64.9M over FY27–32, including a new DC-Net network-electronics refresh. OCTO's testimony cited $22.6M (+41.9%) in proposed new capital allotments; the approved FY27 figure also includes $4.8M for RFK campus telecom conduit, less a $0.5M Council trim.

$113.2M1
OCTO operating (FY27 approved)
Down from $163.9M in FY26; 195 FTEs; local funds $83.6M
$26.9M2
OCTO capital (FY27 approved)
Up 68.9% on FY26; $64.9M across FY27–32 (proposal was $22.6M new allotments)
$1.1B11
FY27 budget gap closed
Mayor's proposal: $21.2B gross funds, $12.7B general funds

Initiatives & Priorities

Responsible AI under Mayor's Order 2024-028

The February 2024 Mayor's Order set six AI values and created an AI Task Force, led from OCTO. The Task Force won the inaugural AI 50 Award in August 2025 for live deployments including CORA (a child-welfare staff assistant), DC Compass (open-data chatbot) and Rent Registry AI. In February 2026 the District required all employees and contractors to take responsible-AI training and named Microsoft Copilot Chat as an approved enterprise tool.

AI Governance
DC-Net refresh and network security

DC-Net is the District's fibre backbone. OCTO's FY27 capital plan adds a new $14.1M Enterprise Cyber Security Initiative to replace aging and end-of-life network equipment on DC-Net, with related projects for end-of-life network electronics and enterprise backup hardware. A separate Distributed Antenna System program improves in-building radio and cellular coverage for public safety.

Network Infrastructure
Enterprise cloud, data exchange and IT asset management

ECIS hosts about 3,000 virtual servers, 2 PB of data and 500 shared databases for 80+ agencies. OCTO is moving integrations onto a Cloud Data Exchange, which went live with Fire/EMS in FY25, and is building IT asset management that will flag end-of-life hardware and centralize enterprise licences. Both give a view of what is due for refresh.

Cloud Data Infrastructure
Digital front door: DC.gov and 311

OCTO launched a beta of a redesigned DC.gov in June 2026, its first full redesign in over a decade. It runs on Drupal 11 and adds automatic translation, and AI-powered search is due after the official launch. After a failure of the 311 mobile app lasting more than a month in spring 2026, OUC and OCTO are rebuilding it and held resident design sessions in July and August 2026.

Digital Services AI
Cybersecurity program

OCTO's CTO reports more than 1 billion breach attempts defended in FY25 and almost 12,000 vulnerability assessments. OCTO is continuing zero-trust implementation and a District-wide rollout of single sign-on with multi-factor authentication. The FY27 capital plan funds new and replacement SOC hardware on a 5–8 year lifecycle.

Cybersecurity

Procurement

DC buys centrally through OCP, and OCTO acts as the technical and standards gate. OCTO also runs citywide IT contracts and enterprise licensing with OCP. Confirm three things: whether a need is already covered by a citywide or cooperative vehicle, whether OCTO's review applies, and which local partners hold positions on District vehicles. A Council procurement-reform bill co-introduced by the likely next mayor would reshape the DC Supply Schedule.

Vehicle / gateWhat it means for Dell
NASPO ValuePoint Computer Equipment — Dell participating addendum (DC)The District's participating addendum under Dell's NASPO ValuePoint Computer Equipment, Peripherals & Related Services contract (Dell master agreement 23026) covers desktops, laptops, tablets, servers, storage, peripherals and services. It expires June 30, 2027, so renewal needs to be worked in the FY27 window. Confirm which District contracting offices can order against it.
DC Supply Schedule (DCSS) — IT Equipment & Software categoryOCP's multiple-award schedule for commercial products and services. Government acquisition staff from DC and other jurisdictions in the region can place orders against it. Dell's reseller partners on the IT category are a direct ordering route. Bill B26-0594 proposes reforms to the schedule.
OCTO citywide IT contracts and enterprise licensingOCTO's IT Enterprise Licensing and Contract Management unit develops citywide IT contracts, reviews other agencies' IT procurements and, with OCP, runs enterprise licence agreements for all agencies. Get onto OCTO's standards early.
Agency-held budgets (OUC, MPD, DMV, DCPS)Public-safety communications (CAD, radio, mobile data), policing, DMV systems and school devices are funded from agency budgets, even though they still pass through OCP/OCTO processes. Pursue them agency by agency.

Spend Signals

GovSpend · as of Sep 21, 2026

District of Columbia government, executive branch — 80 GovSpend agency records (OCTO 54764, OCP 54761, DGS 54778, DDOT 55051, MPD 55032, FEMS 54776 and 74 other District agencies; full list in notes) · 3-yr · FY2023–2025

Dell vs. competitors (spend, payee)

Carahsoft reseller
$80.9M
CDW reseller
$70.2M
Avid Systems reseller
$62.6M
Networking For Future reseller
$49.6M
Advanced Network Consulting reseller
$47.4M
Iron Bow Technologies reseller
$8.1M
DLT Solutions reseller
$5.4M
Dell
$2.8M
Insight Public Sector reseller
$1.1M
SHI reseller
$1.1M

Top IT categories

$788.4MIT consulting, staffing & services
$394MSoftware
$11.1MComputers

Expiring contracts (re-compete)

ContractVendorExpires
FY26 DYRS Dell LaptopsAbc Technical Solutions IncDec 18, 2026
FY26 - DCSS RFDO Dell ComputersAbc Technical Solutions IncFeb 24, 2027
CISCO Firewall RefreshDisys Solutions IncMar 9, 2027
DFS- Cohesity Data ProjectAdvanced Network ConsultingMar 16, 2027
MPD-26-Digital Evidence Storage UpgradeDell Marketing L PApr 28, 2027
FY24 DELL Computers and EquipmentAbc Technical Solutions IncMay 29, 2027
OCTO FY26 Dell Flex DemandCarahsoft Technology CorporationJul 2, 2027

Open bids / RFPs

SolicitationDue
IBM WebSphere Liberty - IFB
Office of Contracting and Procurement
Sep 21, 2026
Request For Quotation-Printers and consumable supplies
Office of Contracting and Procurement
Sep 21, 2026
Doc847504 OPC DCSS Set Aside Information & Technology
Office of Contracting and Procurement
Sep 23, 2026
RFP - Interoperability and Patient Access System (IPAS)
Office of Contracting and Procurement
Oct 2, 2026
Record Management System - Doc846589 (Request for Information)
Office of Contracting and Procurement
Oct 2, 2026
Veeam Data Cloud Vault Foundation
Office of Contracting and Procurement
Nov 11, 2026

Power Structure

Decision-makerWhy they matter
Muriel Bowser
Mayor of the District of Columbia
Not seeking re-election; leaves office in January 2027. She returned the Council's FY27 budget unsigned, warning of an $837M fiscal cliff. Expect caution about starting large multi-year IT commitments late in her term.
Kevin Donahue
City Administrator
Oversees the GovOps cluster that contains OCTO, OCP, DGS, DCHR and DMV. Told the Council in March 2026 that GovOps leads the District's workplace AI efforts and procurement streamlining, and that FY27 would require re-evaluating priorities.
Stephen N. Miller
Chief Technology Officer & Director, OCTO
Owns DC-Net, ECIS cloud, enterprise applications, security and the AI program, and is the top relationship for the executive-branch motion. His stated priorities are the DC.gov redesign, expanding the Cloud Data Exchange, scaling responsible AI and maintaining the infrastructure backbone.
Suneel Cherukuri
Chief Information Security Officer
Named CISO in 2018, identified as D.C.'s CISO by StateScoop in February 2025, and still shown leading OCTO's Security division ('S. Cherukuri') on the January 2026 org chart. Owns the SOC, governance/risk/compliance and security engineering, and is the likely buyer for the SOC hardware-replacement capital project.
Nancy Hapeman
Chief Procurement Officer, OCP
Heads central contracting, including the DC Supply Schedule. The path onto District contracts and the approver of how cooperative vehicles are used.
Glen M. Lee
Chief Financial Officer (OCFO)
Certifies revenue. His June 2026 letter flagged heavy federal job losses and downside risks, and he objected to the Council using reserves. His September or December revenue revision will set the room for FY27 IT spending.
Janeese Lewis George
Democratic nominee for Mayor (Ward 4 Councilmember)
Won the June 16, 2026 Democratic primary and is the likely next mayor. She co-introduced B26-0594, which would consolidate procurement portals and reform the DC Supply Schedule. Her priorities will reset the executive agenda from January 2027.
Brianne Nadeau
Chair, Council Committee on Public Works and Operations
Oversees OCTO. She introduced the procurement-reform bill and chaired the June 2026 hearing on the Government Data Privacy and Protection Act.

News & Signals

Sep 2026
BudgetRevenue
DC Auditor lowers projected FY2026 revenue to $11.8B
An independent forecast from the Office of the D.C. Auditor, reported Sept. 2, cut projected FY26 revenue by $400M from a March analysis. It cited weaker job growth, falling commercial real-estate values and possible congressional action. Auditor Kathy Patterson said the direction worried her more than the numbers. Expect more revenue measures and tighter scrutiny of discretionary IT spending this fall.
Jul 2026
BudgetLeadership
Bowser returns FY2027 budget unsigned, citing an $837M fiscal cliff
The Mayor did not veto the Council's budget, so it goes to Congress. She warned that paying for recurring programs with one-time money leaves the next mayor an $837M cliff. OCTO's FY27 appropriation stands, but out-year IT funding is exposed.
Jul 2026
Digital Services311
OUC and OCTO open community design sessions for the next 311 app
On July 8 the District announced four resident design sessions (July 14 to Aug. 1) to shape the next version of the 311 mobile app. This followed spring outages. It shows that resident-facing service platforms are being rebuilt now.
Jun 2026
BudgetFederal Workforce
CFO holds revenue estimate flat; D.C. has lost 28,000 federal jobs since January 2025
CFO Glen Lee's June 30 certification left revenue unchanged but described a weakening local economy: total jobs down 47,000 year over year, unemployment at 6.1%, property-tax collections down 3.5% and office vacancy at 18.5%. The next revision is expected in September or December.
Jun 2026
PrivacyDataPolicy
CTO Miller testifies on the Government Data Privacy and Protection Act of 2026
At the June 29 hearing, Miller argued for privacy governance based on purpose limits, role-based access controls, audit logs and data inventories, rather than restrictions on data sharing. He cited data lakes and data exchanges as the model. Any data-platform or AI offer will need to show those controls.
Jun 2026
Budget
Council passes FY2027 budget, using $150M of reserves over CFO objection
The final vote on June 23 restored about $400M of the Mayor's cuts. The CFO warned the reserve draw would leave the plan unbalanced. This sets up the fiscal tension the next mayor inherits.
Jun 2026
LeadershipTransition
Janeese Lewis George wins Democratic mayoral primary
The Ward 4 Councilmember beat Kenyan McDuffie in the June 16 primary, taking over 52% to nearly 37%, and faces the November general election. Build relationships with the incoming team before the January 2027 handover.
Jun 2026
Digital Services311
311 mobile app outage traced to software glitch; migration planned
Residents reported more than a month of 311 app failures. OCTO and OUC attributed them to a software glitch and set a permanent fix to arrive with a migration to a new app version in July. The outage put public attention on the reliability of resident-facing systems.
Jun 2026
Digital ServicesAI
OCTO launches beta of a redesigned DC.gov
Unveiled June 11: the first full redesign in more than a decade, built on Drupal 11 with automatic translation, WCAG compliance and AI-powered search to follow the official launch. It is a visible OCTO priority for FY27.
Apr 2026
BudgetFederal Workforce
Bowser's final budget closes a $1.1B gap, citing federal workforce reductions
The proposed FY27 budget ($21.2B gross) addresses $700M in lower resources, from slower revenue growth and federal workforce cuts, plus $450M+ in rising costs. It includes a salary freeze.
Mar 2026
ProcurementPolicy
Council procurement-reform bill would consolidate portals and reform the DC Supply Schedule
B26-0594, from Nadeau with Lewis George and Parker and announced March 4, would create a single procurement portal with a forecast of upcoming solicitations, set up permanent pay-for-performance contracting, and update the DC Supply Schedule to allow direct agency purchases. Track it: the likely next mayor co-sponsored it.
Feb 2026
AIWorkforce
DC requires responsible-AI training for all government staff and contractors
Announced Feb. 12 as a first for a major U.S. city: training through InnovateUS, to be completed within 90 days, tied to Mayor's Order 2024-028. Microsoft Copilot Chat is named as an approved enterprise tool that keeps data in the District's domain. AI adoption is governed and moving ahead.

Sources

  1. DC OCFO — FY2027 Approved Budget: Office of the Chief Technology Officer (TO0) chapter
  2. DC OCFO — FY2027 Approved Capital Budget: Office of the Chief Technology Officer (TO0)
  3. DC OCTO — CTO Stephen Miller FY25 & FY26 Performance Oversight Hearing Testimony (Feb 2026)
  4. DC Council — OCTO performance oversight attachments, incl. org chart effective Jan 12, 2026
  5. DC OCTO — DC Names New Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
  6. DC GovOps — Agencies in the Government Operations cluster
  7. DC OCP — Key Personnel
  8. DC OCP — District of Columbia Supply Schedule (DCSS)
  9. DC OCP — Information Technology, Equipment and Software (DCSS Schedule Category)
  10. Mayor's Office — Mayor Bowser Presents FY27 Budget (Apr 10, 2026)
  11. 7News WJLA — DC Mayor Bowser unveils budget for FY 2027 (Apr 10, 2026)
  12. WTOP — DC Council passes budget amid CFO dispute (Jun 23, 2026)
  13. WTOP — Mayor cites '$837 million fiscal cliff' as she declines to sign D.C. budget (Jul 28, 2026)
  14. DC OCFO — June 2026 Revenue Estimate letter from CFO Glen Lee (Jun 30, 2026)
  15. WTOP — Independent analysis lowers DC's projected revenue for fiscal year 2026 (Sep 2, 2026)
  16. DC OCTO — DC Becomes First Major U.S. City to Require Responsible AI Training for Government Workforce (Feb 12, 2026)
  17. DC OCTO — Artificial Intelligence Task Force Wins Inaugural AI 50 Award (Aug 2025)
  18. DC OCTO — Bowser Administration Unveils Reimagined DC.gov (Jun 11, 2026)
  19. Technical.ly — AI is coming to DC.gov as the US capital overhauls its website (Aug 2026)
  20. The 51st — DC's 311 app for residents to request city services is broken (Jun 2026)
  21. DC OCTO — DC's Next 311 App: Resident Engagement Sessions Coming This Summer (Jul 8, 2026)
  22. DC OCTO — CTO Stephen Miller's Government Data Privacy and Protection Act of 2026 Testimony (Jun 29, 2026)
  23. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau — Bill would increase transparency and streamline contracting & procurement (Mar 4, 2026)
  24. WTOP — DC primary election results: McDuffie concedes to Lewis George (Jun 18, 2026)
  25. DC Office of the City Administrator — Testimony of City Administrator Donahue, Performance Oversight Hearing (Mar 2026)
  26. DC OCFO — FY2027 Approved Budget: Office of Unified Communications (UC0) chapter
  27. 7News WJLA — DC Public Schools grapples with tech spending scrutiny (Oct 2024)
  28. Dell — NASPO ValuePoint Computer Equipment, Peripherals & Related Services contract 23026
  29. StateScoop — Convincing users key for zero trust rollouts, city CISO says (Feb 19, 2025)