We got a killer line up at the annual GMU/DAU conference including USD A&S Bill LaPlante, USD R&E Heidi Shyu, PPBE Commissioner Ellen Lord, former DIU chief Michael Brown, and a lot more! Its going down November 4, 2022, so block off your calendar and register below. Looking forward to seeing you at the conference!
Fireside Chat 1: Bridging the Valley of Death
9:00am – 10:00am ET
The first keynote panel will focus on how the Department of Defense is working to scale innovation efforts to meet national security threats facing the United States. Whether it is increasing production lines to support the deployment of capabilities to Ukraine or to establish funds for innovative prototypes in production, DoD is working to scale innovation to better equip our warfighters in the future.
Panel 1: PPBE Reform – How Does Money Impact Tech Transition?
10:15am-11:15am ET
One of the major issues that prompted Congress to create the Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) Reform was its impact on technology transition. One notable issue is the failure of technology transition over the “valley of death” between experimental projects and programs of record. For example, the October 2021 Department of Defense Prototyping Handbook finds that “The PPBE process takes nearly two years from the time a funding need is identified to the time funding is available. In the fast-paced world of technology development, this lag in funding can prevent the timely development and deployment of a capability needed to address an emerging threat.”
What’s Next for Small Business Innovation?
11:25am – 12:25pm ET
This panel will discuss the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and its contribution to innovations in the defense, civilian, and private sectors. With its upcoming renewal in FY23, it is important to focus on how the SBIR program can contribute to improving the U.S. utilization of the industrial base. Beyond SBIR, what can be done to incentivize small business innovation across the Federal government.
Fireside Chat 2: The Role of Acquisition in Force Structure Transformation
1:50pm – 2:50pm ET
Just as the future of warfare will depend on new technologies, networks, and concepts of operations, these enablers of change must all run through the acquisition process. The idea that the acquisition process is itself a weapon of war—no less significant than the guns, airplanes, and rockets turned out by democracy’s arsenal—is an old concept. However, the return of strategic competition with peer adversaries puts a renewed emphasis on speed and assigns value to time. The Department of Defense cannot afford multi-decade timelines to regain the clear overmatch to deter foreign aggression.
Panel 3: Workforce Next
3:00pm – 4:00pm ET
The concluding panel focuses on the government contracting workforce. The federal government and contracting workforces are critical to agencies’ ability to address the complex social, economic, and security challenges facing the United States. However, across all federal agencies, mission-critical skill gaps are weakening the ability of federal agencies to carry out their missions. Many agencies have experienced challenges in attracting talent, retaining talent, and providing the necessary training to address mission needs. Without careful attention to strategic human capital management, the federal government and its contractors may continue to struggle to compete for workers with the skills needed to address the nation’s challenges.
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