Purpose: Provide high quality content on the management, technology, and political-economy of defense acquisition. Advocate for reforming the resource allocation process, among others areas. Follow me on Twitter, @AcqTalk. Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Background: I spent 7 years as a consultant, primarily sitting in the Pentagon with OSD CAPE working on cost data and economic analyses. I assisted other clients including the GAO, Canada Public Works, DASA-CE, and NAVSEA. I also have been a regular participant at the International Cost Estimating and Analysis Association conference, where I have received 5 best paper awards including co-best paper overall in 2018.
How I got here: I spent nights and weekends researching the history of defense acquisition for several years, eventually leading to a book project. In October 2018, I received an Emergent Ventures fellowship from Tyler Cowen to work at the Mercatus Center, George Mason University. In addition to finishing the manuscript on acquisition history, I started the Acquisition Talk blog and podcast. Since January 2020, I have been a researcher with Mason GovCon.
Interest Areas: (1) Budget flexibility and PPBE reform; (2) Cost and pricing compliance as a barrier to entry; (3) Expanding government in-house development to aid in contract decisions; and (4) Exploring ways to manage the industrial base to prepare for emergencies and existential threats.
Contact: Please reach out to me! Feel free to fill out the contact form or just shoot me an email at Lofgren.e.m@gmail.com.
Articles/Appearances:
2021. “A bridge fund can’t solve DoD’s emerging tech problem.” Defense News. 03/15/2021.
2021. “How to Reconnect the Pentagon’s Strategy to its Budget.” Defense One. 02/08/2021.
2021. “Biden Administration has opportunity to set new precedents in contracting.” Government Matters interview. 01/21/2021.
2020. “Pricing Innovation: Century-old Cost-Basing Doesn’t Work.” NCMA Magazine. 12/01/2020.
2020. “Preparing the US Industrial Base for Mobilization.” Government Matters interview. 11/09/2020.
2020. “AFWERX and innovation in the Air Force.” Government Matters interview. 09/14/2020.
2020. “Analysis: What does the new AFWERX data say about the tech pipeline?” Defense News. 09/11/2020.
2020. “Planning for cuts in the defense budget over time.” Government Matters interview. 08/11/2020.
2020. “Will defense budgets remain “sticky” after Covid-19? Defense News. 05/26/2020.
2020. “The role of government in the innovative ecosystem.” Government Matters interview. 2/20/2020.
2020. “Should the Pentagon stop playing the role of venture capitalist?” Defense News. 02/13/2020.
2020. “Obstacles and Opportunities in the Pentagon’s Software Acquisition Pathway.” Federal Times. 02/10/2020.
2020. “Crafting policy for Middle-Tier Acquisitions.” Government Matters interview. 01/14/2020.
2020. “Too many cooks in the DoD: New policy may suppress rapid acquisition.” Defense News. 01/02/2020.
2019. “Will the Space Force control it’s own destiny?” Defense News. 12/26/2019.
2019. “Can the Pentagon tap into a soaring ‘deep tech’ ecosystem?” Defense News. 12/23/2019
2019. “A Guide to Not Killing or Mutilating Artificial Intelligence Research.” War on the Rocks. 08/16/2019.
Papers:
2020. The Next Frontier of Acquisition Reform: The Budget Process. GMU white paper based on a Naval Postgraduate School Symposium paper.
2018. Cost and Competition in US Defense Acquisition. Presented to International Cost Estimating and Analysis Association (ICEAA). Winner: Best Paper Overall.
2018. Processes of Weapon Systems Innovation. Presented to ICEAA.
2017. A History of Thought in Defense Acquisition. Presented to ICEAA. Winner: Best Paper in Category, Policy & Operations.
2017. (Primary Author). Inflation and Escalation Best Practices for Cost Analysis: Analyst Handbook. Written for OSD CAPE.
2017. Trust, but Verify: An Improved Estimating Technique Using the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS). Measurable News, College of Performance Management. 2017.04.
2016. Putting Schedule Quality Checks to the Test. ICEAA. Winner: Best Paper in Category, Management, EVM, and Scheduling.
2015. Hyperbolic Discounting and Defense Acquisition. ICEAA.
2013. ODASA-CE Software Growth Research. ICEAA. Winner: Best Paper in Category, Information Technology.
Videos:
Effectiveness over Efficiency: Preparing the US Industrial Base for Mobilization.
PPBS and Systems Analysis Intellectual Background.
Space Force Acquisition, Border Wall Reprogramming, and more.
Quoted:
2021. “DOD Tech Outreach Undermined By Contracting Barriers.” Law 360. 03/24/2021.
2020. “New White House Unlikely to Drastically Alter Defense Budget.” Law 360. 11/08/2020.
2020. “Cumbersome Defense Reprogramming Process Hampers National Defense and Should Be Streamlined.” Heritage Foundation. 10/13/2020.
2020. “Behind Anduril’s Effort to Create an Operating System for War“. Wired. 10/08/2020.
2020. “How do you bridge the valley of death? Bring a ladder.” Defense News. 10/08/2020.
2020. “Renewed Great Power Competition: Implications for Defense — Issues for Congress.” Congressional Research Service. 09/30/2020.
2020. “Fighter Jet Acquisition Plan Faces Strong Headwinds.” Law360. 09/25/2020/
2020. “Yes, America’s Military Budget Process Is Terrible.” National Interest. 08/29/2020.
2020. “The Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance and Man Machine Teaming.” Second Line of Defense. 06/28/2020. (More here.)
2019. “New Ethics Framework may draw AI firms into DoD.” Law360. 11/08/2019.
2019. “Improving resiliency in military systems will require organizational and cultural shifts.” MIT Lincoln Labs. 11/06/2019.
2019. “Innovation Engine.” Virginia Business. 10/30/2019.
2018. “A behind-the-scenes look at Emergent Ventures.” Mercatus Center. 10/31/2018.