An uncertain future for Middle-Tier of Acquisition
Here’s a couple slices from an interesting Breaking Defense article on Middle-Tier of Acquisition (MTA) pathway for rapid prototyping and rapid fielding. First, what’s going […]
Management
The problem of program manager tenure in DoD
Many of the great defense programs of the World War II and early Cold War periods were intimately associated with PMs of significant tenure: Bill […]
DoD reprogrammed nearly $5 billion to increase munitions procurement in FY 22 in response to the Ukraine conflict
DoD’s Comptroller puts out budget execution data every quarter in a form called the DD1416s, which basically hasn’t changed since the early 1960s. It details […]
Can you pass the “Ships Test?” Issues of defense requirements
Here’s an interesting slice of Lockheed Martin’s Inside Skunk Works podcast on something called the “ships” test: The bottom line is don’t add rules that […]
Problem areas in software and facilities modernization
Here are a couple interesting excerpts from former deputy Comptroller Don Shycoff’s book, The Business of Defense: Historically, procurement appropriations funded equipment for DOD support […]
How DoD’s budget process keeps it on the wrong side of the ‘valley of death’
Here is a slice from an article by Jared Serbu recapping a discussion with Jerry McGinn and myself: In fiscal year 1956, the Army didn’t […]
What is portfolio management and how can it speed up defense tech insertion
Jerry McGinn and I joined Vago Muradian on the Defense and Aerospace report to discuss our recent webinar event with James Ruocco, Katie Wheelbarger, and […]
Event: Funding flexibility & bridging the valley of death
If a company brings a new technology or solution to the Department of Defense, officials have few sources of funding that allow them to capitalize […]
DoD’s hands are being tied when it comes to money
Every year, DoD is losing flexibility to put money where it matters most. DoD submits a budget with more than 1,800 program elements (PEs) for […]
A federated approach to JADC2 is the only way to field interoperability before 2027
Jerry McGinn and I joined Vago Muradian on the Defense & Aerospace report to discuss our recent paper on Execution Flexibility and Bridging the Valley […]
It takes exceptional people to do average work with DoD’s budgeting system
“I had a boss one time who said the processes and systems we have [in PPBE] are such that it takes exceptional people to do […]
Bridging the “Valley of Death” in DoD does not require new laws!
Execution flexibility is DoD jargon for delegated authority to move money. It is the most direct way to increase decision speed. Since 1960, execution flexibility […]
DoD’s end-to-end budget cycle must be compressed to one year, max
Here’s a lengthy slice from the recently exited DIU director Michael Brown on the Venture Stories podcast discussing a major barrier to military innovation. I’ll […]
Why it’s so hard to accelerate change as a junior officer
Here’s an insightful episode of the Defense Unicorns podcast with Artem Sherbinin, a Lieutenant in the US Navy who was integral to the first applying […]
How SOCOM makes price tradeoffs to accelerate contract delivery
Here is Paul Weisgarber and Noel Burke on the Air Force Contracting Experience podcast discussing their experience working with Special Operations Command (SOCOM) through the […]