Not all programs need to be rapid
Acquisition reform initiatives continue to make a difference, many resulting in delivering capability to the warfighter as quickly as possible. The key to success in […]
Management
Update on rapid acquisition and delegation
Here is a GAO report on the implementation of DOD acquisition reform, including: (1) delegation of Major Defense Acquisition Programs from OSD control to the […]
The culture change associated with rapid acquisition
Francis: What is with all the science fiction references in all of these [software] programs? Star Wars, Kobayashi, where’d that come from? Lauren: Well, you […]
The defense innovation ecosystem in one chart
Here’s a useful chart showing the defense innovation ecosystem all in one chart. Check it out a high-resolution image over at LinkedIn or download the […]
Rapid acquisition pathways for software — Sec. 801 (FY20 NDAA)
… the Secretary of Defense shall establish guidance authorizing the use of acquisition pathways… for the rapid acquisition of software applications and software upgrades that […]
The rush to obligate funds before fiscal year end
Throughout the acquisition community there is a strong cultural belief that if funds are not obligated, they will be reallocated to other projects or reduced […]
How the Army budget process works
Contrary to what one might expect from the budget process, most of the actual horse-trading happens at a higher level inside the Pentagon during a […]
Lessons from France on fixed-price contracting
There is much to like about how the French do weapon systems acquisition, and we in the US need to pay more attention: In the […]
Acquisition workforce confined to a fishbowl
Sixteen years ago, the National Commission on the Public Service (known as the “Second Volcker Commission”), reported that the federal government was not adequately staffed […]
Problem areas of Earned Value Management
This is from a March 1969 article that discusses the Air Force’s implementation of the C/SCPS, which later became known as Earned Value Management: AFSC […]
Contracts delayed by too many cooks in the kitchen
The larger the acquisition involved, the more people get involved. Just to get the RFP [Request for Proposal] out the door on the government side, […]
Thorny questions about Air Force’s pronounced 100 years of savings
The U.S. Air Force has stripped 100 years out of the schedules of its acquisition programs, the service’s top civilian announced Thursday. “The Air […]
Will DIU finally make contract awards in 60 days?
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), an agency created in 2015 to accelerate the adoption of commercial technology to solve national security problems, is trying to […]
How long does it take to get through a DAB milestone review?
Programs we surveyed spent on average over 2 years completing the steps necessary to document up to 49 information requirements for their most recent acquisition […]
The more things change, acquisition reform remains the same
History offers little to suggest that today’s acquisition reform will succeed where its predecessor efforts failed… Behavioral change is needed to effect any transformation. Acquisition […]