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 […]
oversight
Rep. Mike Gallagher on multiyear procurement, budget, and oversight
Here’s a slice from a great episode of Hondo Geurts and Lauren Bedula’s Building the Base podcast with Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI). The Pentagon doesn’t […]
Has Congress descended from oversight to micromanagement?
Here’s a slice from a conversation between Peter Levine, Bob Work, and Susanna Blume on Peter’s recent book: Defense Management Reform. Bob Work: I do […]
Middle-Tier of Acquisition is under serious threat unless oversight can think differently
Here’s an update on Middle-Tier of Acquisition (MTA) authorities and how they are facing serious backlash from oversight. MTAs, of course, provide DoD rapid prototyping […]
USD R&E Heidi Shyu on the valley of death, DIU, and budget reform
In a recent HASC hearing on S&T, several congress members bombarded USD R&E Heidi Shyu with questions about Defense Innovation Unit. Rep. Seth Moulton, who […]
GAO struggles to define oversight for the Adaptive Acquisition Framework
Here’s the General Accountability Office’s take on Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) in space systems from a recent report. Remember, MTA efforts must be rapidly […]
We’re never going to beat China with that kind of oversight!
Here is a Air Force head of contracting authority Maj. Gen. Cameron Holt discussing an interesting new proposal: [Line of Effort] 3 is called “owning […]
DoDIG heaps praise on use of middle-tier rapid acquisition
DoD acquisition personnel effectively leveraged the MTA [middle tier of acquisition] pathway for all 11 of the programs we reviewed to rapidly develop prototypes and […]
Podcast: Getting more for our defense dollars with Fred Bartels and Philip Candreva
I was pleased to be invited for a discussion with Philip Candreva and Frederico Bartels hosted by the Heritage Foundation. Philip is a senior lecturer […]
If Congress doesn’t make multi-billion dollar weapon decisions, who should?
Senator Karl Mundt expressed it in hearings on PPBS conducted in 1967: We used to face the question: “How much should we spend for a […]
How DoD’s innovation fund can avoid becoming a slush fund
Back in March, Matt MacGregor and I wrote an article with the provocative title, A bridge fund won’t solve the Pentagon’s emerging tech problem. While […]
Why DoD needs more uncorrelated experiments
The thing that I will cry from the rooftops is that we just need more uncorrelated experiments. If you spend all the money in the […]
OSD’s data-driven oversight of the military services and an alternative path forward
GAO’s Shelby Oakley: I think the biggest thing that I see right now that is a challenge for Ms. Cummings’ office is their ability to, […]
Podcast: PPBE Reform Panel 2 — From Ideas to Implementation
In this second discussion on the future of the Planning-Programming-Budgeting-Execution (PPBE) process, Center for Government Contracting executive director Jerry McGinn hosts a distinguished panel including: […]
A bridge fund can’t solve the Pentagon’s emerging tech problem
Matt MacGregor and I published an article in Defense News outlining five reasons that a bridge fund or prototyping fund won’t solve DoD’s valley of […]