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 […]
reprogramming
The incredible decline of DoD execution flexibility has created the so-called “valley of death”
Here are some excerpts from our recent report at Mason GovCon, Execution Flexibility and Bridging the Valley of Death. Caution: Just how much the purse […]
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 […]
Case study on the Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell (JRAC)
After the start of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, each of the services and Central Command established processes for dealing with urgent requirements on the […]
Data: How DoD reprogramming has changed (1961 – 2019)
I talk a lot about budget portfolios and PPBE reform on this blog. Today’s excessive detail in the defense budget requires long planning timelines. By […]
When acquisition theory runs into funding realities
In unmanned maritime systems, the Navy’s learning curve and operational experience is rapidly accelerating… For example, Task Force 59 is challenging the process in which […]
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 […]
Space Force doubles down on budget portfolios, but must think carefully about the structure
“One of the things that we’re trying to do out of our office is to think about: How would we manage by portfolio as opposed […]
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: […]
The extreme pain of DoD reprogramming
The length of time between the start of budget planning and execution strains any organization’s predictive capabilities. The process effectively asks the individuals and organization […]
The birth of the F-18 and how the Navy defied of Congress
In some ways, the institutional challenges faced by the F-16 pale in comparison to those faced by the F-18. The program faced cancellation by Congress […]
Podcast: Don Vandergriff on dropping Taylorism and adopting mission command
I was pleased to have Don Vandergriff on the Acquistion Talk podcast. Don is a prolific educator of military training and strategy, and he has […]
The boarder wall and reprogramming authority in the DOD
While serving as undersecretary of defense (comptroller), I presided over DoD financial management during the dark days of 2013 when sequestration slashed funding for military […]