The review is to produce a plan to use existing authorities to expedite acquisitions. Image: monticello/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffAn executive order from President Trump directing a “comprehensive overhaul” of DoD acquisition policies includes provisions for the department’s acquisition workforce, which it calls “a national strategic asset that will be decisive in any conflict.”
It cites as a goal to “rapidly reform our antiquated defense acquisition processes with an emphasis on speed, flexibility, and execution. We will also modernize the duties and composition of the defense acquisition workforce, as well as incentivize and reward risk-taking and innovation from these personnel.”
The review is to produce a plan that includes how to: use existing authorities to expedite acquisitions; “eliminate unnecessary tasks, reduce duplicative approvals, and centralize decision-making”; and manage risk for all acquisition programs through a steering board.
A separate review of the acquisition workforce is to address:
* “The restructuring of performance evaluation metrics for acquisition workforce members to include the ability to demonstrate and apply a first consideration of commercial solutions, adaptive acquisition pathways through the Adaptive Acquisition Framework, and iterative requirements based on the perspective of the end user.”
* “An analysis of acquisition workforce staff levels required to develop, deliver, and sustain warfighting capabilities.”
* Establishing field training teams on “implementing innovative acquisition authorities.”
* Putting in place policies “to incentivize acquisition officials to, in good faith, utilize innovative acquisition authorities and take measured and calculated risks.”
A separate memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on reducing the department’s spending on contracts stresses using the department’s own employees instead—so-called “contracting in.”
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