President Obama’s nominee to head the Office of Federal Procurement Policy told a Senate committee that if confirmed he would work to increase the size of the acquisition workforce and improve training.
Daniel Gordon, currently the acting general counsel for GAO, echoed points made in a recent White House memo outlining an acquisition workforce development strategic plan, which called for a 5 percent increase in workforce size.
He told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that the size of the procurement workforce has not kept pace with a dramatic increase in the procurement budget.
“We need to focus our attention on developing an acquisition workforce — including contracting officers’ technical representatives and program managers, as well as contracting officers and contract specialists – -that allows us to meet our mission goals and deliver value to the public,” Gordon said.
Other priorities he voiced during the hearing – some reflected in the recently White House memo — include finding ways to save money and reduce risk, improve acquisition planning, and strengthening contract management.
Committee chair Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., and ranking member Susan Collins, R-Maine, both offered supportive statements.
“I am pleased the President has turned to a seasoned expert in this field to serve as the administrator of OFPP,” Lieberman said, complimenting Gordon on a well-rounded understanding of the procurement process.
Collins noted Gordon’s 20-plus years of private and public experience in the federal acquisition system, including teaching about the federal procurement system at George Washington University Law School.