GAO warns Pentagon against prizing acquisition speed over reliability

摘要

The Government Accountability Office has noticed the Defense Department's increased emphasis on accelerating its notoriously slow acquisition system, but the watchdog agency is concerned weapon system reliability might be sacrificed at the expense of speed. "Recent DOD actions have highlighted the importance of emphasizing reliability with contractors,'" GAO wrote in a Jan. 14 report. "In light of the current focus on accelerating the acquisition process, balancing the desire for speed with reliability considerations is critical." GAO notes the department recently began employing the Middle Tier Acquisition pathway for prototype programs that will be allowed to sidestep the traditional procurement process if they can be completely fielded within five years.