Changing the Acquisition Process for a New World Order

摘要

The Chinese blessing (or curse), 'May you live in interesting times', iscertainly applicable in today's world. The crumbling of the Berlin wall and subsequent end of the Cold War prompted former President Bush to proclaim a 'new world order' had arrived. Unfortunately, the new world order is more a world of disorder. This paper explores the ramifications of these profound changes to the Department of Defense's acquisition process. The changes are a result of the shift in national military strategy from reliance on forces-in-being to a reliance on military potential. The following changes are discussed in the paper: (1) A More Flexible Acquisition Process; (2) Fewer New Starts/More Existing Program Upgrades; (3) Decrease in the Number of Production Programs; (4) Increased Focus on the Ability to Reconstitute; (5) Increased Emphasis on Four ' ... ilities'; and (6) Increased Reliance on Prototyping. Because of its importance, the subject of prototyping is examined in detail. But a prototype in and of itself does not represent a warfighting capability. A strategy must be devised to take a system that has been developed through low rate production and then 'shelved', through production restart. The following recommendations are then discussed: (1) Design Producibility In From the Start; (2) Increase Manufacturing Technology and Process Investment; (3) Develop 'Smart' Shutdown Technologies; (4) Develop a Long Lead Procurement Strategy; (5) Increase Reliance on Government/Commercial Integration; and (6) Increase Use of Lean Production Techniques. If the United States is to remain the leader of the 'new world order', the DOD acquisition process must change to adjust.