DOD Materiel Acquisition: Level Problems Require High Level Cures

摘要

Approximately $117.9 billion of the $292.9 billion annual DOD budget is allocatedto acquisition programs. It has been estimated that for every $1.44 expended, the government receives only $1.00 of goods and services in return. In other words, inefficiencies account for in excess of $36 billion in lost purchasing power each year. The Congress has attempted to cure the ills of acquisition by legislating the DOD process to perfection . But like earlier DOD initiatives, the Congress attempted cures through piecemeal legislation. As a result, the acquisition process is still an inefficient bureaucratic mess. Major problems with the process were solicited from a cross-section of key players in the acquisition community--from industry, project management offices, and government agencies directly affiliated with defense acquisition. Based on recommendations, insights, experiences, and research, the author provides recommendations for how to improve the acquisition process. Success of this proposal rests with the willingness of the Executive and Legislative Branches to commit jointly to a comprehensive program of reform. There is precedence--in 1990 the Administration and the Congress negotiated a cap to the FY1991-1995 budget to reduce the effects of the national deficit.