Effects Through Acquisition: Leveraging the Power of Contingency Contracting.

摘要

Contingency contracting is a potent force available to commanders in Afghanistan. Acquisition efforts support the counterinsurgency (COIN) mission, using business and economic operations as a stabilization tool to bolster local development. Conversely, wasted or misused dollars can hinder long-term stabilization, fund the enemy, and fuel corruption. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, NATO and U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A) contracted for services and goods totaling approximately $14 billion roughly equal to Afghanistan s GDP for the same year. This year, estimates are that combined contracting activities may exceed Afghanistan s GDP. Given the scale of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) contracting, the opportunities--and risks--are significant. Despite the stakes, there is still much to do to strategically leverage our economic power via contracting Integrated processes drive every kinetic operation in a counterinsurgency environment, and equivalent effort is needed on the acquisition side. Unified standards and a streamlined approach to contingency contracting are needed; today, more than 70 disparate offices are involved in the process. We must have unity of effort, and we must find a means to translate strategy into joint execution. After nearly 10 years of operations in Afghanistan, we have not achieved this model; how can we do so.