Reforming Defense business Practices via Pendulum

[here_2_help]

So now I've been doing this long enough to notice the swings of the pendulum.

Today Bob published (on the main page) a link to recent SECDEF comments. With respect to reforming defense business practices, the DoD press release quoted SECDEF as follows: "Transforming the enterprise, the secretary said, 'will require delegating decision authority in many cases to the outer edges of the enterprises to unleash the great ideas we find among our bright and committed airmen. It's also important to integrate this across the joint force, because the real strength we've exhibited over 16 years of war is jointness.'"

I seem to recall that DCAA blamed a focus on decentralization in the 1990's (the Kelman approach) as the root cause for many of its problems, and thus has been moving toward a more central control since the early 2000's. Now, perhaps, we'll see the pendulum swing back to empowering COs without the need for Boards of Review....

[napolik]

1 hour ago, here_2_help said:

Now, perhaps, we'll see the pendulum swing back to empowering COs without the need for Boards of Review....

I wonder if the COs today have the knowledge, skills and disposition to swing on the pendulum.

[napolik]

3 hours ago, napolik said:

I wonder if the COs today have the knowledge, skills and disposition to swing on the pendulum.

I suspect not. But, perhaps the automated procurement systems, or a more sophisticated AI cousin, can empower them to read, assess, decide and act correctly.

B-414785, Bluewater Management Group, LLC, September 18, 2017
http://www.gao.gov/products/B-414785

Quote

The FSS program, directed and managed by GSA, gives federal agencies a simplified process for obtaining commonly used commercial supplies and services.  FAR § 8.401(a).  Orders placed using the procedures established for the FSS program satisfy the requirement for full and open competition.  41 U.S.C. § 259(b)(3); FAR § 6.102(d)(3).  Non-FSS products and services may not be purchased using FSS procedures; instead, their purchase requires compliance with the applicable procurement laws and regulations, including those requiring the use of competitive procedures.  Symplicity Corp., B-291902, Apr. 29, 2003, 2003 CPD ¶ 89 at 4.  Where an agency orders from an existing FSS, all items quoted and ordered are required to be on the vendor's schedule contract as a precondition to receiving an order.  Science Applications Int'l Corp., B-401773, Nov. 10, 2009, 2009 CPD ¶ 229 at 2. 

Quote

[6] While we sustain the protest on the basis that the transportation services were beyond the scope of DMC's schedule contract, we note that the statement of work for SIN 653-9 states that task orders for lodging services under that SIN must be at least 30 days in duration.  AR, Tab 14, SIN 653-9 Statement of Work, at 1 (emphasis added).  This minimum stay is similarly reflected in DMC's and Bluewater's schedule 48 contract brochures.  See AR, Tab 16, DMC Schedule 48 Brochure, at 1; see also AR, Tab 18, Bluewater Schedule 48 Brochure, at 4.  However, the scope of work in the solicitation expressly states that the task order is not intended for stays in excess of 30 days.  RFQ at 8. 

 

[bob7947]

napolik:

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here_2_help:

Contracting in this country is run by politicians and political hacks that blow a lot of hot air.  Contracting folks must view themselves as if they are on a poor Caribbean island waiting for all the hot air from Washinton City to form into a hurricane.  Once it does, and they are hit by the hurricane, they are left to pick up the pieces of rubble left by the hurricane and make the contracting process work.  Then they wait for the next mass of Washinton City hot air to form into another huricane and watch it kick around the contracting process rubble.  Of course, by now, the contracting folks on the island are spinning in the dust from successive hurricanes and they make mistakes as they try to patch the contracting process together.  By now, the Washington City politicians get wind of the situation and send GAO into the rubble to report back to them.  GAO, after landing on the wrong island several times, finally finds the contracting folks on their wrecked island and reports back to Congress that things are a mess.  By now, GAO has told the IGs where contracting island is, and after several failed landings on the wrong island, some IGs find contracting island also.  They report back to their Washington City political hacks who work with the politicians to fix the contracting mess on contracting island.  As the politicians and political hacks work together, another mass of hot air begins to form around Washington City.  It is only a matter of time for that hot air to form into another hurricane, which inevitably will hit the contracting rubble on contracting island again.  And the process repeats.

[here_2_help]

I'm glad to see that time has not diminished your sense of cynicism, Bob.

Further, I suspect you missed the role of the FAR Councils, whose job it is to focus and aim all that hot air so that it hits the wrong island. And then to blame the contracting folks for being on the wrong island.

And perhaps you missed the role of Fort Lee, whose job it is to build bridges between the islands where there are no contracting folks.

[Guest PepeTheFrog]

On 9/22/2017 at 9:21 AM, bob7947 said:

Contracting in this country is run by politicians and political hacks that blow a lot of hot air.  Contracting folks must view themselves as if they are on a poor Caribbean island waiting for all the hot air from Washinton City to form into a hurricane.  Once it does, and they are hit by the hurricane, they are left to pick up the pieces of rubble left by the hurricane and make the contracting process work.  Then they wait for the next mass of Washinton City hot air to form into another huricane and watch it kick around the contracting process rubble.  Of course, by now, the contracting folks on the island are spinning in the dust from successive hurricanes and they make mistakes as they try to patch the contracting process together.  By now, the Washington City politicians get wind of the situation and send GAO into the rubble to report back to them.  GAO, after landing on the wrong island several times, finally finds the contracting folks on their wrecked island and reports back to Congress that things are a mess.  By now, GAO has told the IGs where contracting island is, and after several failed landings on the wrong island, some IGs find contracting island also.  They report back to their Washington City political hacks who work with the politicians to fix the contracting mess on contracting island.  As the politicians and political hacks work together, another mass of hot air begins to form around Washington City.  It is only a matter of time for that hot air to form into another hurricane, which inevitably will hit the contracting rubble on contracting island again.  And the process repeats.

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