Acquisition Research Program Newsletter: September 8, 2023

This part of the newsletter caught my attention.  I then scanned through the 115 page Rand report.

Quote

RAND is out with a new report identifying a lack of integration and transparency in space acquisition and various experimentation efforts at the Space Force.

• One of their recommendations:  "Implement a cultural change that valuesenterprise and mission success over personal or individual program success."

This isn’t uncommon in organizations, especially new ones like this which was only created seven years ago.  Tying this into our own contracting field, this recommendation should be implemented in a lot of agencies.  Too many contract offices see their objective as making quick and protest free awards.  When that happens they move on to the next pre-award assignment.  This is often done using quick and easy (from their standpoint) procurement approaches like LPTA.  They don’t understand the basics about program needs, industry capabilities, best practices, and market research.  They expect program offices to write up most all the documents themselves leaving the contracting staff to just generate the solicitation and a few other pieces.  There’s little regard into what works best to fulfill program needs.

However this isn’t true everywhere.  I know NASA, parts of HHS, major sections of DHS, FAA, and IRS do well in this area.  I know Joel H. Often mentions here how his office Corp of Engineers is closely involved with his technical group.  Some of these organizations successfully integrate contracting into accomplishment of agency and program mission.

Acquisition Research Program Newsletter: October 20, 2023