Installation Acquisition Transformation revises implementation plan

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WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  Air Force officials here recently completed a comprehensive restructuring of installation acquisition within the continental United States, dubbed Installation Acquisition Transformation, and adopted a revised implementation strategy. 

The Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st century high-value initiative to expand strategic sourcing and increase personnel and resource efficiency was approved in August 2007. 

The original construct, introduced five regional groups to handle the bulk of installation contracting and consolidated management and oversight under Air Force Materiel Command officials. During the implementation planning, several factors caused Air Force contracting leaders to relook at the risks involved. 

Lessons learned from other transformation efforts coupled with the economic downturn indicated few of the personnel needed to staff the regional groups would actually move. In addition, infrastructure and information technology upgrades failed to materialize, Contracting operations and deployment tempo elevated, and key stakeholders, while agreeing on the need for Installation Acquisition Transformation, voiced concerns on the implementation. 

In a joint memorandum released in early July, Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz described the transformation as "the most expeditious approach for the Air Force to mitigate the risks of operating within the constraints of reduced installation budgets." 

Air Force contracting officials say the revised implementation plan will allow strategic sourcing benefits to be realized sooner and maintains a commitment to the mission and workforce. "The foundation of our transformation remains the same," said Roger S. Correll, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for contracting. "What we are changing is how we reach the goal of strategically sourcing the enterprise." 

The revised implementation plan creates a new organization aligned to AFMC with a focus on enterprise strategic sourcing and will include current Air Force Commodity Councils and certain arms of specialized installation contracting. 

According to Stephanie Rohrer, the strategic sourcing lead for the deputy assistant security secretary for contracting, this organization will analyze the dollars spent and use market research to shape the right requirement and sourcing decisions. 

"Sourcing strategies will be a solution set that may result in new policies, standardization, process improvements or demand management approaches. This solution set may or may not include a contract strategy," Ms. Rohrer said. "The bottom line is using this best business practice will benefit the entire Air Force." 

Senior leaders from across the Air Force spectrum make up the integrated management framework for Installation Acquisition Transformation by serving on a tiered governance structure. Enterprise-wide strategic sourcing opportunities will be vetted through the Installation Acquisition Transformation governance structure. 

In addition to the new organization each major command will establish a dedicated strategic sourcing capability to seek out opportunities within their respective commands. While contracting squadrons will continue their buying missions at each installation, the entire contracting workforce will receive training in strategic sourcing. 

"We must find savings and efficiency in everything we do," Mr. Correll said. "The new IAT approach allows us to focus on what is important: strategic sourcing across our enterprise."