Conference focuses on challenges facing acquisition workforce

  • Published
  • By Derek Kaufman
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) --  Air Force and industry leaders gathered at Wright-Patterson AFB April 22-23 to chart a course to speed the development and delivery of a new crop of revolutionary weapon systems to joint warfighters.

Nearly 500 government and industry professionals attended the Defense Acquisition University's Department of Defense Acquisition Insight Days at the Hope Hotel and Conference Center here.

The conference agenda focused the acquisition, technology and logistics workforces at Wright-Patterson AFB and throughout the mid-west region on challenges the government and industry acquisition community face, said Lt. Col. James Valley, Defense Acquisition University project officer. The event was hosted by the Defense Acquisition University Alumni Association and its many sponsors. Topics ranged from performance-based logistics and improving supply chain management to incentivizing contractors.

A panel discussion on improving the acquisition process featured six government and industry leaders, who offered their answer to the question "If you could change one acquisition law, regulation or process, what would it be?"

While the panel's suggestions varied, there was universal agreement that the acquisition community faces an extremely challenging and complex environment after more than 20 years continuous of reform, transformation and increased oversight.

"It seems we are using process rather than judgment," said Lt. Gen Ted Bowlds, Electronic Systems Center commander at Hanscom AFB, Mass., quoting a comment he recently overheard at a similar conference of acquisition leaders.

"Opportunities present themselves in a matter of seconds," said General Bowlds, whose portfolio includes Air Force cyber systems.

He also noted that quick reaction, particularly in the cyber world, may require a response in "days instead of weeks, maybe even hours instead of days and rely on the judgment, not the process" of innovative industry and government acquisition professionals to defeat the threat.

Panelists were largely in agreement that the acquisition community had the rules and tools already in place to be successful. What is needed is more focus on developing the human element of the system.

"Open and transparent communication, up, down and across the organization," and the system of oversight involving checks and balances, are necessary and important, said Dr. James Finley, deputy under secretary of defense for acquisition and technology.

Dr. Finley, who has spent more than 30 years working in industry, noted while he has seen remarkable strides by acquisition workers to become more agile and efficient during his visits to military bases, more work must be done.

"The bottom line is the acquisition workforce must have the will to change," Dr. Finley said. "It's okay to make mistakes -- just don't wear out your eraser at the end of the day."

"People have to put their egos aside," Dr. Finley said. "People have to focus on the national security of our country and we have to have the institutional fortitude -- intestinal fortitude, if you will -- to make change. Strategic choices have to be made. We cannot afford what we have today."

Experienced acquisition professionals are critical to the overall process, and the Air Force needs to invest in them, said Lt. Gen. Jack Hudson, Aeronautical Systems Center commander.

The acquisition community has not been immune from downsizing and workforce pressures faced by the entire Air Force in order to recapitalize, General Hudson said. Beyond investing in training and education, the general said it is important to also to address the tenets of physical, emotional, spiritual, and social wellness of the workforce and he applauded Air Force Materiel Command efforts to encourage wellness.

"This business is not a sprint, it's a marathon," General Hudson said. "We rely on one another to get things done. As Air Force leaders it's incumbent for us to prioritize work and figure out those things that we are not going to do, so we can focus on those things that are truly needed to get done."

Asked to reflect on this week's retirement of the F-117, which made its first flight in June 1981 just 31 months after full-scale development was authorized, General Hudson remarked it was a great system for its day, but one that is being replaced by more complex and more capable weapon systems.

"We have many other highly successful systems out there today," General Hudson said. "The Predator is a great example. Warfighters identified a need and we made incremental improvements to the Predator in short order, sometimes in a matter of weeks. We develop them, test them and have them in the field.

"We have here in ASC a very talented workforce that works very hard to do things in short cycle times and bring the capability along while managing costs," the general said. "We have a lot of things we've been able to do with very short cycle times to get them into the hands of the people that are taking the fight to the enemy and they've been very successful."

Some of the ideas proposed by the panel to improve the acquisition process include: 

-- Providing DOD procurement program executive officers with a small pot of "venture capital," to be spent as they see fit to respond very quickly to opportunities to solve emergent warfighter problems 
-- Changes to the personnel system to enable immediate, temporary hiring of talent from the business and academic community to solve a particular problem 
-- Push down milestone decision authority for certain acquisition programs to wing commanders, to enable senior Program Executive Officers to focus more of their efforts on the high-interest, high-dollar programs that demand additional scrutiny
-- Embrace Air Force Smart Operations 21: Focus workforce on what is important; empower acquisition leaders to make tough decisions to divest and eliminate processes and programs that aren't value added
-- Encourage more industry input in federal acquisition policy changes
-- Host industry days and employ technology like e-rooms to encourage sharing of information to build relationships

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