Let\u27s Make It Simple

The President\u27s Blue Ribbon Commission on Defense Management Report identified several problems areas which need to be addressed both by Congress and the Department of Defense (DoD) procurement policy people. In the report of the commission it was indicated that recent procurement horror stories had caused certain corrective actions to be prescribed. The prescription was written by Congress and ended up as laws. These were translated into regulations not only designed to implement the laws but to correct the procurement procedures for the acquisition of spare parts. These changes as designed were to preclude additional horror stories from materializing and becoming headlined in the Washington Post or by some other news media. One of the most significant elements to procurement professionals that has been uncovered by the Blue Ribbon Commission and highlighted in their report is the fact that the Congressional laws and the DoD regulations have tended to exacerbate the underlying problems of the acquisition process by making the acquisition process even more inflexible. These laws and regulations have effectively disincentized contracting officer in the performance of their duties and have thereby eliminated any motivation that may have existed for contracting officers to make judgement decisions based upon experience and business acumen. To quote from the commissions report, This Chapter will concentrate on ways of improving the efficiency of the overall acquisition system. Removing bureaucratic inefficiencies in our acquisition of major weapon systems also will realize significant improvements in our procurement of associated spare parts. DoD has followed the concept outlined by the President\u27s Blue Ribbon Commission to change the regulations in order to permit contracting officers to actually use their decision-making authority to acquire materiel needed by the services. In fact, the commission\u27s report echoes what has been stated by procurement professionals in recent years that there is a definite need to return the decision making authority to the contracting officer and hold him accountable for his actions. DoD therefore created procedures for this effort which has been named Pilot Contracting Activities Program (PCAP)