5 Recommendations for Acquisition Reform at DoD

I had the good fortune to be invited to speak before the Section 809 Panel, chaired by the amazing Dee Lee. The 18-person panel, created in Section 809 of the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), is tasked with finding ways to streamline and improve the defense acquisition process. The panel has two years to develop recommendations.

Some of the recommendations that I made before the panel include:

1.      Give contractors a total contract price range in the solicitation for the contract award. As an example, in research and development type contracts, it would be helpful to know whether the government wants AND can afford a Mercedes or whether it just has the budget for a used Yugo with the ripped upholstery.

2.      Modify the Competition in Contracting Act to make GAO the only forum for bid protests. Yes, I know, I feel the hate mail coming. And I am guessing I will now be on the American Bar Association watch list. But have you ever been the awardee who has the stop work in place as the protester ties up your award through multiple forums? 

3.      GSA cannot currently be on the leading edge of technology because it requires contractors to have previously sold the product or service before it can add it to a GSA Schedule. So, GSA is always looking backwards and not forward. Currently it can take six months to get a GSA schedule modification approved by GSA while it can take only 24 hours to modify a GWAC. Talk to GSA about how to streamline the process so DoD can easily acquire cutting edge products and services on GSA Schedules.

4.      Eliminate the use of cost reimbursable contracts for low tech services when the end product is just the service. There is no need for the management burden on both contractors and government for providing administrative support services under a cost reimbursement contract.

5.      The Freedom of Information Act – give us the freedom to get the darn contracts. Have the awardees submit their proposed contract redactions within 15 days of contract award. Then after review and approval by the FOIA office and the contracting officer, post the contract on a website. It is not helpful to get a FOIA response back a year later and pay for it.

Anyone else have ideas for acquisition reform? Please post your thoughts.

As a side note, for those of you who connect with me on LinkedIn just to try and pitch me your amazing product or service, I don’t want it.  It makes me so cranky that I may start a “do not connect with these people” group. Same with those of you who take two car lengths of space in the left turn lane so I cannot make the light. But enough of that now.  

In brighter news, I hope to see some of you when I speak at the Tower Club on May 23 and at the NCMA World Congress in July.

Have a great weekend all.