Download or read book Performance of the Defense Acquisition System 2016 Annual Report written by United States Government Department of Defense and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-01-24 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Performance of the Defense Acquisition System 2016 Annual Report A key part of improving a system is objectively measuring its performance and the effects of policies, processes, and inputs on the outcomes of the system. Without this, we cannot tell where we have problems, what is working (or not), and whether management changes are making things better (or worse). In the case of defense acquisition, the primary outcome is the value of operational capabilities delivered in time for our warfighters to address threats. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to measure the final operational performance and value of our systems across systems and commodities. Our reports can objectively measure and thus focus on the cost, schedule, and technical performance of our acquisitions-aggregated to look for statistically significant trends together with correlates, institutional differences, and theory to inform ways to improve future outcomes. Each performance measure has its strengths and weaknesses, so we use multiple measures (e.g., at both the program and contract level) and subsequent analysis to see if the answers point in the same direction. We add experience and theoretical insights to guide our conclusions. This is the fourth annual report on the Performance of the Defense Acquisition System, using quantitative analysis of broad data to measure institutional performance. This annual report series is a central part of Better Buying Power (BBP). It continues to reflect results in defense acquisition performance from ongoing DoD compliance with the Improve Acquisition Act of 2010 and the earlier Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009. Although similarly motivated, our efforts go beyond the specifics of those laws to seek additional insights for improving the defense acquisition system's performance. This study also fulfills ongoing Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requests for evidence-based analytic studies on acquisition performance. It is encouraging to see evidence of performance improvement over the last few years. However, these results are not a reason to pause in our efforts. They should motivate us to press ahead even more vigorously.

Download or read book Defense Acquisition Trends 2016 written by Jesse Ellman and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2017-03-28 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report is the second in an annual series examining trends in what the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is buying, how DoD is buying it, and from whom DoD is buying. This year’s study looks in depth at issues in research and development, acquisition reform in the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), performance of the defense acquisition system, the future of cooperative International Joint Development Programs, and major trends apparent in the activities of the major defense components. By combining detailed policy and data analysis, the study provides a comprehensive overview of the current and future outlook for defense acquisition.

Download or read book Performance of the Defense Acquisition System 2013 Annual Report 28 June 2013 written by United States Government US Army and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2013-08-18 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While the United States achieves its national security missions by equipping its military forces with the best weapons systems in the world, questions continue about the performance of the defense acquisition system. How effective is it? How can that effectiveness be objectively measured? Can we use those measures to affect behaviors with appropriate incentives or determine which policies and procedures improve results and which turn out to be misguided?Answering these questions requires more than opinion. It requires analysis of unbiased data to discover insights into underlying effects. These, in turn, will inform better policy and programmatic decisions.This is the first in a series of planned annual reports on the performance of the defense acquisition system-its programs, institutions, workforce, managers, executives, and industrial partners.By using objective data and analysis to measure performance, these reports will identify underlying drivers and inform future decisions on programs, policies, and processes.This first report focuses primarily on performance related to Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs). The report focuses on more in-depth indicators of system outcomes, particularly with respect to cost and schedule, and does so by looking at various institutional trends.* How does the portfolio of major programs perform over time? What has changed, how, and by how much?* Are there differences associated with leadership?* Are there differences among DoD organizations?* Are there differences among our industrial partners?This report also reflects results to date from the compliance of the Department of Defense (DoD) with the Improve Acquisition Act of 2010 on performance assessments of the defense acquisition system. While similarly motivated, our efforts will go beyond the specifics of this act to seek additional insights for improving the performance of the defense acquisition system.In addition, this study will be used in part to fulfill a recent request from the Office of Management and Budget for an evidence-based analytic study on acquisition performance.Readily available data allowed us to provide historical baselines on acquisition performance and some initial insights into whether performance has, or has not, improved recently. They also demonstrate that it can take many years to see the results of new policies, making it even more important to test and inform those policies. Although existing data can be effectively leveraged to improve our understanding, a lesson learned is that gaps remain; therefore, I initiated a strategic initiative to identify those key data gaps and begin selective collection of new data for future analysis. That work will continue, and will inform future reports.Since this initial report focuses primarily on analyzing MDAP development and early production information, it cannot be considered a complete picture of the entire acquisition system. Future reports will delve into areas such as contracting, acquisition of services, technology development, industrial base concerns, etc.Value obtained in acquisition is a balance of costs, benefits, and prudent risks. Risks are a fact of life in acquiring the kinds of products our warfighters need, and these risks must be objectively managed. Additionally, demands and threats do change in both the short and long term, so the acquisition system must be able to respond. In some cases, cost growth results from prudent changes in quantity or capability of acquired systems. Our ultimate measure of performance is providing effective systems to the warfighter that are suitable for fielding, at costs that are affordable, while ensuring taxpayers' money is spent as productively as possible. Only through rigorous analysis and clear reporting will we be able to separate and account for acceptable and unacceptable types of cost growth, informing our discussions within DoD, with Congress, our Allies, and the American public.

Download or read book Performance of the Defense Acquisition System 2015 Annual Report written by and published by . This book was released on 2016-01-27 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This third annual report continues the effort to provide data and analysis so the Department of Defense (DOD) can see how it is doing, measure the effectiveness of ongoing efforts to improve acquisition, and learn from past experience. Contents: (1) background material on acquisition, spending levels and trends, and general perspectives on measuring institutional performance; (2) analysis on outputs and outcomes of the defense acquisition system; (3) new analysis on broader factors that influence acquisition outcomes; (4) selected input and process measures, including the acquisition workforce improvements and incentives, bid-protest rates, usage of Lowest-Price, Technically Acceptable (LPTA) for selecting contracted services, performance relative to competition and small-business goals, and preliminary results on government execution costs. Figures and tables. This is a print on demand report.

Download or read book Root Cause Analyses of Nunn McCurdy Breaches Volume 1 written by Irv Blickstein and published by RAND Corporation. This book was released on 2011-10-27 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Congressional concern with cost overruns, or breaches, in several major defense acquisition programs led the authors, in a partnership with the Performance Assessments and Root Cause Analysis Office in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, to investigate root causes by examining program reviews, analyzing data, participating in contractor briefings, and holding meetings with diverse stakeholders.

Download or read book Defense Acquisition Performance Assessment Report written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For nearly 60 years, the Department of Defense (DoD) has been engaged in a continuous process of self-assessment to identify and improve the way it acquires weapons systems. Frequent major acquisition reform initiatives have responded to concerns that acquisition costs are too high, that DoD is buying the wrong things, or that the process is too slow. The need to review the process and to institute change has become very obvious to the acquisition community. The House and Senate Fiscal Year 2006 Defense Authorization Committee Reports addressed concerns about the ability of DoD's Acquisition System to develop and deliver required capabilities when needed and at predictable costs. The reports further stated that addressing symptoms one program or one process at a time is unlikely to result in substantial improvement. Both Congress and DoD senior leadership have lost confidence in the capability of the Acquisition System to determine what needs to be procured, or to predict with any degree of accuracy what things will cost, when they will be delivered, or how they will perform. On June 7, 2005, then Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England authorized a sweeping and integrated assessment to consider every aspect of acquisition, giving rise to the Defense Acquisition Performance Assessment Project. The centerpiece of this project is a panel governed by the tenets of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (Public Law 92-463). The panel concluded that the problems are deeply imbedded in many of the acquisition management processes that are used in the DoD and not just the traditional procurement processes. DoD needs a radical approach to improvements in its Acquisition System, and it needs to adapt these improvements to the new security environment of the 21st century. The panel's acquisition performance assessment process and conclusions are outlined in this report.

Download or read book Defense Acquisitions written by Gene L. Dodaro and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2011-06 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes observations on the performance of DoD's 2010 portfolio of 98 major defense acquisition programs; data on selected factors that can affect program outcomes; an assessment of the knowledge attained by key junctures in the acquisition process for a subset of 40 programs; and observations on the implementation of acquisition reforms. To conduct this review, the auditor analyzed cost, schedule, and quantity data and collected data from program offices on performance requirements and software development; technology, design, and manufacturing knowledge; and the implementation of DoD's acquisition policy and acquisition reforms. He also compiled assessments of 71 weapon programs. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand report.

Download or read book Defense Acquisitions written by United States Government Accountability Office and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-09-23 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is GAO's annual assessment of DOD major weapon system acquisitions, an area on GAO's high-risk list. DOD and Congress have taken meaningful steps to improve the acquisition of major weapon systems, yet programs continue to experience cost and schedule overruns. Further, GAO has emphasized the need to sustain the implementation of acquisition reforms and for programs to complete developmental testing before beginning production, thereby avoiding concurrency and its associated cost and schedule growth. With the continuing budgetary pressures, DOD cannot afford to miss opportunities to address inefficiencies in these programs to free up resources for higher priority needs. The joint explanatory statement to the DOD Appropriations Act, 2009 includes a provision for GAO to annually review DOD's portfolio of weapon systems. This report includes observations on (1) the cost and schedule performance of DOD's 2015 portfolio of 79 major defense acquisition programs; (2) the knowledge attained at key junctures in the acquisition process for 43 programs that were in development or early production; and (3) key acquisition reform initiatives and program concurrency. To develop the observations in this report, GAO analyzed cost, schedule, and quantity data from DOD's December 2014 Selected Acquisition Reports. GAO also collected data through two questionnaires to program offices on technology, design, and manufacturing knowledge; the use of knowledge-based acquisition practices; and the implementation of acquisition reforms

Download or read book Administration Perspectives on Managing the Defense Acquisition System and the Defense Acquisition Workforce written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services. Panel on Defense Acquisition Reform and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Formula for Action A Report to the President on Defense Acquisition written by BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION ON DEFENSE MANAGEMENT WASHINGTON DC. and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The President established the Blue Ribbon Commission on Defense Management in part because public confidence in the effectiveness of the defense acquisition system has been shaken by a spate of 'horror stories' - overpriced spare parts, test deficiencies, and cost and schedule overruns. Unwelcome at any time, such stories are particularly unsettling when the Administration and Congress are seeking ways to deal with record budget deficits. A major task of this Commission has been to evaluate the defense acquisition system, to determine how it might be improved, and to recommend changes that can lead to the acquisition of military equipment with equal or greater performance but at lower cost and with less delay. For this purpose, the Commission formed an Acquisition Task Force. This report compared the defense acquisition system with other systems, both government and commercial, that develop and produce equipment of comparable complexity, in order to find success stories that could provide a model on which reforms of the defense acquisition system could be based. Defense acquisition represents the largest and, in our judgment, the most important business enterprise in the world. It deserves to be managed with the highest standards. We therefore conducted a 'search for excellence' by examining organizations that had been most successful in acquisition, in order to find a model of excellence for defense acquisition.

Download or read book Baselining Defense Acquisition written by Philip S. Anton and published by . This book was released on 2020-01-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) aims to improve mission effectiveness and efficiency. In support of this effort, the Office of the Secretary of Defense asked the National Defense Research Institute (NDRI), a federally funded research and development center operated by the RAND Corporation, to construct a baseline of the DoD's government acquisition and procurement functions, including a functional decomposition and estimate of the cost of executing the government portion of the DoD's acquisition enterprise. NDRI researchers estimated these costs at between $29 billion and $38 billion in fiscal year 2017 dollars. To gain perspective on these costs, NDRI researchers identified commercial benchmarks for the amount of program management levels. As a percentage of DoD contracting obligations, NDRI researchers estimated the DoD's program management portion of these costs at about 1.5 percent in the last few years, which is below industry benchmarks of 2-15 percent.

Download or read book Defense Acquisitions written by Michael J. Sullivan and published by . This book was released on 2016-05-04 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Annual assessment of Department of Defense (DOD) major weapon system acquisitions, an area on GAO's high-risk list. DOD and Congress have taken meaningful steps to improve the acquisition of major weapon systems, yet programs continue to experience cost and schedule overruns. Further, GAO has emphasized the need to sustain the implementation of acquisition reforms and for programs to complete developmental testing before beginning production, thereby avoiding concurrency and cost and schedule growth. This report includes observations on (1) the cost and schedule performance of DOD's 2015 portfolio of 79 major defense acquisition programs; (2) the knowledge attained at key junctures in the acquisition process for 43 programs that were in development or early production; and (3) key acquisition reform initiatives and program concurrency. Tables and figures. This is a print on demand report.

Download or read book Contract Pricing Reference Guides written by Wolters Kluwer and published by CCH. This book was released on 2016-05-10 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new, single-volume resource provides the most complete guidance available for analyzing the cost and pricing aspects of federal government contracts--so you can propose and negotiate appropriate prices and win contracts. The practical Contract Pricing Reference Guide reference combines five manuals into a single source, covering: Price Analysis Quantitative Techniques for Contract Pricing Cost Analysis Advanced Issues in Contract Pricing And Federal Contract Negotiation Techniques Determine the Proper Pricing to Win Government Business Throughout these pages, you will find highly detailed explanations of how the government evaluates proposals, arrives at pricing, chooses contractors, and awards contracts. With Contract Pricing Reference Guide, you can more confidently: Conduct market research for price analysis Employ proven techniques of quantitative price analysis Propose a fair and appropriate price Confidently engage in sealed bidding Include only what's allowable in the price Employ the most effective, competitive pricing strategies And engage in effective contract negotiations The One-of-a-Kind, Time-Saving Pricing Resource The all-new Contract Pricing Reference Guide provides a road-map for how to set correct pricing and engage in the competitive bidding process. It is a practical business tool to help you acquire government contract business--and it brings all the most valuable pricing information together in an easy-access, single-volume resource that puts everything you need literally right in front of you. No other resource delivers all of this together in one place, making it the most convenient way to obtain the most vital information on pricing government contracts.

Download or read book Is the Ratio of Investment between Research and Development to Production in Major Defense Acquisition Programs Experiencing Fundamental Change written by Rhys McCormick and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-06-17 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the advent of the information age, both commercial industry and the Department of Defense are moving towards complex R&D-intensive systems over the simpler, mass-produced systems of the industrial age. This CSIS report analyzes the historical trends in the relationship of production costs to development costs in complex acquisition programs. To understand this phenomenon, the study team examines it at two different levels. The first is the macro investment level where portfolio management trade-offs are made between aggregate development and procurement and between programs. The second level is individual programs where the ambitions of the program and the underlying technology shape the resources required for a program to complete development.

Download or read book Professional Journal of the United States Army written by and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 904 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Defense Management Reform written by Peter Levine and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2020-03-10 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pentagon spending has been the target of decades of criticism and reform efforts. Billions of dollars are spent on weapons programs that are later abandoned. State-of-the-art data centers are underutilized and overstaffed. New business systems are built at great expense but fail to meet the needs of their users. Every Secretary of Defense for the last five Administrations has made it a priority to address perceived bloat and inefficiency by making management reform a major priority. The congressional defense committees have been just as active, enacting hundreds of legislative provisions. Yet few of these initiatives produce significant results, and the Pentagon appears to go on, as wasteful as ever. In this book, Peter Levine addresses why, despite a long history of attempted reform, the Pentagon continues to struggle to reduce waste and inefficiency. The heart of Defense Management Reform is three case studies covering civilian personnel, acquisitions, and financial management. Narrated with the insight of an insider, the result is a clear understanding of what went wrong in the past and a set of concrete guidelines to plot a better future.

Download or read book The Pig Book written by Citizens Against Government Waste and published by St. Martin's Griffin. This book was released on 2013-09-17 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The federal government wastes your tax dollars worse than a drunken sailor on shore leave. The 1984 Grace Commission uncovered that the Department of Defense spent $640 for a toilet seat and $436 for a hammer. Twenty years later things weren't much better. In 2004, Congress spent a record-breaking $22.9 billion dollars of your money on 10,656 of their pork-barrel projects. The war on terror has a lot to do with the record $413 billion in deficit spending, but it's also the result of pork over the last 18 years the likes of: - $50 million for an indoor rain forest in Iowa - $102 million to study screwworms which were long ago eradicated from American soil - $273,000 to combat goth culture in Missouri - $2.2 million to renovate the North Pole (Lucky for Santa!) - $50,000 for a tattoo removal program in California - $1 million for ornamental fish research Funny in some instances and jaw-droppingly stupid and wasteful in others, The Pig Book proves one thing about Capitol Hill: pork is king!