A&S | The Contracting Education Academy

January 7, 2020 By cs

DoD releases long awaited policy on mid-tier acquisition

After three years and a serious reprimand from Congress, the Defense Department finally released its guidance for the processes governing middle-tier acquisition.

***Click on image above to download document.***

The Dec. 30, 2019 instruction, signed by defense acquisition and sustainment undersecretary Ellen Lord, gives DoD agencies direction for when and how to use middle-tier acquisition, and explains leadership responsibilities for the contracting method.

The DoD guidance, at least temporarily, allays concerns from Congress and the Government Accountability Office about unclear oversight of middle-tier acquisition.

The document doesn’t really tell readers much more than is already known about the process, but rather codifies the way DoD uses it, and then leaves a large part of the way the method is used up to the individual defense agencies.

DoD explains that the Defense Acquisition University will create a companion guide in the near future to expand upon the guidance.

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/contracting/2020/01/dod-releases-long-awaited-policy-on-mid-tier-acquisition/

March 29, 2019 By AMK

DoD acquisition office saw workforce reduction, job changes despite assurances

The Defense Department’s Office of Acquisition and Sustainment differs more from its predecessor than anyone expected when DoD set out to split its acquisition office and reorganize the pieces back in February.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition Kevin Fahey said the changes, including a large workforce reduction, have been in service of innovation and speedier acquisition.

For one thing, back in February, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Ellen Lord said that there were no plans for a workforce reduction. But Fahey said at the Professional Services Council’s Oct. 29 Vision 2018 event, as part of the reorganization, he cut his workforce by 40 percent.

Lord also said in February that the workforce would not see changes in title, series or grade. Again, what Fahey had to say after the fact differed significantly.

“Reorganizations are really hard, because everybody’s belief is ‘change is good, just leave me the hell alone,’ right? So, as you can imagine, all the people that were in [Acquisition, Technology and Logistics] were all for the reorganization, as long as you left them alone, and we couldn’t leave them alone,” Fahey said. “One thing I did, which is the right thing to do, but makes it harder, is in my organization, I changed every single job. I did that purposely. I didn’t want anyone to think that they were doing the same job they were doing before we reorganized. So everybody in my organization got a letter telling them what their new job was and who their new supervisor was, which I think was the right thing to do.”

Keep reading this article at: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defense-main/2018/11/dod-acquisition-office-saw-workforce-reduction-job-changes-despite-assurances/

July 23, 2018 By AMK

The new structure for the Pentagon’s tech and acquisition offices

Pentagon leaders, already worried about the emerging technologies that will shape the next generation of war, have reorganized their leadership structure to emphasize quantum science, artificial intelligence and directed energy, Defense News has learned.

The new effort is a major restructuring for the two Pentagon offices that determine how the Department of Defense buys and develops weapon systems. Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan approved the changes in a July 13 memo, obtained by Defense News.

The 17-page document lays out the organizational charts for the offices of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, as well their responsibilities. The two offices were created Feb. 1, when Congress required the former Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L) office to be divided. A potential organization chart was published in August, but the new document features significant changes, particularly on the R&E side.

**The chart above shows the organization of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. (click on image to enlarge)**

**The chart above shows the proposed organization of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Evaluation. (click to enlarge)**

Keep reading this article at: https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2018/07/17/revealed-the-new-structure-for-the-pentagons-tech-and-acquisition-offices

February 9, 2018 By AMK

The Pentagon’s acquisition office is gone — here’s what the next 120 days bring

The Pentagon’s acquisition system has officially been split in two. Now comes the hard part.

On Feb. 1, workers who report to the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics (AT&L) have a new boss. Per Congressional requirements, the office has been split into two new groups – the undersecretaries of defense for research and engineering (R&E) and acquisition and sustainment (A&S).

But for the next three months, not much should really change, said final AT&L head, and first A&S head, Ellen Lord.

Speaking to reporters on Jan. 31, Lord explained that there will be a 120-day working period between Feb. 1 and when the major changes to the structure will begin to hit, saying “we are building a prototype and then are experimenting a little bit around the edges with this.”

Partly, this is a logistical matter. It takes just under 120 days to set up new offices — with their internal codes, required for things like logging into computers or HR benefits —inside the building, and with 98 individual offices, switching everyone over on day one would have resulted in total logistical gridlock.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2018/02/01/the-pentagons-acquisition-office-is-gone-heres-what-the-next-120-days-bring/

December 13, 2017 By AMK

AT&L reorganization will take two years to complete

The Pentagon plans to take two years to complete the reorganization of its acquisition, technology and logistics office, in order to avoid missteps as it creates two new replacement organizations.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the Reagan National Defense Forum, Ellen Lord, the final undersecretary for AT&L, described the plan as a phased process, which will include quarterly progress reports and feature at least some jobs that report to both the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, and the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering.

“We are looking at structurally setting up the split so that there are some bridging positions where there will be certain individuals who report into both the under for A&S and the under for R&E, to be able to make sure we have continuity,” Lord said Dec. 2.

Keep reading this article at: https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/reagan-defense-forum/2017/12/03/atampl-reorganization-will-take-two-years-to-complete/

After three years and a serious reprimand from Congress, the Defense Department finally released its guidance for the processes governing middle-tier acquisition.

The Defense Department’s Office of Acquisition and Sustainment differs more from its predecessor than anyone expected when DoD set out to split its acquisition office and reorganize the pieces back in February.

Pentagon leaders, already worried about the emerging technologies that will shape the next generation of war, have reorganized their leadership structure to emphasize quantum science, artificial intelligence and directed energy, Defense News has learned.

The Pentagon’s acquisition system has officially been split in two. Now comes the hard part.

The Pentagon plans to take two years to complete the reorganization of its acquisition, technology and logistics office, in order to avoid missteps as it creates two new replacement organizations.

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