The Contracting Education Academy

Contracting Academy Logo
  • Home
  • Training & Education
  • Services
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Archives for independent research and development

April 26, 2019 By AMK

What the 809 Panel didn’t quite get right

The Section 809 panel offers an important new idea on how the defense acquisition system could be improved to provide the Pentagon greater access to innovative new technologies that are rapidly developed in the private sector.

But the panel fumbled its recommendations with a contradictory and incoherent legislative approach that would hurt more than it helps. That should not undermine the significance of the panel’s underlying idea: a new focus on the source of funding for commercial items instead of the marketplace in which they are sold. This could encourage companies to develop defense-unique products at their own expense. Today, many are driven away when they are forced to accept regulated pricing and burdensome, government-unique contract terms and conditions.

Successes and Failures

We had high hopes when we helped to write the commercial buying acquisition reforms in the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994 and the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996.  These reforms broadened the definition of commercial items, established a commercial item preference, and authorized waivers to government-unique requirements and contract clauses for the purchase of commercial solutions.

As a result, the government went from 476 contracts under simplified commercial item procedures in 1996 to nearly 13 million contracts worth almost $75 billion in 2011. As our colleague Jon Etherton has explained, this enabled the U.S. government to catch up with the information technology revolution that had swept the private sector in the 1990s and likely saved the Department of Defense (DOD) billions of dollars by avoiding unnecessary research and development and the extended acquisition lead times associated with government-unique products.

Keep reading this article at: https://breakingdefense.com/2019/04/what-the-809-panel-didnt-quite-get-right-greenwalt-levine/

Filed Under: Government Contracting News Tagged With: acquisition, commercial item, COTS, DoD, dynamic marketplace, independent research and development, information technology, innovation, NDAA, OTA, Pentagon, research and development, Section 809 Panel, self-funded research and development

March 3, 2016 By AMK

DoD proposes DFARS amendment to create awareness of contractors’ independent R&D

The Department of Defense (DoD) is proposing to amend to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) such that defense contractors will be required to give notice of proposed Independent Research and Development (IR&D) projects.

Federal RegisterIn a Federal Register notice published on Feb. 16, 2016, DoD explained that proposed rule aims to increase awareness of the relevance of and potential interest by the military in opportunities created by IR&D investments.

US DoD logoAccording to the notice, the government treats investments made by defense companies as allowable costs.  If adopted, the rule will require Defense contractors to inform DoD staff of the outcomes of completed IR&D projects.  “The objective of this engagement is to ensure that both IR&D performers and their potential DoD customers have sufficient awareness of each other’s efforts and to provide industry with some feedback on the relevance of proposed and completed IR&D work,” according to the proposed rule.

Industry comments on the proposed rule are due Apr. 18, 2016.  Comments may be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking portal by entering “DFARS Case 2016-D002” under the heading “Enter keyword or ID” and selecting “Search.” Select the link “Submit a Comment” that corresponds with “DFARS Case 2016-D002.” Follow the instructions provided at the “Submit a Comment” screen.

Filed Under: Government Contracting News Tagged With: DFARS, DoD, independent research and development, IR&D, proposed rule, research

Popular Topics

abuse acquisition reform acquisition strategy acquisition training acquisition workforce Air Force Army AT&L bid protest budget budget cuts competition cybersecurity DAU DFARS DHS DoD DOJ FAR fraud GAO Georgia Tech GSA GSA Schedule GSA Schedules IG industrial base information technology innovation IT Justice Dept. Navy NDAA OFPP OMB OTA Pentagon procurement reform protest SBA sequestration small business spending technology VA
Contracting Academy Logo
75 Fifth Street, NW, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30308
info@ContractingAcademy.gatech.edu
Phone: 404-894-6109
Fax: 404-410-6885

RSS Twitter

Search this Website

Copyright © 2023 · Georgia Tech - Enterprise Innovation Institute