DOD Seeks Industry Feedback On Acquisition Reform Push

“WASHINGTON TECHNOLOGY” By Ross Wilkers

“SMALL BUSINESSES ARE ESPECIALLY BEING ASKED TO WEIGH IN on how DOD can prioritize commercial solutions, streamlining decision-making, and encouraging innovation within the defense sector.”

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“Amid the government-wide push to overhaul acquisition, the Defense Department is asking industry to weigh in on its plans to revamp DOD’s part in that and meet President Trump’s mandates for more commercial purchases.

Trump signed the “Modernizing Defense Acquisitions and Spurring Innovation in the Defense Industrial Base” order in April, directing Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide the White House a plan for reforming DOD’s acquisition processes within 60 days.

That order also mandates plans for the acquisition workforce, a review of major acquisition programs, and another review on related integration and development processes with staggered deadlines over a 120-day period.

In DOD’s request for information posted July 9, the department is essentially seeking comments on all of those areas highlighted in the Trump executive order.

Small businesses are especially being asked to weigh in on how DOD can use those action items to “accelerate the procurement of advanced technologies and revitalize the defense industrial base by prioritizing commercial solutions, streamlining decision-making, and encouraging innovation within the defense sector.”

DOD is interested in hearing ideas on revisions to regulations that would help facilitate stronger relationships between the department and small businesses.

On the acquisition workforce front, DOD states its goal there as involving a restructure to that would support “incentivizing and rewarding risk-taking in innovation towards commercial solutions and streamlined acquisitions under the Adaptative Acquisition Framework.

Comments to the RFI are due by Aug. 8.”

DOD seeks industry feedback on acquisition reform push

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ross Wilkers covers the business of government contracting, companies and trends that shape the market. He joined WT in 2017 and works with Editor-in-Chief Nick Wakeman to host and produce our WT 360 podcast that features discussions with the market’s leading executives and voices. Ross is a native of Northern Virginia and is an alumnus of George Mason University.