Good Ideas

David Ahern, the director for portfolio systems in the Pentagon's acquisition office, was asked today how the new acquisition-reform bill introduced last month by Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI) and John McCain (R-VA) would affect the Defense Department's most recent changes to DOD procurement processes.

"We're going to work on it," he told InsideDefense.com after delivering a speech at an Aviation Week-sponsored conference in Washington. "Some of that has already been incorporated ((in recent DOD acquisition memoranda)) when I look at it, some of it is additional ideas."

In December, the Pentagon released a policy instruction that updated the "operation of the defense acquisition system," as the document is called. Among other things, the Dec. 8, 2008, instruction:

Establishes a simplified and flexible management framework for translating capability needs and technology opportunities, based on approved capability needs, into stable, affordable, and well-managed acquisition programs that include weapon systems, services, and automated information systems (AISs).

Last month, Levin and McCain introduced legislation designed to address "major flaws" in the Pentagon's weapon system acquisition process, including provisions that would strengthen enforcement of existing laws that require termination of programs with runaway costs.

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