Morning News

Lots of transition news today to tell you about. We'll be getting to that shortly.

One highlight to start the day:

Report Lays Out 10 Priorities for Obama's Defense Secretary

Improving the Pentagon’s acquisition performance as well as its processes for strategic guidance, programming and budgeting should be top priorities for the new administration, according to a new report on transition issues from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Inside the Pentagon reviewed an advance copy of the report, which says the study team focused on crafting recommendations that would improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the next defense secretary.

Kathleen Hicks spearheaded the review for CSIS. The think tank is led by John Hamre, who also chairs the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board and is reportedly being considered for an Obama administration post.

Michèle Flournoy, who co-chairs the Obama camp’s DOD transition team, was one of the defense experts consulted by CSIS during the review.

The study lays out 10 top priorities in order of what is most important to fix at the Pentagon. Bolstering acquisition performance leads the list. The defense secretary “must focus the acquisition community on institutionalizing recent guidance, restoring a defense acquisition workforce, and providing cost realism in setting program requirements,” the report says.