School Days

By Thomas Duffy / November 29, 2010 at 2:32 PM

The Pentagon's No. 2 acquisition official thinks it's a good idea if the Defense Department's professional acquisition corps goes back to school to brush up on requirements development..

In a Nov. 19 memo, Frank Kendall said DOD's Panel on Contracting Integrity has pointed to the need to address the requirements development process, "which has been identified as a weakness in the Department and has led to cost and schedule overruns on many programs." The panel was established at the request of Congress.

Kendall suggested the best avenue for improving professional education:

The Panel on Contracting Integrity has reviewed available requirements development training and related courses, which are compiled in the attached matrix of training offered by the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). Of special note is the Service Acquisition Workshop that is tailored to address performance-based requirements for services. Additionally, the matrix provides Agency-unique training and guides. Since DAU is continually updating its course offerings, I strongly recommend regularly reviewing their website for additions to the requirements curriculum and associated courses.

62377