The Pentagon's mentor-protégé program, which pairs larger contractors with smaller ones, has been undergoing a transition for the "past couple of years," the acting director of DOD's Office of Small Business Programs told Congress earlier today.
In prepared testimony, Kenyata Wesley said his office has formed government-led working groups to "to cultivate new relationships with DOD acquisition professionals and thereby facilitate the exchange of information and ideas with industry.
"These government working groups will yield greater continuity among all agencies and components and share the best practices and lessons learned to all DOD participants," Wesley wrote. "I have also directed my team to undertake the revision of [the] Department of Defense’s regulations to incorporate this feedback into the program."
The first drafts of those revisions are expected to be released for comment by the end of 2015.
Wesley said his office will also work with the Small Business Administration and other agencies to improve the program.
He also noted in his testimony that he has directed his staff to develop metrics to demonstrate the program's return on investment as well as "specific requirements for a more concrete developmental plan" that would consider a protégé company's progress, the benefits to the Pentagon from mentor-protégé agreements and goals for awards the small business might be able to win outside of the program.
Full testimony: House hearing on mentor-protégé programs