Report of the Defense Science Board Acquisition Workforce Sub-Panel of the Defense Acquisition Reform Task Force on defense reform

Book excerpt: This report provides three policy recommendations, based on the overarching theme of more closely integrating DoD with industry. The Sub-Panel believes that improved integration with industry is the critical element that will enable the acquisition system to perform better, faster, and cheaper in support of the warfighter. The recommended policy initiatives are that DoD should: 1. Restructure its Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT & E) organizations and associated workforce to enable the Department to make better use of the capabilities of industry and other government agencies, to concentrate in-house capabilities in areas where there is no external capability, and to eliminate duplicative capabilities. 2 Expand the use of price-based forms of contracting to reduce the cost of doing business with Department of Defense (DoD) for existing Defense contractors and to give DoD access the segments of industry that currently choose not to do business with the Department because of the costs and complexities associated with cost-based contracts. 3. Expand the oursourcing of sustainment activities to eliminate duplicative capabilities between DoD and industry, to enable the Department to capitalize on industry's advancements in applying technology to these functions, and to provide better support to the user.