Controlling Risk in Defense Acquisition Programs: The Evolving Decision Review Framework
Abstract
In the last three years, there has been a great deal of turbulence in U.S. defense
acquisition policy. This has contributed to confusion within the acquisition workforce in
terminology, major policy thrusts, and unclear implications of the changes. The new
acquisition framework has added complexity, with more phases and delineations of
activity, and both the number and level of decision reviews have been increased. Decision
reviews are used as top management level project control gates, and are also a feature of
centralized control within a bureaucracy. Although the current stated policy is to foster an
environment supporting flexibility and innovation, the result is a continuous cycle of
decision reviews. Program Managers may now have fewer resources to manage their
programs as they spend much of their time, and budgets, managing the bureaucracy.
Moreover, the implicit aspects of the still new model have not been fully realized, and may
result in policy that actually lengthens programs -- counter to goals of rapid
transformation. The framework, and its associated requirements for senior level reviews,
are opposed to the rapid and evolutionary policy espoused, and are counter to appropriate
management strategies for a transformational era.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.Collections
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