TOPICS
TOPICS
IT acquisitions present new challenges for Pentagon
As information technology has become an inexorable part of the Pentagon's business and wartime operations, its acquisition functions have had to address new challenges, Defense Deputy Secretary William Lynn said on Thursday.
The Defense Department now spends more than $30 billion on IT alone, and the ability to integrate this technology into its operations and structures is one of the most important determinants of military power, Lynn told attendees at the Defense IT acquisition summit in Washington.
"As [Defense Secretary Robert] Gates said at the start of the Quadrennial Defense Review, both the old paradigm of looking at potential conflicts are either regular or irregular war, conventional or unconventional; high end or low is no longer relevant," Lynn said. "We now face a world of hybrid warfare, with insurgents who have [improvised explosive devices] that can pierce heavy armor, terrorists who aspire to cyberwarfare and rogue states with weapons of mass destruction."
IT's increasing importance in war makes streamlining information technology acquisitions one of the Pentagon's most pressing issues. While Defense leaders struggle with challenges affecting all major acquisitions, they face an entirely unique set of IT-related issues. Unlike the technologies for traditional weapons systems, information technology developments are designed almost primarily in the commercial marketplace, not within the classified Defense universe. As a result, the department must find a way to import these technologies into their existing systems. Another pressing challenge is the constantly changing nature of IT, Lynn said.
"Weapons systems depend on stable requirements, but with IT, technology changes faster than the requirements process can keep up," he said. "It changes faster than the budget process and it changes faster than the acquisition milestone process. For all these reasons, the normal acquisition process does not work for information technology."
According to Lynn, it takes an average of about seven years for Defense to move a program from its initial funding phase to fully operational. If the department accepted this status quo for IT, that would leave the Pentagon four to five generations behind the state-of-the-art technology, he said.
"The iPhone was developed in less time than it would take DoD to budget for an IT program," he said.
Given these realities, Defense is adopting a strategy focused on systems architecture and testing commercially developed IT components. The department is working to ensure their information technology systems are flexible and adaptable so old platforms can be reinvented as they age to address new missions and challenges. Lynn said this approach already is being used and working well.
The department also must recognize that its end users -- warfighters -- are "digital natives." Lynn said.
"Information technology is a natural part of everything they do," he added. "Many of our enemies are digital natives as well. Unless we build systems for tech-savvy soldiers, we will continue to limit ourselves in the fight against tech savvy enemies."
COMMENTS
- The Pentagon’s highest IT mandate must be one that is defensive. With data losses to include F-22 and F-35 data, it is well that the NSA is building a $1.5B data center at Camp Williams, Utah. The modern Forward Edge of Battle (FEBA) is now located in the cell phones of citizens and citizen-soldiers in the form of PDAs, laptops, and data transmission, storage, and retrieval capabilities that are now miniaturized for easy concealment and maximum power. The might of the M-16A1, F-16, F-22, F-35, M-1 and a host of other military weapon systems is now dependent upon IT to maximize effectiveness and minimize fratricide. The soldier’s ability to shoot, move, and communicate are all hinged on the IT resources that provide the information needed to defend us all. Data transmissions are the modern day bullets that deliver death as well as life saving information. Let’s press on to the FEBA with superior IT defense technologies, lest we suffer the only possible alternative which is defeat. Wayne Leohner Posted November 18, 2009 12:44 PM
- Although many would like to think that IT is different that other types of contracting-it isn't. Congress has mandated far too many clauses/provisions (what I like to call BS)making it difficult for many contractors to even want to deal with the FEDS hurting the taxpayer in the longrun. Contracting can be done much quicker and more efficiently if all the Socio-economic programs, and other wasteful add-ons were done away with, but Congress won't us do that. Sure would cost the tax payers much less. Further, if Government would go exclusively to Mandatory Service Level Agreements with hard and fast incentives and disincentives (for both) and do away with the rediculous Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan requirements, then government would more than likely end up with quicker, better proposals and end products (services). Notice I did not say to get rid of QA personnel. Robert Knauer CPCM CPPO Posted November 17, 2009 10:15 AM
- This is the perfect storm needed to drive sustainable IT Acquisition Reform. For the first time, we have all the branches of government and key industry groups pulling in the same direction, demanding an IT Acquisition process that is responsive, transparent and open to the innovators of the market. The IT Acquisition Advisory Council, (IT-AAC.org), is working on a comprehensive Roadmap with the administration, congress and leading public interest groups who have put country first, and ready to put away the rice bowls. If congress and senior administration officials attack the root causes of failure being identified in the IT-AAC Roadmap, then, and only then, will might finally make progress after 20 years of failed attempts. Here are the critical success factors; 1) Attack the culture and rice bowls. Those who have created this mess should not be given another chance to fix IT Acquisition. This would be insane. 2) Start from scratch, using benchmarked industry/government best practices in terms of architectures, acquisition transparency and metrics. Bring in processes that have already proven to be measurable, repeatable and transparent. 3) Incentives; Replace Policy Compliance with Measures of Effectiveness for agency leaders. Create a reward systems of bonuses paid out to those who deliver innovative solutions on time and on budget. 4) Upset the status quo; Get the FFRDCs and SIs out of the IT Acquisition Process. They have controlled it for 20 years and it is time for change. The 97 Defense Science Board report on FFRDCs should be dusted off. 5) Enable innovation. PMs and agency heads need a conflict free zone by which innovators can prove out the realm of the possible. This approach has proven to reduce requirements over specification and help users and PMs articulate measurable outcomes. This must happen outside of government or FFRDC control so to avoid repeating past failures. This is what non-profits are good at. Many of us see an opportunity of a life time, and hope that this congress and administration leadership avoid past failure patterns and rice bowls. IT Acquisition Advisory Council Posted November 17, 2009 8:35 AM
PROMO RIGHT: GBC
Advancing the business of government through analysis, insight and the sharing of best practices.
SPONSORED RESEARCH
Achieving a Greener Federal Government IBM
Federal Cybersecurity: Securing the Nation's Information IBM
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: New Requirements for Tracking and Reporting Federal Workforce Data Kronos
Managing the Stimulus: A Candid Survey of Federal Program Managers Accenture and Microsoft
Improving Collaboration and Productivity in 21st Century Government: The Role of Communication for Government Executives Cisco
