DoD sees shortage of acquisition workers

The Defense Department is facing a shortage of civilian acquisition workers after more than a decade of downsizing, according to a new Pentagon report. Furthermore, the report says, new personnel management strategies must be put in place immediately to keep current employees and attract new ones.

"The Department of Defense is facing a crisis that can dramatically affect our nation's ability to provide warfighters with modern weapons systems needed to defend our national security," said DoD Acquisition Chief Jacques Gansler and DoD Personnel and Readiness Chief Bernard Rostker in an Oct. 11 cover letter to the report, "Shaping the Civilian Acquisition Workforce of the Future." Moreover, the two said, "After 11 consecutive years of downsizing, we face serious imbalance in the skills and experience of our highly talented and specialized civilian workforce."

By 2005, 50 percent of Defense's 150,000 civilian acquisition workers will be eligible to retire, the report says. While calling it a challenge, the report says the exodus of workers gives DoD a "unique opportunity" to shape its future civilian workforce.

The report outlines 31 specific initiaitves for developing the new workforce, including:

• Creating a comprehensive strategic plan for the work force.
• Expanding education opportunities.
• Developing an "exchange" program with private-sector companies that would permit DoD workers to learn commercial acquisition practices.
• Increasing recruiting efforts and simplifying the hiring process.
• Expanding employee incentive programs.

Stan Soloway, deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition reform, said reforms called for in the report will be made regardless of who heads the next administration because pending retirements are unavoidable. Many of the initiatives will be under way by January, he said.