CSIS
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When it comes to lowest price, technically acceptable policies, the Defense Department wants more than "acceptable" for its acquisition services. Even with looming sequestration forcing DoD to stretch financially, Frank Kendall, undersecretary of Defense acquisition, technology and logistics, said the department must incentivize contractors to provide better value as well as best prices.
August 06, 2014 -
To maintain readiness under current budget pressure, the Defense Department needs to have a long-term mindset and rethink their force structure, according to Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), chairman of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee.
July 18, 2014 -
A few years after then-Defense secretary Robert Gates put the Marine Corps' variant of the F-35 fighter on "probation" because of poor performance, the Marine Corps is optimistic about the plane's future and the rest of the aviation portfolio. That's the message the service's top aviation official delivered to the Center For Strategic And International Studies yesterday. Dr. Maren Leed, senior adviser at CSIS, hosted the event. She tells Federal News Radio DoD Reporter Jared Serbu the Marine Corps' aviation programs are looking healthier than most other areas of weapon system acquisition in DoD.
April 29, 2014 -
Reworked guidance is the first update to key Defense Department instruction since 2008. Internal attempt to streamline the system is leading department officials to seek legislative changes to make the military acquisition process less complex.
November 11, 2013 -
Pentagon leaders have spent the past two years warning Congress that sequestration would severely hamper the ability to deploy military forces to contingencies around the world. With no apparent relief in sight from the cuts, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said it's time to start thinking about making the best of a bad situation.
November 06, 2013 -
Federal spending on services contracts continued a slow downturn last year, according to a new analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Contract spending on services fell 7 percent -- from $332 billion to $308 billion — between 2011 and 2012. And the downward trend is likely to continue, given budget constraints that are likely to intensify in the coming years, according to David Berteau, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
September 05, 2013 -
The Pentagon will begin tracking how much time its acquisition managers spend performing and responding to oversight in an effort to remove "non-value-added" processes from the procurement system.
May 28, 2013 -
Despite a veto threat a year ago, House proponents of a cyber information sharing bill say productive talks now are underway with the Obama administration. Reps. Mike Rogers and Dutch Ruppersberger re-introduced the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) trying to address privacy and civil liberties concerns.
February 14, 2013 -
DoD's operations and maintenance accounts will likely be hit first if sequestration goes into effect. Unlike its procurement and research and development activities, which can continue to function on funds obligated in prior years, O&M dollars generally get spent right away. In preparation for sequestration, the Pentagon has already let go of tens of thousands of temporary hires and is drawing up a contingency plan for one-day-a-week furloughs. Deputy Secretary Ashton Carter says the unpaid furloughs would begin in April and continue through the remainder of the fiscal year if sequestration is not avoided.
January 28, 2013 -
A group of former federal cybersecurity experts and professionals have made recommendations for improving federal cybersecurity guidance, such as the Office of Management and Budget's Circular A-130.
November 19, 2012 -
Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said the service wants to bring more uniformed men and women into the institutional Army. He said they have relied too much on civilian employees and contractors over the last decade. Odierno said the Army also has to change the way it trains its leaders to be more adaptable.
November 02, 2012 -
Guy Ben-Ari, the deputy director of the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group at CSIS, and Greg Sanders, a senior fellow with the group, joined Pentagon Solutions to discuss the latest DoD contracting trends identified in the group's annual report.
October 24, 2012 -
A group of experts released a white paper recommending changes to OMB Circular A-130. The suggestions center on continuous monitoring, the role of DHS in overseeing FISMA and the definitions of a major IT system and a national security system.
October 23, 2012 -
Over the past 20 years, spending on defense contracts far outstripped growth in the overall defense budget. But a new analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies points to an "equilibrium," or steadiness, between contract spending as a share of DoD dollars. David Berteau, the senior vice president and director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Security, joined In Depth with Francis to discuss the think tank's annual report on defense contracting trends.
October 02, 2012 -
On the In Depth show blog, you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.
July 27, 2012