Insight from Award Winning Acquisition Teams

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Description

Each year the DoD David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Awards recognize the accomplishments of programs and teams that have helped advance the National Defense Strategy and support the Department's priorities for innovation and excellence in acquisition. 2022 DoD Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards were announced on December 2, 2022 This event will showcase three of those winners.  Hear directly from members of each team how they overcame challenges to deliver extraordinary outcomes.

Who should attend? 

Those in government, academia, and industry, from all functional areas, who work in defense acquisition and want to learn from "winners" about initiatives, tools, and actions they can apply to improve results. 

Competing to Win Series:

Attending these sessions will help you relate the work you do in defense acquisition to the strategic competition shaping our national security environment (to learn more click here).  Learn how to meet the challenge and help the US maintain its competitive advantage!  Session format is curated conversation with thought leaders from across DoD, industry, academia, and the acquisition workforce. No slides, followed by live Q&A.

Moderator:

Mr. LaCamera joined DSMC/DAU faculty in May 2014 as Professor of Executive Program Management and the Course Manager for the Senior Acquisition Management Course (SAMC)  ACQ 404 for FO/GO/SES/VP.  Prior to this he had an extensive career with the Dept of Navy including his time as a member of the Senior Executive Service with Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. He has a highly diverse background in a variety of warfare domains including Submarine and Surface Ship Warfare Weapons and Combat Systems, Theater Ballistic Missile Defense Systems and Advanced RDT&E.  He has extensive leadership and management experience as an ACAT ID & IC Program Manager, as a US Steering Committee Representative and Delegate to NATO for International Acquisition Programs and FMS, and senior command experience in both SYSCOM Hqtrs and as Technical Director of a major Navy Warfare Center. He also had a tour in private industry early in his career.

Packard Award Winning Teams:

Next Generation Squad Weapons Team, United States Army

Representing a fundamental shift in how the Army acquires new, small arms modernization capabilities, the team executed an innovative and agile rapid acquisition strategy using a Soldier Centered Design methodology to accelerate development and production of the Next Generation Squad Weapons, Fire Control, and 6.8mm family of ammunition. The team exhibited excellence in acquisition teamwork across multiple Army organizations and a culture of innovation. They developed a streamlined prototyping and down-select approach leveraging the Middle Tier Acquisition Pathway, while setting conditions to provide Close Combat Force Soldiers with technologically advanced small arms and ammunition that provide overmatch against peer and near peer threats.

LHA 7 Post Delivery Team, United States Navy

Due to the tragic USS Bonhomme Richard loss due to fire, the deployment of LHA 7 (USS Tripoli) was accelerated over a year to meet critical Fleet and COCOM operational commitments.  To meet this timeline, the team forged innovative methods and approaches, while operating and excelling in the challenging pandemic environment. They developed a multi-tiered overlapping work, training, testing and certification schedule. The team used a 'get real', 'get better' approach, continually planning, monitoring, and adjusting execution to meet the accelerated deployment schedule. As a result, LHA 7 was transferred to the Fleet as the most capable large deck amphibious ship ever put to sea.

Low Earth Orbit Systems Program Office, National Reconnaissance Office

The team executed a successful integration and test campaign, culminating in the launch of the first next-generation spacecraft, while overcoming significant obstacles. This new spacecraft was the largest design change since the program's start, taking advantage of innovative technology to meet evolving threats while focusing on affordability. The team aggressively managed risk by employing multiple mitigation techniques including early environmental testing and comprehensive testing of data interfaces.  The team's efforts culminated in a rapid spacecraft activation, 23 days faster than scheduled. Their actions ensured this new addition to the Signals Intelligence architecture will provide unmatched capability to the warfighter while meeting affordability challenges of the future.

Event Survey: https://eval.dau.edu/jfe/form/SV_ePOtI66PnOCGn2K?EventID=760