Defense AT&L - March-April 2017
March - April 2017
Defense AT&L is a bimonthly magazine published by DAU Press for senior military personnel, civilians, defense contractors, and defense industry professionals in program management and the acquisition, technology and logistics workforce.
View as PDF 10 Articles in This Magazine
The Evolution of Earned Value Management
The EVM concept grew from a need to better manage increasingly complex defense programs, such as ballistic missiles. The genius of EVM, and a primary reason for its longevity, is its lack of prescriptive requirements. (To print a PDF copy of this article, click here.)
PARCA—Acquisition Reform That Works
The Performance Assessment and Root Cause Analyses (PARCA) Directorate in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition has displayed a longed-for collaborative, innovative, and pioneering acumen. (To print a PDF copy of this article, click here.)
Proactively Tailored Acquisition Models
The “Google Maps” for Acquisition
Tailoring encourages a program to modify the acquisition process, program documentation, acquisition phases, and decision levels to most effectively address program needs. Tailoring is intended to give the acquisition workforce flexibility and autonomy. (To print a PDF copy of this article, click here.)
A balance is needed between inventory on hand and resupply through the DoD supply chain. It is critical in locating the greatest threats to the supply chain and then developing the best way to mitigate or manage that risk. (To print a PDF copy of this article, click here.)
A Better Way to Write Contracts
Industry’s share of administrative burden can be increased if the DoD requires the contractor to use its own resources to write the physical contract. Having the DoD write the contract does not add value to the contracting process; industry may institute a more efficient process. (To print a PDF copy of this article, click here.)
An Argument for Process-Based Audits
The cornerstone of Government Contract Quality Assurance is the ability to verify that a product or service conforms to the terms of a contract. Verifying that historically has been a challenging task. (To print a PDF copy of this article, click here.)
Management Consulting: Great Stuff—But Beware of Pitfalls
DoD acquisition program offices often rely on specialized management consulting services. There are pitfalls as well as benefits in doing so. (To print a PDF copy of this article, click here.)
Tail Spend Management: Shaping the Future of Acquisition Reform
Defense experts worry about increased spending on contracted services. One approach could focus on items below the $10 million “core spending” threshold. (To print a PDF copy of this article, click here.)
Special Ops Forces AT&L Gets FITT
The Special Operations Forces Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Training and Leader Development Team—known as the Pathfinders—uses a closed-loop process to assess proficiency, plan training, prepare trainers, execute classes and gather feedback to restart the loop. (To print a PDF copy of this article, click here.)
Sustaining Afghan Air Power: Make, Buy or Both?
The Afghan Air Force has no previous sustainment experience on aircraft received from the United States. Therefore, Afghan maintenance and logistics capabilities on these platforms require a high level of contractor logistics support. (To print a PDF copy of this article, click here.)
Defense Acquisition Magazine
March - April 2017