News

Acquisition, sustainment workforce hears plans from a top AF leader

  • Published
  • By Wayne Crenshaw
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Acquisition and sustainment personnel at Robins heard a run-down from a top leader this week on the Air Force's Acquisition Improvement Plan.

Lt. Gen. Mark D. "Shack" Shackelford, military deputy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, conducted two "town hall" meetings at the Museum of Aviation. He detailed the plan that has been designated as one of the Air Force's top priorities.

The improvement plan was developed in the wake of criticism from the Government Accountability Office, which overturned two contract awards last year. One was related to the CSAR-X helicopter and the other to the KC-X tanker program. The KC-X has been designated as the Air Force's top acquisition priority.

General Shackelford cited a list of improvements that are being planned, including better training and more hiring.

"The goal is not to avoid protests," he said. "The goal is to win the protests."

The five targets for improvement in the plan are:

*Revitalize the Air Force acquisition workforce with better training and hiring experienced personnel.

*Improve the requirements generation process through a coordinated effort to develop requirements that can meet the warfighter's needs.

*Instill budget and financial discipline by creating realistic schedules and technical assumptions and better cost estimates.

*Improve Air Force major system source selections - particularly in the area of high-profile, large-system acquisitions - through more experienced leadership and simplifying overly complex procedures.

*Establish clear lines of authority and accountability within the acquisition organization by reexamining the organization structure.

Responding to a question from the audience, General Shackelford said acquisition efforts may necessarily slow as the improvements are put in place.

"I think for a little while, we are going to slow down until we get our act together," he said.