Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing
Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc. |
The Nominations of
Defense Reforms
Do you see the need for modifications of any Goldwater-Nichols Act provisions, particularly with respect to the role of the service acquisition executives?
I agree with the goals of these defense reforms; indeed they have yielded a demonstrated improvement in the joint warfighting capabilities of
If so, what areas do you believe might be appropriate to address in these modifications?
None at this time.
Duties
What is your understanding of the duties and functions of the Assistant Secretary of the
The Assistant Secretary of the
What background and experience do you possess that you believe qualifies you to perform these duties?
I possess more than 28 years of experience in defense technology including positions at the
Prior to entering public service, I was the Missile Defense Portfolio Director for the
In the brief time I have been in the government, I have been extremely impressed with the dedication and professionalism of the
Do you believe that there are actions you need to take to enhance your ability to perform the duties of the Assistant Secretary of the
No; however, if confirmed, important to my success in this role will be my continued interaction, engagement and collaboration with other senior leaders engaged in the defense establishment, such as the other Component Acquisition Executives, the Defense Acquisition Executive, and the
Relationships
If confirmed, what would your working relationship be with:
The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics
The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics USD (AT&L) is DoD's most senior acquisition official. If confirmed, I look forward to working with
The Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology
If confirmed, I look forward to working with the Principal Deputy on all matters related to acquisition, technology, and logistics programs impacting the
The Secretary of the
Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the
The Under Secretary of the
The Under Secretary of the
The other Assistant Secretaries of the
If confirmed, I will work closely with the other Assistant Secretaries of the
The Chief of Staff of the
The Chief of Staff of the
The General Counsel of the
The General Counsel is the chief legal officer and chief ethics official of the
The Service Acquisition Executives of the
If confirmed, I look forward to continuing the close working relationship with Mr.
Major Challenges
In your view, what are the major challenges that will confront the Assistant Secretary of the
The Air Force Acquisition Enterprise is exceptionally capable and continues to deliver the world's best and most advanced weapons and other capabilities. After having been in the Principal Deputy position for over eight months, I have a much better understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the Air Force Acquisition Enterprise. My initial assessment is that the Enterprise has the following areas of concern that require attention: the challenges linked to declining and unstable budgets as well as the need to better manage and develop the acquisition workforce. Furthermore, while progress has been made on acquisition improvement via initiatives such as
The budgetary environment challenges acquisitions directly by impacting the dollars available to develop, procure, field and sustain systems, as well as indirectly, including the recent furloughs and government shutdown cutting into the time available for the workforce to accomplish essential tasks. Budgetary limitations and instability will be a fact of life for the foreseeable future. While both the
The performance of the workforce is even more impressive given the environment in which they are performing. With the likelihood of a shrinking workforce, it is essential we develop a workforce structure that is agile enough to realign program staffing and skill mix to meet evolving mission needs. The desired end state should be to ensure solid functional career management while permitting the flexibility to better realign the workforce when necessary. We also need to closely monitor the morale and associated attrition rates of our highly skilled early career personnel - the past year has impacted our workforce in ways we are still trying to understand, and we must minimize any negative effect on the broader long term effort to revitalize the acquisition workforce.
Assuming you are confirmed, what plans do you have for addressing these challenges?
If confirmed, I will focus on forcing the Enterprise to determine if a capability requirement is worth the cost. In my current position, I have stressed how requirements can drive cost, with the intent of guiding the community to evaluate how changing or reducing a requirement, even slightly, can have significant cost and schedule ramifications. Cost/schedule versus capability trade-off curves are a valuable tool in identifying which requirements are key cost drivers and can assist in the assessment of which requirements can be reduced. The Configuration Steering Boards (CSB) and the
While there are a number of initiatives in work to help the
Workforce qualifications are another major challenge facing the enterprise. It will be essential that personnel in key positions have knowledge and experience in specific program domains and phases. I have been impressed in my short tenure as Principal Deputy in the quality of the workforce in our key programs; challenges that need attention are to build depth in the talent as well as building mechanisms for increased mobility and flexibility to quickly move top talent to high need programs.
If confirmed, what management actions and timelines would you establish to address these challenges?
If confirmed, I will work closely with our new Secretary of the
Priorities
If confirmed, what broad priorities would you establish for
If confirmed, I plan to focus on what I consider some of the
Sound resource execution is another critical focus item so that we can more effectively stretch the benefit of every dollar with which we are entrusted. Our Secretary of the
Finally, we have a responsibility to develop and deliver the
Major Weapon System Acquisition
Do you believe that the current investment budget for major systems is affordable given decreasing defense budgets, the historic cost growth trends for major systems, and the continuing costs of ongoing contingency operations?
Yes. Air Force Acquisition is responsible to uniformed service members and the American taxpayers to ensure that they have the best equipment at the best value. I support USD (AT&L)'s affordability initiative to establish goals and caps to ensure funding limitations are identified early and revalidated at milestone decisions. If programs exceed their affordability goals, the
If confirmed, how do you plan to address this issue?
If confirmed, I am committed to working with the requirements and resource communities to ensure programs have clear, achievable requirements and realistic funding profiles.
What would be the impact of a decision by the Department to reduce purchases of major systems because of affordability issues?
Specifically, are sufficient funds allocated in future years' budgets to execute the
The deep cuts brought on by sequestration-level funding has forced the
Nearly half of
The
In your opinion, what is the root cause for cost growth in the Department's major weapon system programs?
The 2013 USD/AT&L Report on the Performance of the Acquisition System lists three dominant root causes of Nunn-McCurdy cost growth over the past three years. Poor Management effectiveness was the primary root cause and included: poor systems engineering to translate user requirements into testable specifications; ineffective use of contractual incentives; poor risk management; and poor situational awareness. Additional dominant root causes are unrealistic baseline cost and schedule estimates and changes in procurement quantities.
To what extent does requirements creep and changes in requirement quantities impact cost growth triggering Nunn-McCurdy breaches?
These two factors may impact Unit Cost growth. Changing requirements based on warfighter needs can lead to cost and schedule growth. However, as the
What steps if any would you take, if confirmed, to address the out-of-control cost growth on
The DoD, in concert with recent legislation such as WSARA, has begun to address much of the cost growth seen in the past. This may be evidenced by the reduced number of Nunn-McCurdy breaches over the past few years. As a cautionary note, many of the WSARA reforms as well as the related
What steps, if any, do you believe that the
Under such circumstances, there are mechanisms in place that allow for major restructuring or termination of poorly performing programs. While program terminations are rare, the
If confirmed, I will continue to work with the Defense Acquisition Executive and Program Executive Officers to ensure the
Do you see the need for any changes to the Nunn-McCurdy provision, as revised by section 206?
I do not currently envision any required changes to the current provision.
What principles will guide your thinking on whether to recommend terminating a program that has experienced critical cost growth under Nunn-McCurdy?
If a program has a Nunn-McCurdy breach, then OSD conducts a review and certification process to meet the requirements as laid out in 10
What principles will guide your thinking on whether someone should be held accountable for Nunn-McCurdy breaches?
An investigation into the decisions, and information available at the time of the decisions, are considered prior to making an accountability determination for anyone in the acquisition execution chain. Using well established best practices, we must arrive at root cause of acquisition failures before moving to the steps of assessing accountability. Accountability must also be directly tied to authority and resources. If an individual did not have the authority or the resources to properly execute their program due to budget, cost, schedule, technical or other factors outside of their control, then the individual cannot and should not be held accountable. In all cases, if confirmed I am committed to giving our program managers and PEOs the right authorities, responsibilities, and then holding the chain of command accountable for the outcome.
Possible Revisions to DODI 5000.02
Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall has recently released revisions to
What are the top five changes to this instruction you would recommend to streamline or otherwise improve the defense acquisition system?
I am still in the process of reviewing the recent revision to DoDI 5000.02, but if confirmed, I look forward to working with
What is your understanding of the objectives of the review effort?
My understanding is the objectives of the review was to publish a revised instruction that: decreased emphasis on "rules" and increases emphasis on process intent and thoughtful program planning; provides program structures and procedures tailored to the dominant characteristics of the product being acquired and to unique program circumstances, (e.g., risk and urgency); enhances the discussion of program management responsibility and key supporting disciplines; and institutionalizes changes to statute and policy since the last issuance of DoDI 5000.02.
Operating and Support Costs
The Department estimates that operating and support (O&S) costs account for up to 70 percent of the acquisition costs of major weapon systems. Section 832 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 requires the Department to take a series of steps to improve its processes for estimating, managing, and reducing such costs.
What is the current status of the
The
What steps remain to be taken to implement section 832, and what is the
The
Regarding section 832 (b)(8), what
Through implementation of statute and regulation,
What steps, if any, are needed to ensure that the requirements and acquisition communities fully and effectively collaborate to understand and control the O&S costs prior to and early in product development, when it is possible to have the most significant impact on those costs?
In
What additional steps, if any, do you believe the
In concert with the logistics community, Air Force Acquisition is focusing efforts on the design, development, and delivery of life cycle supportable and sustainable systems and the appropriate support equipment. The goal is to enhance warfighter mission capabilities while minimizing corrosion, environment, safety, and occupational health risks along with minimizing life cycle system product support costs. The
Systems Engineering
One of the premises for WSARA was that the best way to improve acquisition outcomes is to place acquisition programs on a sounder footing from the outset by addressing program shortcomings in the early phases of the acquisition process.
Do you believe that the
The
In terms of test and evaluation, the
Are all the steps which the
Section 102 of the Weapon systems Acquisition Reform Act required systems engineering to support key three key requirements.
1. Acquisition and budget decisions made for each major defense acquisition program prior to Milestone A approval and Milestone B approval through a rigorous systems analysis and systems engineering process.
2. Include a robust program for improving reliability, availability, maintainability, and sustainability as an integral part of design and development within the systems engineering master plan for each major defense acquisition program.
3. Identify systems engineering requirements, including reliability, availability, maintainability, and lifecycle management and sustainability requirements, during the Joint Capabilities Integration Development System process, and incorporate such systems engineering requirements into contract requirements for each major defense acquisition program.
All three of the key requirements have been implemented and I consider value added. The program Systems Engineering Plan and the execution of this plan is key to accomplishing the requirements. In addition, the
What is your assessment of the
I am pleased by the good working relationship that
Specifically, the
In the area of reliability, the
What additional steps will you take, if confirmed, to implement this provision?
If confirmed, I will continue to refine
Technological Maturity
Section 2366b of title 10, U.S. Code, requires the
What steps if any will you take, if confirmed, to make sure that the
If confirmed, I will ensure the
Are you satisfied that technology readiness assessments adequately address systems integration and engineering issues which are the cause of many cost overruns and schedule delays in acquisition programs?
No. While technology readiness assessments are essential to help avoid many cost overruns and schedule delays, they are not sufficient as a stand-alone solution for systems integration and engineering risks. The expertise of a professional engineering workforce within the
1) Overall systems engineering design and process,
2) Concerns for operational mission requirements,
3) The state of current available technologies (TRLs 8 & 9),
4) Near term technologies in laboratory development (TRLs 4-6), and
5) Increasingly stringent concerns for funding and schedule realism.
An engineering workforce effectively addressing these issues earlier in the program will help mitigate cost overruns and schedule delays in future systems.
Beyond addressing technological maturity issues in acquisition programs, what other steps should the
It would be unreasonable to hold a program manager accountable for program failures for which he/she has inadequate authorities or resources to affect outcomes. If confirmed, I will continue to improve accountability and discipline in acquisitions by first ensuring program managers have the adequate authorities to execute their missions. I am committed to vigorously defending the authorities granted to the program manager and ensuring he/she continues to have the required expertise and resources to lead our programs successfully. Finally, the culture must allow for program managers to be able to "raise a flag" if they assess the program they are to manage is not executable.
What features of an acquisition program, in your view, contribute most to the effective maturation and integration of advanced technologies?
Competitive prototyping, when practical and affordable, is important because it drives technology maturation early in the acquisition, enables effective systems engineering, and allows the warfighter to see the potential capability demonstrated in an operational or relevant environment. This leads to the most effective maturation of technology with the minimization of programmatic risk.
Concurrency
Some of the Department's largest and most troubled acquisition programs appear to have suffered significantly from excessive concurrency - the effort to produce a weapon system, even as it is still being designed.
What impact do you believe that such excessive concurrency has on our efforts to produce major weapon systems on schedule and on budget?
With any strategy there are risks of cost growth and schedule slippages. Concurrency is often highlighted as a reason for cost growth. Unfortunately, research into this acquisition strategy is sparse. A study published in the
What steps will you take, if confirmed, to address this issue?
If confirmed, I will weigh the risks with the potential rewards of concurrency and make informed decisions that are in the best interest of the
Under what circumstances, if any, do you believe that it is useful and appropriate to require prime contractors on major defense acquisition programs to share in concurrency costs?
If the driving reason for taking on concurrency would benefit the prime contractor in executing the contract and the risks and rewards were acceptable to the
In your view, would a requirement for such cost sharing reduce the likelihood of excessive concurrency in the development and production of major weapon systems?
Yes. If both parties have "skin in the game," then the likelihood of taking on concurrency will be a deliberate decision by both parties to accept the risks and rewards.
Unrealistic Cost, Schedule and Performance Expectations
Many acquisition experts attribute the failure of
Do you believe that early communication between the acquisition, budget and requirements communities in the
Yes.
If so, what steps if any would you take, if confirmed, to ensure such communication?
If confirmed, I will continue efforts to shift the organizational and cultural focus of acquisition headquarters to adopt an Integrated Life Cycle Management and portfolio perspective. This will help address WSARA Sec 201 and will align acquisition headquarters with life cycle organizational changes already made in the field headquarters and amongst the PEO organizations. The main shift will be having our acquisition program element monitors partnering with the O&S program element monitors and other functional staff to ensure that all actions are a result of total life cycle deliberative process.
The
Do you believe that incremental acquisition and spiral development can help improve the performance of the
Yes. While not a panacea, using an incremental acquisition approach (e.g. block) can help improve program performance. This approach is premised on knowledge-based, incremental development that provides increasing degrees of warfighting capability with each block. This is the preferred strategy that provides the most effective balance of technical risk, financial resources, and the Air Forces' operational needs.
What risks do you see in the
If implemented correctly, there would be modest to very little technical risk to using such a strategy. If not correctly implemented, incremental development could result in the program being overwhelmed with frequent milestone or fielding decision points and associated approval reviews. It is important to structure programs so multiple activities or build phases may be approved at any given milestone or decision point, subject to adequate planning, well-defined exit criteria, and demonstrated progress. Having a well-trained acquisition workforce is critical to mitigating the risk since the use of incremental development can lead to additional complexities in all phases of the program including testing, management, sustainment, and security.
In your view, has the
The
What steps if any do you believe are needed to ensure that the requirements process, budget process, and testing regime can accommodate incremental acquisition and spiral development approaches?
While the Service is working to make our processes more flexible and complementary to accommodate incremental acquisition and spiral development approaches, more can be done to take additional steps to make these approaches more amenable. We can start with working on budgeting models that are more flexible to shorter timelines. This is similar to the concerns raised in the section 804 report about the budgeting lag and difficulty in differentiating appropriations for some of the new technology. For testing, we have to continue to strengthen the integrated testing approach to ensure that we are using dollars and testing activities more efficiently. We have made strides in the requirements community in implementing methodologies that allow us to set high level requirements through the formal process and standing up lower level boards to manage requirements for increments and releases, but we need to continue on working on setting realistic and executable requirements up front. Finally, demanding open architecture designs for our programs is critical to helping enable cost effective spiral development; this leads to a need for government and industry to arrive at mutually agreeable terms on data rights ownership.
How should the
As part of implementing statute and regulation,
Funding and Requirements Stability
The poor performance of major defense acquisition programs has also been attributed to instability in funding and requirements. In the past, the
Do you support the use of Configuration Steering Boards to increase requirements stability on major defense acquisition programs?
Yes. In my current position, I have received a Configuration Steering Board (CSB) briefing on every ACAT I program. I have found them to be an effective forum for stabilizing requirements of major defense acquisition programs. CSBs provide a collaborative environment for rigorous scrutiny on controlling derived requirements and I believe they will continue to be a value-added function.
What other steps if any would you recommend taking to increase the funding and requirements stability of major defense acquisition programs?
Funding and requirements stability are critical to stable, successful programs. The acquisition community has an obligation to work closely with the requirements and other stakeholder communities to ensure programs have clearly defined and achievable requirements with realistic funding profiles. I have found that the Defense Acquisition Management System tends to have optimism baked in (overoptimistic schedules, cost estimates, execution plans). The acquisition community must guard against overoptimistic planning and remain engaged with stakeholders throughout the process to enable requirements and funding profiles that are inherently stable because they are realistic and affordable.
If confirmed, what steps will you take to ensure the continued success of this initiative?
The
Fixed Price-Type Contracts
Recent Congressional and
Do you think that the
I prefer not to make blanket statements regarding the use of contract types as I believe it's important to match the contract type to each specific and unique circumstance. That said, cost-type contracts are generally the best option to explore concepts, mature technologies and buy down risk during development. Cost-type contracts may also be appropriate during system integration when performing Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP). Once a program is in production, fixed-price contracts become a more appropriate contract type. What is fundamental is to understand risk.
Under what circumstances, if any, do you believe it would be appropriate for the
Initial production of satellites is a situation where cost-type contracting is often appropriate. Often in this situation, the LRIP number is so low that the initial production space vehicles may begin production prior to the LRIP space vehicles completing final integration testing. Production actuals are key to an effectively negotiated fixed-price agreement. The low production volume for satellites does not usually allow cost visibility to be carried over until later production lots enter production.
Technology Transition
The Department continues to struggle with the transition of new technologies into existing programs of record and major weapons systems and platforms. Further, the Department also has struggled with moving technologies from
What impediments to technology transition do you see within the
I see resource constraints and risk as the greatest impediments to technology transition. Technology transition has a cost and in our current fiscally constrained environment, this is among the greatest impediments. The
What steps if any will you take, if confirmed, to enhance the effectiveness of technology transition efforts?
If confirmed, I will facilitate effective communication of capability gaps and promising technologies between the warfighter and S&T communities. As a former member of the Defense Science Board, and a key contributor to the recent DSB Study on "Technology Enablers for Military Superiority in 2030," I am committed to finding, developing, and transitioning technology into our systems. I will further champion the continued investment in innovative technologies important to ensuring the best
What can be done from a budget, policy, and organizational standpoint to facilitate the transition of technologies from science and technology programs and other sources, including small businesses, venture capital funded companies, and other non-traditional defense contractors, into acquisition programs?
If confirmed, with regards to policy, I will focus on ensuring the warfighter's prioritized capability gaps are appropriately communicated and aligned with the efforts of our laboratories and industry partners, to include small businesses and venture capitalists. I will continue to coordinate efforts with my counterparts in the other Services and in OSD to maximize the return on our investment and continue to sustain/modernize the most capable warfighting force in the world.
With regards to budget, I will ensure appropriate cost assessments are accomplished for technologies available for transition, enabling effective decisions in a fiscally constrained environment. I intend to reach out to the small business, venture capital, and non-DoD traditional industrial base to leverage technology innovations of benefit to the future
Finally, if confirmed, I will continue to assess, and when necessary, make required organizational adjustments, to maximize our ability to effectively transition technologies from our S&T community to the warfighter.
Do you believe that the
A major challenge is securing funding for the demonstration and evaluation of technology that is at TRL/MRL 6/7. This is why the role of our Program Executive Officers is so important. They serve as the transition agent between the lab and the warfighter.
What steps if any do you believe the
With limited funding, it's critical we prioritize our efforts and allocate resources appropriately. To accomplish this, we must clearly understand our warfighter's capability gaps, the potential capability inherent in the new technology, and the cost associated with maturing, integrating and transitioning it to the warfighter. These steps will enable effective investment in research programs that will maximize the benefit to the warfighter and ensure the continued national security of
What role do you believe Technology Readiness Levels and Manufacturing Readiness Levels should play in the
TRLs and MRLs play an important role in communicating the development stage of the technology and the risk associated with pursuing various RDT&E or acquisition decisions. TRLs and MRLs are tools that should be considered by stakeholders in determining whether to proceed with the next stage of technology development. As a guide, TRL/MRL 6 indicates a technology has reached the point where it should be considered for demonstration. However, as Undersecretary of Defense
What is your view of the Rapid Innovation Program established pursuant to section 1073 of the Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011?
The Rapid Innovation Program has been an excellent means for the
What do you see as the major challenges to successful implementation of this program?
The main challenge is centered on the overwhelming vendor response to the program. Since the
What steps will you take, if confirmed, to ensure that funds authorized and appropriated for this program are spent in the most effective manner possible to promote the objectives of the program?
If confirmed, I will continue to monitor and improve the established robust processes to increase the likelihood that these technologies transition into programs of record. We have
Multi-Year Contracts
The statement of managers accompanying Section 811 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 addresses the requirements for buying major defense systems under multiyear contracts as follows: "The conferees agree that 'substantial savings' under section 2306b(a)(1) of title 10, United States Code, means savings that exceed 10 percent of the total costs of carrying out the program through annual contracts, except that multiyear contracts for major systems providing savings estimated at less than 10 percent should only be considered if the Department presents an exceptionally strong case that the proposal meets the other requirements of section 2306b(a), as amended. The conferees agree with a
What are your views on multiyear procurements? Under what circumstances do you believe they should be used?
I believe multi-year contracts are appropriate if the business case indicates they will provide significant savings and if there is a strong commitment to the procurement. The economies of scale linked to multi-years have the potential to generate substantial savings and can present strong incentives for suppliers to reduce negotiated price and cost. Because they create a multiple-year funding commitment with penalties, the Business Case supporting such a determination must clearly demonstrate an advantage to the
What is your opinion on the level of cost savings that constitute "substantial savings" for purposes of the defense multiyear procurement statute, 10 U.S.C. [Sec.] 2306b?
There is historical support for 10 percent cost savings as being adequate to justify the pursuit of a multi-year contract. While this is a good rule of thumb, it is not an absolute determining factor. Thorough analysis is required. The associated business case analysis should demonstrate the savings associated with the contract would be substantial in terms of the relative difference in price the Service would pay otherwise for annual procurement and in terms of dollars saved for the taxpayer.
If confirmed, under what circumstances, if any, do you anticipate that you would support a multiyear contract with expected savings of less than 10 percent?
It is difficult to answer this question in absolute terms. While generally, I would like to see a business case analysis projection of at least 10 percent savings before proceeding, there may be rare circumstances when I might support pursuing a multi-year with just short of 10 percent projected savings. For example, if I had strong confidence in the government contract negotiation team's ability to achieve an excellent price for the Department, and if I had equal confidence the
If confirmed, under what circumstances, if any, would you support a multiyear contract for a major system at the end of its production line?
I cannot imagine under what circumstances I would support a multiyear contract for a major system at the end of its production line; however, there may be a future situation where this would be appropriate. The Business Case supporting such a determination would have to clearly demonstrate an advantage to the
Under what circumstances, if any, do you believe that a multiyear contract should be used for procuring weapons systems that have unsatisfactory program histories, e.g., displaying poor cost, scheduling, or performance outcomes but which might otherwise comply with the requirements of the defense multiyear procurement statute, 10 U.S.C. [Sec.] 2306b?
If confirmed, I look forward to working with the DAE and PEOs to correct circumstances which may have led to unsatisfactory program histories. Once a program has demonstrated a capability to deliver satisfactory cost, schedule, and performance outcomes, it may become a candidate for multiyear procurement. The Business Case supporting such a determination would have to clearly demonstrate an advantage to the
What is the impact of the Department's current budget situation, in your view, on the feasibility and advisability of additional multiyear procurement contracts for major weapon systems?
Given ongoing budget uncertainties, additional multiyear procurement contracts for major weapons systems would have to be on a long standing program with many years remaining and the Business Case supporting such a determination clearly demonstrates an advantage to the
Under what circumstances, if any, should the
The circumstances that I would consider ever breaking a multi-year procurement would be if the contractor fails to perform, the
Continuing Competition and Organizational Conflicts of Interest
Section 202 of WSARA requires
What is your view on the utility of continuing competition as a tool to achieve long-term innovation and cost savings on major defense acquisition programs?
I agree that implementing appropriate measures to ensure competition throughout the life of a program, such as those identified in Section 202, can be a valuable tool to achieve long-term innovation and cost savings.
Do you believe that such continuing competition is a viable option on major defense acquisition programs?
Continuing competition is a viable option on many major defense acquisition programs, but may not be viable for all areas of all major programs. It does require continued effort and management.
If so, what steps if any can and should the
The
Section 203 of WSARA requires the use of competitive prototypes for major defense acquisition programs unless the cost of producing such prototypes would exceed the lifecycle benefits of improved performance and increased technological and design maturity that prototypes would achieve.
Do you support the use of competitive prototypes for major defense acquisition programs?
Yes, I support the USD (AT&L) implemented policy changes to address WSARA that increased focus on early and competitive prototyping and all efforts that will result in improvements in the Defense acquisition process. Competitive prototyping has the clear benefit of protecting procurement flexibility by keeping multiple competitors in the hunt during system development. In addition, it is key to addressing several critical program issues, to include risk management, assessment of technology maturation and integration, identification of potential problems and assessment of the framing assumptions upon which requirements are based. This contributes to the assessment of potential trade-offs between requirements and cost. It is also useful in establishing reliability growth potential and to help prepare systems for manufacturing. Finally, it supports efforts to maintain the Defense industrial base by funding companies to continue to develop technologies and systems.
Under what circumstances do you believe the use of competitive prototypes is likely to be beneficial?
Competitive prototyping is likely to be beneficial when more mature designs are required to begin manufacturing planning, to reduce technological risk, to aid in developing operational requirements, and the competition is likely to result in lower costs. Competitive prototyping can be especially cost-effective when it can be focused on individual subsystems and components or focused on integration challenges, rather than prototyping full systems. Subsystem and component prototyping is beneficial when there are critical technologies that require significant innovation and maturation prior to system integration. Competitive prototyping of integration issues is valuable for programs that involve mature platforms, subsystems, and components.
Under what circumstances do you believe the cost of such prototypes is likely to outweigh the potential benefits?
Competitive prototyping is likely to be cost prohibitive when it requires complete prototypes of complex systems, especially those with significant integration and technology maturation issues. Additionally, there are certain sectors of the industrial base that are low volume and highly technically specialized that may not support more than a single vendor.
Section 207 of WSARA required the Department to promulgate new regulations to address organizational conflicts of interest on major defense acquisition programs.
Do you agree that organizational conflicts of interest can reduce the quality and value of technical support services provided to the
I agree that organizational conflicts of interest can increase risk and that the quality and value of technical support services provided to the
What is your understanding of the steps the
The
What additional steps if any do you believe the
I believe the current statutory and regulatory framework is adequate to protect the government's interests in this area, but will continue to look for opportunities to reduce risks to programs.
What are your views on the use of system engineering and technical assistance contractors that are affiliated with major defense contractors to provide "independent" advice to the
It is critical for advice to the
What lines do you believe the
It is my understanding that new Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations Supplement provisions, coupled with heightened awareness of the issue among the contracting workforce and changes in the defense industrial base, have gone a long way to ameliorating the issue making the likelihood of unmitigated Organizational Conflicts of Interests less common. I will continue to support these efforts.
If confirmed, what steps if any would you take to ensure that defense contractors do not misuse their access to sensitive and proprietary information of the
Policies emphasize reliance upon competition at the prime and subcontract levels to provide for innovation, flexibility, reduced life cycle costs, and increased quality. The
If confirmed, what steps if any would you take to ensure that defense contractors do not unnecessarily limit competition for subcontracts in a manner that would disadvantage the government or potential competitors in the private sector?
If confirmed, I will support
Contracting for Services
Do you believe that the
The
Do you believe that the current balance between government employees (military and civilian) and contractor employees is in the best interests of the
I believe we must continue to examine this balance and to ensure that inherently governmental functions are not outsourced. Additionally, we must assess the work accomplished by military, civilian, and contractor personnel to achieve the correct balance. For services acquisition projects, the
What steps if any would you take, if confirmed, to control the
The
Do you believe that the
Through the Single Manager for Services and Program Executive Officer structures, the
If not, what steps would you take, if confirmed, to develop such organizations, capabilities, and procedures?
N/A
Section 863 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 requires the
What is the status of the
Focused on these same areas, the
What steps remain to be taken, and what schedule has the
While the Major Command Commanders and SAF/AQ are involved in the current requirements review process, the Service is expanding the involvement of senior leaders who oversee their functional services and expect to formalize their involvement in this process during Fiscal Year 2014.
What additional steps if any would you take, if confirmed, to improve the
If confirmed, I will continue to engage with senior leaders within the
Do you believe that the use of Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts are beneficial or harmful for the acquisition of services?
If used correctly, Single- and Multiple-Award IDIQ contracts are very beneficial. Our acquisition teams perform market research to determine the appropriate strategy to meet the mission requirement. In services acquisitions, the
Contractor Performance of Critical Governmental Functions
Over the last decade, the Department has become progressively more reliant upon contractors to perform functions that were once performed exclusively by government employees. As a result, contractors now play an integral role in areas as diverse as the management and oversight of weapons programs, the development of personnel policies, and the collection and analysis of intelligence. In many cases, contractor employees work in the same offices, serve on the same projects and task forces, and perform many of the same functions as
In your view, has the
I recognize this is an area of concern. The Service must continue to examine mission requirements and ensure that inherently governmental functions are not outsourced. If confirmed, I will review the
Do you believe that the current extensive use of personal services contracts is in the best interest of the
I believe the appropriate use of personal services contracts is in the best interest of the
What is your view of the appropriate applicability of personal conflict of interest standards and other ethics requirements to contractor employees who perform functions similar to those performed by government employees?
While they are prohibited from making decisions on behalf of the government, I believe the rule set for these personnel should more closely mirror the rule set of a government employee.
Contracting Methods
In recent years, the
What is your view of the appropriate use of time-and-materials contracts by the
In general, I prefer the use of almost any other type of contract for services, but there are still limited situations where time-and-materials contracts are appropriate. For example, time-and-materials contracts may be appropriate when the Government lacks historical data on the nature of work to be performed or there is a large variation in the work to be performed. These situations prevent the reasonable estimation of the resulting work and labor mix for an effective task-based contract. If confirmed, I will strive to limit the use of time-and-materials contracts to only appropriate situations and provide effective oversight to prevent contractor abuse.
What steps if any do you believe the
The
Section 802 of the FY 2013 NDAA requires the
What is your understanding of the status of the Department's efforts to implement the requirements of section 802?
It is my understanding that a FAR case, 2013-012, was initiated for this statutory provision. I also understand as part of the rule making process some concerns were raised and I believe those have been resolved and the case is moving forward in the process.
What additional steps if any do you believe the
I support the idea of the language because it is in the best interest of the
The
What steps if any will you take, if confirmed, to ensure that the
If confirmed, I will continue to ensure that all
Which elements of this guidance, if any, do you disagree with and would not expect to fully implement, if confirmed?
How would you measure how effectively the
Some of the initiatives are easier to measure effectiveness than others, but one concrete example on which we are already seeing great returns is the implementation of "should cost." The "should cost" strategy is aimed at seeking out and eliminating low- and non-value added aspects of program costs. Managers are then 'rewarded' by being given the opportunity to utilize those savings as additional resources to support efforts within the program, the portfolio itself, or elsewhere within the Department's acquisition community as deemed appropriate and necessary.
The
What steps would you take, if confirmed, to implement the following elements of the
If confirmed, I am committed to the
1) Sharing the benefits of cash flow
I agree with the Department's initiative to better align profitability with performance goals, and with including the use of cash flow as another incentive. If confirmed, I will emphasize training and education for contracting officers on the benefits from cash flow as an incentive tool during negotiations.
2) Targeting non-value-added costs
The
This should cost strategy is aimed at seeking out and eliminating low- and non-value added aspects of program costs. Managers are then 'rewarded' by being given the opportunity to utilize those savings as additional resources to support efforts within the program, the portfolio itself, or elsewhere within the Department's acquisition community as deemed appropriate and necessary.
3) Mandating affordability as a requirement
The
4) Eliminating redundancy within warfighting portfolios
The staff is working hand-in-hand with the acquisition staffs of the
What is your assessment of the risks and benefits associated with the
A risk of inter-agency contracts is additional costs and fees which could result in higher costs to the
Do you believe additional authority or measures are needed to hold
No. The
Do you believe contractors have any responsibility for assuring that the work requested by
Yes. Contractors are required by the terms and conditions of their contract to inform the contracting officer if they believe work is outside the scope of the contract. If asked to perform work outside contract scope, the contractor must request the contracting officer modify the contract and reach an agreement on the work and resulting consideration.
Acquisition of Information Technology
Most of the Department's Major Automated Information System (MAIS) acquisitions are substantially over budget and behind schedule. In particular, the Department has run into unanticipated difficulties with virtually every new business system it has tried to field in the last ten years. Section 804 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 required the
What role if any do you expect to play, if confirmed, in oversight and management of the
If confirmed, I will work with the MAIS stakeholders, to include USD (AT&L), the Chief Management Officer, the Chief Information Officer and functional communities, to provide rigorous oversight and efficient management. I will actively engage in efforts to implement important lessons learned from previous IT acquisition efforts.
Do you believe that unique problems in the acquisition of business systems require different acquisition strategies or approaches?
Yes, I believe there are unique challenges associated with the acquisition of information systems that call for the use of acquisition approaches different from those normally used by the Department for acquiring weapons and other systems. Undersecretary of Defense Kendall often says that all acquisitions should be tailored to the nature of the product being acquired. He has further noted that as a class, business systems are products having characteristics that tend to dictate a specific type of program structure. Additionally, there is an existing requirement to keep
What steps if any do you believe the
The
A perfect example of the
With both MROi and future business systems acquisition, the
What steps has the
On
If confirmed, how would you work with the Chief Information Officer of the
If confirmed, I will continue to collaborate with our CIO to identify and take steps needed to improve acquisition of information technology and to leverage use of a common technology baseline across Air Force IT systems. This common baseline will facilitate common hosting standards and promote consistent security practices and sustainment methods allowing us to bring new capabilities online more quickly and at lower cost. If confirmed, I will also work with the CIO to ensure cyber security is built into
Some have argued that the current test and evaluation process does not appropriately address the unique circumstances applicable to the acquisition of information technology systems.
What steps if any do you believe the
The
The
What lessons have you and the
The
Following the release of the AIR report the Secretary of the
Several examples of
The Department's Information Technology Enterprise Strategy and Roadmap, dated
What reorganization, if any, do you believe will be needed in the IT acquisition structures of the
At this time, I do not believe the
In your view, how fundamentally different, in ways relevant to procuring needed defense capability effectively, is acquiring information technology products and services from how the
The fundamental difference in procuring information technology products and services is the greater use of rapidly evolving commercial technology. Leveraging this commercial technology allows the Department to more quickly deploy capabilities through shorter delivery cycles, incremental and concurrent development and test, use of established standards, use of common infrastructures and integrated cyber-security. With shorter timelines and incremental capabilities, there is a greater need for architecture and integration. The interim DoDI 5000.02 identifies models tailored for IT to better enable rapid delivery and an incremental build process to reach full system functionality.
What specific changes, if any, would you recommend to improve how the
I would recommend clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of the many MAIS stakeholders, to include AT&L, CIO, DOT&E and the Chief Management Office. Additionally, in order for MAIS acquisitions to be successful, there must be efficient execution authority, improved governance and stable requirements throughout the process.
In your view, what are the implications of the challenges and differences you discussed above on efforts by the
One implication is that much more collaboration will be required in order to procure effective cyber-security products and services. As we move towards more common and integrated capabilities, the shared opportunities will be greater, but so will the shared risks. The
Are there any special acquisition authorities not currently available that if authorized could help address some of the observed IT and cybersecurity-related acquisition shortfalls?
While not specifically an acquisition authority, a major challenge with IT acquisition is the application of funding rules that are based on traditional, non-IT weapon system procurement. As identified in the 804 report, IT programs are currently funded with a mix of three principal appropriations (Research and Development, Procurement, and Operations and Maintenance), each with unique rules and definitions that are based on funding for traditional weapon system models. IT acquisition would benefit greatly from a specific appropriation designed for unique IT needs and challenges. A specific IT appropriation would also help the
In your view, does the
It does, in most cases.
What specific recommendations would you make to improve DISA's delivery of telecom and IT contracting, enterprise services, and computing/application hosting?
Acquisition Workforce
Section 852 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 established an
Do you believe that the
Yes. With the pressure on O&M budgets, the
What do you see as the most significant shortcomings, if any, in the quality of the Department's acquisition and contracting workforce?
I believe the
What role do you expect to play, if confirmed, in addressing these shortcomings?
If confirmed, I plan to work closely with OSD (AT&L) and
How do you communicate those shortcomings to such organizations as the
If confirmed, I will communicate shortcomings via the forums identified above. Additionally, the Air Force Defense Acquisition Career Manager and Functional Managers routinely communicate training requirements to the
What specific skill sets or core competencies if any do you believe to be vital the Department's ability to procure goods and services effectively and are lacking within the Department's acquisition and contracting workforce?
I believe improved business acumen is vital to acquisition excellence. The
Do you believe that the Department's human capital plan for the acquisition workforce includes adequate measures to acquire or reconstitute these vital skill sets or core competencies?
Yes. I believe the incorporation of the
What steps if any would you take if confirmed to improve the Department's human capital plan for the acquisition workforce?
If confirmed, I will continue to work with OSD (AT&L) to make replenishment of the acquisition workforce a focus of the human capital plan. I will advocate use of the DAWDF to enable continued entry level hiring of recent college graduates in order to backfill as members move up, separate or retire. I will also explore modifying existing demo programs to better target shortage skills using direct/expedited hiring authorities.
Science and Technology
What, in your view, is the role and value of science and technology programs in meeting the
The Air Force Science and Technology (S&T) Program prepares and equips the warfighter to face threats in an uncertain future. The Air Force S&T Program investigates game-changing technologies to affordably transition the "art-of-the possible" into military capabilities. The
If confirmed, what direction will you provide regarding funding targets and priorities for the
If confirmed, I will actively work with the Air Force S&T Executive, the
What specific metrics would you use, if confirmed, to assess whether the
If confirmed, I will work to ensure the
Do you feel that there is sufficient coordination between and among the science and technology programs of the military services and defense agencies such as
While there is always room for communication improvements, I believe there is sufficient coordination. The
Additionally, informal coordination, discussions, and debates that happen at the individual researcher or program manager level with counterparts in the other Services and Agencies through professional societies and other avenues are just as important.
In many areas such as hypersonics, lasers, and cyber technology, AF partnerships with
What is the Department's role and responsibility in addressing national issues related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and workforce development?
Nurturing the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals is an
What steps if any would you take to support efforts to ensure that the nation has the scientific and technical workforce needed for its national security technological and industrial base?
If confirmed, I look forward to continue supporting efforts to recruit, retain and develop a world-class STEM workforce for the
How would you use science and technology programs to better reduce technical risk and therefore potentially reduce costs and schedule problems that accrue in large acquisition programs?
If confirmed, I will continue efforts to deliberately align S&T planning, technology transition planning, and development planning. The linkages between these activities are critical to initiating acquisition programs with mature technologies and credible cost estimates.
Do you feel that the science and technology programs of the
No. A top priority of the Air Force S&T Strategy is to execute a well-balanced, integrated program. I am confident that the Air Force S&T portfolio is properly balanced between meeting current warfighter capability needs and discovering and developing innovative new technology opportunities.
Are you satisfied that the
Yes. The
Do you see a need for changes in areas such as hiring authority, personnel systems, financial disclosure, and ethics requirements, to ensure that the
An objective of the Air Force STEM Strategic Communication Plan is to build the understanding and recognition that the
What is your view of the effectiveness of the Military Accessions Vital to National Interest Program to recruit non-U.S. citizens who graduate from U.S. universities with advanced degrees in scientific and technical fields of critical national importance?
Citizenship is required for Commissioned service in the military. The military does not commission scientists who do not meet citizenship requirements. The Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest Program (MAVNI) is a pilot program that could be considered useful in its ability to utilize the limited authority provided in law to enlist non-citizens in the military service to fill critical skills. To date, the
What steps if any would you take if confirmed to ensure the continued effectiveness of this program?
If confirmed, I will work with other
Test and Evaluation
The Department has, on occasion, been criticized for failing to adequately test its major weapon systems before these systems are put into production.
What are your views about the degree of independence needed by the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation in ensuring the success of the
I support the independence of the Director of Operation Test and Evaluation as granted by Title 10 United States Code (10 U.S. Code 2399, Operational Test & Evaluation of Defense Acquisition Programs). This independence is important to ensuring the Department's acquisition systems are realistically and adequately tested in their intended operational environment. Third party verification of system performance is a necessary and important step in acquiring weapon systems.
Are you concerned with the level of test and evaluation conducted by the contractors who are developing the systems to be tested?
The level of test and evaluation conducted by contractors in developing systems to be tested is appropriate; however, it is important to ensure government representatives lead the testing and perform effective oversight of all contractor test events.
What is the impact of rapid fielding requirements on the standard testing process?
If confirmed, how will you work to ensure that all equipment and technology that is deployed to warfighters is subject to appropriate operational testing?
If confirmed, I will continue efforts to ensure capabilities provided in response to urgent operational requirements are balanced with testing that ensures the system is reasonably safe and effective within resource and time constraints. Many times this balance is achieved by the combined efforts of the acquisition and operational communities, sometimes taken to the extent of the design engineers working side by side with the warfighter to resolve issues in real time. In addition to meeting the urgent mission needs, the initial operational data derived during this activity actually adds to a more realistic, complete and robust operational test regime than an isolated test alone. Sometimes when a capability is fielded, the innovative warfighter effectively uses the capability in a way other than expected or tested; this drives a constant evolution of concept of operations and test planning and execution to maximize effectiveness.
Do you believe that the developmental testing organizations in the
Yes. The AFMC reorganization with the 5-center construct is an improvement in consolidating leadership and management of development test in order to ensure an appropriate level of developmental testing and testing oversight. The reorganization is leading to increased test efficiency and cross flow of information among the test organizations located at the
If not, what steps would you take, if confirmed, to address any inadequacies in such organizations?
If confirmed, I will work with AF/TE to continue to look at
As systems grow more sophisticated, networked, and software-intensive,
Are you concerned with
Yes. These new complex systems deserve a healthy concern and respect so they are not underestimated and are addressed adequately. The
What steps, if any, do you believe the
First and foremost, the
In your view, does the
The cyber world is rapidly progressing and evolving and the
What steps, if any, would you propose to take, if confirmed, to enhance this capability?
We will continue to build on the
Some have argued that testing takes too long and costs too much. Others contest this view pointing out that testing and evaluation is an essential tool to assist in the development of weapon systems and ensure that they perform as intended. The Armed Services Committee has expressed concern that problems with weapons systems have been discovered during operational testing and evaluation that should have been discovered during developmental testing and corrected during subsequent development.
Do you believe that major defense acquisition programs are helped or hurt by cutting tests budgets and reducing the time available for developmental testing?
Reduced test budgets and time are detrimental to Major Defense Acquisition Programs and inherently increase costs over the life of the system and delays fielding to the warfighter.
What steps if any will you take, if confirmed, to ensure that the program management community and the testing and evaluation community work collaboratively and effectively in a way that maximizes the likelihood that developmental testing and evaluation will detect and identify problems timely in software and hardware to provide opportunities to correct them before production and before operational testing and evaluation begins?
If confirmed, to ensure that the program management community and the test and evaluation community work collaboratively and effectively I would continue to ensure an emphasis is placed on integrated T&E. In my current position, I have taken steps to foster this collaboration, meeting bi-weekly with the Air Force T&E executive. Linkages for coordination between developmental test, operational test, live fire test and evaluation and modeling and simulation must be maintained through communication among the various agencies as well as the program management office.
To what extent do you think that dedicated operational testing can be more efficiently integrated into developmental and live-fire testing in a way that is also sufficiently rigorous?
I support increased integration of operational testing into developmental and live-fire testing. The newly revised DoDI 5000.02 emphasizes integration of developmental and operational testing where possible. The key is early involvement of operational testers in the development of the Test and Evaluation Master Plan. Early collaboration between weapons designers, developmental testers and operational testers allows test scenarios to be developed that provide the needed data for the developer and in turn can be utilized by the operational tester in determining operational suitability. This integration can also uncover operational issues early in the development cycle when resolution is possible with less impact to cost and schedule.
Noted defense analysts
Do you agree with this proposal?
A proposal limiting the development of test protocols to one single stage of the acquisition process may not fully address the complexity of the issue. However, I agree that testing should be a consideration early in the acquisition process. There should be early focus on the development of requirements that are operationally relevant, technically feasible and testable. The
Air Force Industrial Base
What is your assessment of the health and status of the key elements of the
The readiness of the
Through this dynamic network, the
As I look to the ability of the industrial base to support future requirements in military-unique areas such as tactical aircraft and strategic missiles, I have some concerns about whether the
In your view, is
The
What do you see as the major successes and challenges facing the Air Force SBIR program?
Successes and challenges exist for the Air Force SBIR program. In terms of success, the
Challenges remain with matching
What steps would you take if confirmed to ensure that the
I believe the current call and response process where the Service solicits proposals to address capability gaps can be augmented by a more proactive, aggressive search process to seek out those small businesses that may be new startups or unfamiliar with the SBIR program. Enhancing the visibility of the SBIR program and our communication channels among stakeholders will serve to enhance our effectiveness in delivering cutting edge capabilities to our warfighters.
In my current position, I am planning to conduct a Small Business Roundtable next month, which for the first time will put Program Executive Officers, major defense contractors, and SBIR and other Small Business representatives together discussing priorities, budgets, concerns, and communication improvements to enhance our access and ability to invest in most innovative Small Businesses. Several targeted Industry Days are planned this year to seek out small businesses that have innovative solutions and capabilities for our mission needs.
If confirmed, I will continue to maintain a strong partnership with our Air Force Small Business team and ensure our Program Executive Officers focus their efforts to achieve our objectives with our Small Business partners within industry.
What steps would you take if confirmed to ensure that successful SBIR research and development projects transition into production?
If confirmed, I believe successful transition requires far better communication between the supply and demand entities involved. The warfighter end user must be central in articulating the demand via the Major Commands, PEOs, laboratories, and the small business community. We have the tools, including a network of transition agents, to facilitate the development of innovative solutions, and I intend to ensure that the demand function is well-articulated and to industry. The targeted Industry Day approach previously mentioned is one such effort, as are the multi-party roundtables.
Technical Data
Do you believe that the
What steps if any will you take if confirmed to ensure that the
In the past, the
If confirmed, I will continue efforts to actively implement the
Nuclear Command, Control and Communication Systems
Some elements associated with the acquisition of Nuclear Command,
Have you read this GAO report?
Yes.
Do you agree with its findings?
I agree with the GAO's recommendations to develop and approve a risk mitigation plan to address remaining FAB-T cost, schedule, and performance risks, and to direct the FAB-T program to establish agreements with user platform organizations. However, I disagree with the recommendation to delay production decisions.
Where you agree what will you do to correct the deficiencies found in the report?
The
Additionally, the FAB-T Program Office will formally produce Memorandums of Agreement with each platform program office to further stabilize terminal and platform requirements. These agreements will be finalized following the production contract award to simplify the process for each platform.
Where you disagree, please explain why.
The Department believes that programmatic actions taken to date have reduced program risk to an acceptable level and support the current acquisition strategy. While we appreciate the GAO concerns over manufacturing and technology readiness, the Department is confident that the winning bidder of the FAB-T production contract will be ready to deliver the system. Based on over ten years of working on the
Do you agree the matching of requirements and acquisition for nuclear command, control and communications is fragmented, as evidenced by the two acquisition organizations (SAF/AQS and SAF/AQP) responsible for the program?
No. Matching requirements and acquisition is a fact of life for all acquisition programs. This often must occur across Program Executive Officers and Major Commands; however, there are robust requirements and acquisition processes in place that ensure key interfaces and program interrelationships are properly managed and integrated at all levels. As with all SAF/AQ Capability Directorates, these two staff acquisition organizations (SAF/AQS and SAF/AQP) understand these processes in detail, and work across the acquisition and requirements communities to ensure this integration occurs.
What lessons do you think can be learned from the FAB-T program and applied to future nuclear command and control acquisition programs?
The lessons from the FAB-T program apply not only to NC3 programs but to all acquisition programs. They include: 1) program and requirements instability increase system cost and delay the schedule; 2) competition can be an effective tool to lower technical and schedule risk, and overall program costs; and 3) life cycle costs drive the ultimate affordability of these systems in the context of other requirements that also must be met.
If confirmed, are you committed to fixing this acquisition problem and once confirmed will you brief the congressional defense committees on plans to fix this structural acquisition problem?
While I disagree the SAF/AQ organizational structure was a contributing factor to the problems the
Congressional Oversight
In order to exercise its legislative and oversight responsibilities, it is important that this Committee and other appropriate committees of the
Do you agree, if confirmed for this high position, to appear before this Committee and other appropriate committees of the
Yes.
Do you agree, if confirmed, to appear before this Committee, or designated members of this Committee, and provide information, subject to appropriate and necessary security protection, with respect to your responsibilities as the ASAALT?
Yes.
Do you agree to ensure that testimony, briefings and other communications of information are provided to this Committee and its staff and other appropriate Committees?
Yes.
Do you agree to provide documents, including copies of electronic forms of communication, in a timely manner when requested by a duly constituted Committee, or to consult with the Committee regarding the basis for any good faith delay or denial in providing such documents?
Yes.
Read this original document at: http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/download/?id=1f34750b-3583-4b5f-8448-7d65116939d7&download=1
Copyright: | (c) 2010 Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc. |
Wordcount: | 21781 |
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News