Reform of Budgeting for Acquisition: Lessons from Private Sector Capital Budgeting for the Department of Defense

Abstract

Current trends in federal budgeting move us to conclude that the argument for implementing capital budgeting in the federal government should be revisited. It is clear that significant changes would have to occur in the present system if private sector capital budgeting methods were adopted by the DoD and other agencies of the federal government. However, there are examples of public organizations that have made this leap. The governments of New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom, as well as most of the states in the US, have adopted some private budgeting methods with varying degrees of success. This report explores how capital budgeting is practiced in the private sector, in other governments and how some of this could be applied in the federal government and Department of Defense. The report also provides a brief critique of DOD acquisition budgeting.