Faster Acquisition: Putting the Priority on Speed

Abstract

Across Congress and the DoD, a sense of urgency has arisen to provide warfighters with the latest innovative technology via rapid acquisition and fielding. However, the long-standing defense acquisition system was designed for a longer, methodical process of requirements development, phases, and milestones. To match the accelerated pace of today’s technology, the DoD culture must be challenged to maintain its technological edge. Yet, cultural inculcation implies a mindset that executes speed with responsible risk-taking across the workforce. The question becomes, how is schedule prioritized versus cost and performance in the program management (PM) “iron triangle” of cost, schedule, and performance; and how has that perception of the “speed of relevance” changed in the last two years with the DoD’s increased use of Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 National Defense Authorization Act’s Section 804, Middle Tier Acquisition, and introduction of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework (AAF)? By conducting quantitatively based, statistically valid surveying, this research studies the perceptions of acquisition professionals as to the importance of schedule speed when compared to cost and performance via a survey conducted in FY2018 compared with one conducted in FY2020. This paper also introduces methods for consideration to accelerate schedule to help propagate and sustain a culture of rapid and meaningful innovation, streamlined processes, and responsible risk-taking.