- Reaction score
- 63
- Points
- 530
It will be interesting to see if they can remove fraud and waste from the process.I hope the command isnt called CONCOM. ;D
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/03/defense_contractingcommand_031408/
Contracting Command promises rapid equipping
By Kris Osborn
Posted : Friday Mar 14, 2008 15:48:24 EDT
The new Army Contracting Command plans to sustain the service’s rapid acquisition programs established during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The new command, formally stood up during a Thursday ceremony at Army Materiel Command headquarters, Fort Belvoir, Va., will strive to maintain and improve the Army’s ability to respond to urgent-need statements from the combat zone, service leaders said.
Army Gen. Benjamin Griffin, who leads the materiel command, and Jeffrey Parsons, the new executive director of the contracting command, told listeners the new 5,800-strong organization would add hundreds of new personnel, improve oversight and yet reduce bureaucracy.
“We’ve already added 230 temporary employees. The design of the command is to try to reduce bureaucracy as much as possible and put the focus out in the field to make the changes we need. The idea is to find the problems, identify the solutions and make the fixes,” Griffin said.
The command, which will oversee at least $85 billion in contracts per year, is divided between an installation command that supports Army bases worldwide and an expeditionary command that will oversee equipment.
“The first piece is taking the pieces we have and bringing them together to make sure we have the same business models,” said Bryon Young, director of the Installation Contracting Command.
In addition, a first order of business for the command is to keep adding and training new military and civilian officers.
“We have started adding people to the contracting work force, both civilian and military. We have improved training, improved oversight and we have better resourced the entire command. This demonstrates that we are going to value the contractors. We will forever go to war with contracting being a part of our military effort, and this contracting command is going to provide the right kind of organization and leadership for this effort,” Army Secretary Pete Geren said.
The new command emerged as a recommendation from a Nov. 1 independent report, led by former acquisition chief Jacques Gansler, which detailed a host of problems confronting the Army contracting community such as understaffed and overworked personnel. In addition, the Gansler report specified areas of contract abuse as well as instances of contract fraud and the lack of trained personnel.
“Secretary Geren saw that the Army Materiel Command had a lot of contracting expertise along with the Army Contracting Agency and said we really need to bring them together to provide better support and get the advantages of a large organization,” Parsons said.
Geren said the added training for Army acquisition officers will help the service retain bright officers in the Army.
“It provides a career path for young officers who want to serve their country with Contracting Command. Young officers who in past have left the Army because they did not see an opportunity for a career as a contracting officer. Well, now there is an opportunity for them to continue to serve,” Geren said.
The Contracting Command will be monitored by outside agencies as well as internal mechanisms, Parsons said.
“The way we organize ourselves is to have an internal element of oversight as well as external elements. What we are really trying to do is make sure we have our own checks and balances. We will keep the requirements process separate from the contracting process. Meanwhile, the contracts that are in existence will continue to be in existence,” Parsons said.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/03/defense_contractingcommand_031408/
Contracting Command promises rapid equipping
By Kris Osborn
Posted : Friday Mar 14, 2008 15:48:24 EDT
The new Army Contracting Command plans to sustain the service’s rapid acquisition programs established during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The new command, formally stood up during a Thursday ceremony at Army Materiel Command headquarters, Fort Belvoir, Va., will strive to maintain and improve the Army’s ability to respond to urgent-need statements from the combat zone, service leaders said.
Army Gen. Benjamin Griffin, who leads the materiel command, and Jeffrey Parsons, the new executive director of the contracting command, told listeners the new 5,800-strong organization would add hundreds of new personnel, improve oversight and yet reduce bureaucracy.
“We’ve already added 230 temporary employees. The design of the command is to try to reduce bureaucracy as much as possible and put the focus out in the field to make the changes we need. The idea is to find the problems, identify the solutions and make the fixes,” Griffin said.
The command, which will oversee at least $85 billion in contracts per year, is divided between an installation command that supports Army bases worldwide and an expeditionary command that will oversee equipment.
“The first piece is taking the pieces we have and bringing them together to make sure we have the same business models,” said Bryon Young, director of the Installation Contracting Command.
In addition, a first order of business for the command is to keep adding and training new military and civilian officers.
“We have started adding people to the contracting work force, both civilian and military. We have improved training, improved oversight and we have better resourced the entire command. This demonstrates that we are going to value the contractors. We will forever go to war with contracting being a part of our military effort, and this contracting command is going to provide the right kind of organization and leadership for this effort,” Army Secretary Pete Geren said.
The new command emerged as a recommendation from a Nov. 1 independent report, led by former acquisition chief Jacques Gansler, which detailed a host of problems confronting the Army contracting community such as understaffed and overworked personnel. In addition, the Gansler report specified areas of contract abuse as well as instances of contract fraud and the lack of trained personnel.
“Secretary Geren saw that the Army Materiel Command had a lot of contracting expertise along with the Army Contracting Agency and said we really need to bring them together to provide better support and get the advantages of a large organization,” Parsons said.
Geren said the added training for Army acquisition officers will help the service retain bright officers in the Army.
“It provides a career path for young officers who want to serve their country with Contracting Command. Young officers who in past have left the Army because they did not see an opportunity for a career as a contracting officer. Well, now there is an opportunity for them to continue to serve,” Geren said.
The Contracting Command will be monitored by outside agencies as well as internal mechanisms, Parsons said.
“The way we organize ourselves is to have an internal element of oversight as well as external elements. What we are really trying to do is make sure we have our own checks and balances. We will keep the requirements process separate from the contracting process. Meanwhile, the contracts that are in existence will continue to be in existence,” Parsons said.
