This article by Douglas Wiltsie, Assistant Deputy for Acquisition and Systems Management, is the fourth in a series focusing on the workshops held during the 2007 Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASAALT) Senior Leaders’ Training Forum (SLTF) held at the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA. This series highlights the problem/challenge statements the workshops faced, discussion results, progress in addressing those challenges and key actions that still need to be accomplished. This article takes a critical look at improving the MDR process to regain accountability and trust with stakeholders by improving acquisition process outcomes.

LTG N. Ross Thompson III, Military Deputy (MILDEP) to the ASAALT

The purpose of the SLTF, held in August 2007, was to engage senior acquisition leaders in an enterprise strategy deployment approach to identify key improvement areas for the acquisition community, including rapid acquisition and fielding, requirements identification and transfer, resourcing, core acquisition, industrial base agility and overall enterprise metrics development. The SLTF approach was to address each area in a workshop environment with a team composed of a leader, facilitators and senior leader members.

Team and Preparation
Our team, assigned to work the core acquisition process, included representatives from ASAALT headquarters, three program executive officers (PEOs) and a Life Cycle Management Center Commander. In preparing for the SLTF, the assigned team members drafted a problem statement, established process boundaries and mapped the enterprise value streams. To assist with discussion and work, the facilitators assembled reference materials (regulations, instructions and statutes), known metrics for the process and voice-of-the customer information.

Workshop
The core acquisition team focused on three key areas: the MDR process, workforce quality and skill set, and PEO common systems/standards. The team’s goal was to regain accountability and trust with stakeholders by improving the acquisition process outcomes. Applying Lean Six Sigma (LSS) methodology to the identified improvement areas is expected to reduce the acquisition timeline, improve decision quality, allow better management of risk and trade-offs, and improve strategic communications with our stakeholders.

During the workshop, the team discussed the problem areas identified and brainstormed potential solutions. The facilitators kept a record of the discussion and a report was presented to the Army Acquisition Executive (AAE), MILDEP and senior leader general forum. Based on feedback from one-on-one sessions with the AAE and MILDEP, the facilitators and workshop leaders developed an action plan. Projects to achieve the recommended improvement were proposed and prioritized in accordance with ASAALT organizational goals and the assets available.

MDR
The MDR process was identified by multiple stakeholders, including the AAE, as too lengthy, too paperwork intensive and repetitive, and too focused on “checking the box” rather than assessing the work quality. Records show the fastest Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) that the U.S. Army has fielded in the last decade took 3 1/2 years from the Milestone B decision until the first fielding. This was for a commercial, nonmilitarized item. The shortest time for a developmental item was 7 1/2 years from Milestone B to first fielding. These timelines must be shortened to be responsive to the AAE and the warfighter’s needs.

The time to field an MDAP is partly driven by the technology development pace, but at times it is driven by MDR cycle time. The time required for an MDAP to prepare for and complete an MDR averages 18-24 months. Thus, the shortest time possible from Milestone B to a Full Rate Decision and fielding is approximately 36 months. During the MDR cycle time, the program manager, his/her staff and various functional action officers prepare and staff an average of 52 required documents. The AAE has said that only five of these documents are value-added to him at an MDR: the Acquisition Strategy, the Acquisition Program Baseline (APB), a Validated Requirement, the Evaluation Report and a Sustainment Plan. The majority of the required documents are repeated at least three times (Milestone B, Milestone C and Full Rate Production) during the life of a major program.

The team discussed several approaches to the MDR problem: scrapping the current process and starting over, exploring other services’ methods, adopting the Operational Needs Statement acquisition process or improving the current process. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategy and Performance Planning (DASA-ZG) has proposed a project to improve MDR efficiency and effectiveness. Under that larger project, the DASA-ZG also sponsors a project to improve the Acquisition Strategy Report efficiency. The DASA for Acquisition and Systems Management (DASA-ZS) has a goal to reduce staffing time and to deliver APB to the Milestone Decision Authority a week before the MDR. The proposed projects and further exploration of the team’s other suggestions will be pursued as LSS-trained personnel become available.

Workforce
The team members identified current and predicted workforce capability gaps and asked that the responsible authority analyze the situation and provide recommendations for correction. In particular, there was concern about the training and availability of systems engineers, contract professionals and program managers. The DASA-ZS has started discussions with the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center about initiating projects for additional classes, higher course quotas and recruitment.

Standardization
The PEO team members suggested a project evaluating PEO common system/standard efficiencies to reduce investment costs. This change would also improve the collaboration level and identify and share best practices. No action has been taken on this proposal yet, but it continues to be tracked in the action plan.

The DASA-ZS is sponsoring employees for LSS training and has two green belt candidates working on acquisition process improvement projects. As more employees are trained and black belts become available, ASAALT headquarters intends to tackle the bolder initiatives recommended by the core acquisition team and detailed in the action plan.