INSA NEWSLETTER
INSA Hosts 20th IT Acquisition Leadership Roundtable for the IT Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-ACC)
On Thursday October 7, INSA co-hosted the 20th IT Acquisition Leadership Roundtable for the IT Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-ACC). The discussion focused on important measures of IT acquisition reform that could be helpful to the Department of Defense. Their main objective was to “provide the Deputy Secretary of Defense with an alternative set of resources to guide the establishment of a ‘best practices’ IT Acquisition Process and Governance Structure.”
Approximately 50 senior acquisition experts engaged in the discussion representing most of the services and key industry groups. IT-AAC Chairman (former Secretary of the Air Force) Mike Wynne chaired the session. Following a status update of IT-AAC’s IT Acquisition Reform Roadmap by Honorable Wynne and Vice Chair John Weiler, a series of discussions commenced lead by industry leaders and senior government officials representing the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Army, US AF, Defense Business Board, NSA, Interop. Clearinghouse, Center for American Progress, UofTN, Northrop Grumman, and many more representing the private and public sectors. Among those participating were INSA President Ellen McCarthy and the Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) Task Force Chairman Rich Haver, who spoke about INSA’s work on OCI and the implications it has for IT acquisition.
The discussion brought up a number of challenges pertinent to IT acquisition reform, including a lack of positive leadership, a coherent vision to specify the purpose of IT acquisition policy, the managerial implications, and the large and constraining review processes for decisions in DoD, which create inefficiency in the community. Another issue brought to the forefront was the lack of training and experience for contract officers. Many agreed that the newer generation in the field ought to have mentors and guidance from their more senior colleagues.
The panel discussion was a great opportunity for INSA to provide and gain insight on issues relating to IT acquisition reform in DoD and the intelligence community. The open discourse between public and private leadership contributes to the development of thought leadership and results in a more comprehensive understanding of a national security issue, which is central to the objectives of INSA’s councils and task forces.
INSA will be joining the next IT-AAC Leadership Forum on Nov 5th, hosted by AFCEA Intl. The focus will be advancing IT innovation and commercial best practices. Details at www.IT-AAC.org.