PBL

Better Buying Power 2.0 Failing To Deliver On Increased Competition

July 9, 2014- Daniel Gouré, Ph.D. For nearly five years, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L) has been striving to make increased competition for defense contracts the centerpiece of an acquisition strategy that was supposed to simultaneously reduce [Read More...]

Performance Based Logistics Is A No Brainer Everywhere But In The Pentagon

July 3, 2014- Daniel Gouré, Ph.D. The common definition of insanity is repeating the same behavior hoping for a different solution.  The Pentagon’s acquisition system is the poster child for insane behavior. Having failed repeatedly to reduce the cost of major defense products or the time [Read More...]

The Jury Is Still Out On Better Buying Power

May 1, 2014- Daniel Gouré, Ph.D. Yesterday, in an article on the Defense One blog, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L), Frank Kendall, took a small, really premature, victory lap for his signature program, Better Buying Power. BBP is a set of [Read More...]

Military Readiness Benefits From Use Of Commercial Best Practices In Supply Chain Management

April 17, 2014- Daniel Gouré, Ph.D. The supply chain is one of mankind’s greatest inventions, allowing for work specialization, the exploitation of the economic and organizational benefits of comparative advantage, enabling the rise of great civilizations and ensuring that most of today’s world is provided with [Read More...]

Why Is It “Easier” For DoD To Cut Forces But Not Overhead?

April 10, 2014- Daniel Gouré, Ph.D. A trillion dollar reduction in projected defense budgets over the next decade is forcing the Department of Defense (DoD) to propose some very painful decisions. For example, the Army has already cancelled the planned procurement of its signature Ground Combat [Read More...]

Performance-Based Logistics Contracts Continue To Prove Their Value

January 17, 2014- Daniel Gouré, Ph.D. In spite of itself, sometimes the Department of Defense’s acquisition system gets it right. Sometimes it can even save the taxpayers money. The department does so when it restrains its tendency to control, regulate, audit and manage every aspect of [Read More...]

When Did Being Pro-Business Become A Bad Thing?

September 17, 2013- Daniel Gouré, Ph.D. I often get calls from members of the press for information and interviews on matters of military technology, defense acquisition and force structure. The reason I and others in think tanks around Washington get such calls is because we have [Read More...]

Are The U.S. And UK Holding A New “Casablanca Conference” In DC?

March 25, 2013- Daniel Gouré, Ph.D. The British Defense Staff, led by General Sir David Richards, is in Washington, DC for strategic discussions with their counterpart, the Joint Chiefs of Staff including its chairman, General Martin Dempsey. The U.S. and the UK consult on defense issues [Read More...]

U.K. Defense Contracting Innovations Put U.S. Acquisition System to Shame

March 29, 2012- Daniel Gouré, Ph.D. I spent the last several days at a conference on defense logistics and sustainment attended by senior military and leaders from the Department of Defense, including an appearance by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, [Read More...]

Will Sharing Assets With Allies Require U.S. To Adopt Their Sustainment Strategies?

February 27, 2012- Daniel Gouré, Ph.D. One of the most interesting parts of the new U.S. defense strategy is the proposal to make up for capability gaps by more sharing and pooling of scarce assets. Resources are saved by managing critical assets as a pool from [Read More...]