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Owning the Technical Baseline for Acquisition Programs in the U.S. Air Force (2016) / Chapter Skim
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1 Context of the Study
Pages 10-14

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From page 10...
... met with GAO leadership to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Air Force acquisition process.1 At that time, the Air Force leaders also requested that the Center for Naval Analyses conduct an independent assessment of Air Force acquisition. These assessments concluded with a summary of concerns in five critical areas:2 1  Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition)
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From page 11...
... The need to reduce cost overruns and schedule delays and to remedy performance issues has helped push the discussion in the Air Force acquisition community toward the need to "own the technical baseline," a concept that, in combination with corrections to the five critical areas above, is well aligned with the USAF desire to reacquire its lost acquisition excellence. OVERVIEW OF THE WORKSHOP ON OWNING THE TECHNICAL BASELINE In October 2014, under the auspices of the Air Force Studies Board, the ­National Research Council (NRC)
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From page 12...
... AIR FORCE The current environment for USAF acquisition programs is strongly influenced by the overall USAF budget environment, which is complex and challenging. The combination of a decrease in funding and the drawdown of forces at home and abroad has placed greater demand on Air Force assets.
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From page 13...
... needs of current warfighting commitments and satisfying long-term U.S. national security requirements.7 Aging aircraft, the increasing costs of operation and maintenance, and the growing cost of personnel -- all of which are occurring in an era of rapid force buildup of fifth-generation systems by potential adversaries -- amplify and underscore the need for capable and efficient acquisition of technically superior systems by the Air Force acquisition team.
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From page 14...
... Subsequent directives from the Secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force chief of staff gave very specific instructions for upgrading and managing the acqui­ sition workforce.10 However, the combination of budget and hiring constraints; attri­tion through retirements; the competition from private industry and the speed at which they can hire technical and business graduates; the immediate need to retain an existing workforce to meet current demands; and the absence of confi dence in acquiring stable and satisfying career advances and career development assignments -- all appear to have had a negative impact on the cost, schedule, and performance issues documented in Air Force acquisition. A recent report from the Defense Business Board11 outlines an aggressive pro gram to address the main factors that inhibit bringing highly qualified personnel into Pentagon leadership positions.
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Key Terms

  • force acquisition
  • acquisition programs
  • acquisition workforce
  • force instruction
  • workshop report

  • acquisition excellence
  • baseline workshop
  • current environment
  • naval analyses
  • schedule delays

  • performance issues
  • plague air
  • technical acquisition
  • states air
  • internal air

  • acquisition community
  • acquisition team
  • acquisition awards
  • force assets
  • force procurement

  • major acquisition
  • acquisition officials
  • acquisition process
  • acquisition environment
  • senior acquisition

  • defense acquisition
  • lost acquisition
  • usaf acquisition
  • restore acquisition
  • acquisition strategy


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