What role will contractors play in new DoD strategy?

Roger Waldron, the president of the Coalition for Government Procurement, said the members of his group, which include many of the largest players in the indust...

By Jack Moore
Federal News Radio
@jmooreWFED

The new strategic plan at the Defense Department could also spell changes for the companies that do business with the Pentagon.

Roger Waldron, the president of the Coalition for Government Procurement, said the members of his group, which include many of the largest players in the industry, are already preparing for how they’ll shift gears.

Waldron joined In Depth with Francis Rose to discuss how the new strategy affects the contracting sphere.

Waldron discussed how companies are adapting to the constrained budget environment.

But the new strategy doesn’t only scale back. There are a few areas singled out for increased investment, such as cybersecurity, intelligence and other advanced technologies. These areas are potentially “excellent platforms to enhance government and industry cooperation and the overall procurement system,” a news release from the coalition released last week stated.

Waldron also said both government and industry, alike, should more closely examine contract duplication. “There are too many contracts out there right now,” he added, pointing to a “preexisting foundation” of governmentwide contracts that cash-strapped agencies, including DoD may be more likely to stick with in the future.

“One of the things that DoD could look at is reducing the number of contracts and focusing on what’s already there,” he added.

Another area in which to zero in is in developing sound requirements, Waldron said, which is already a best practice in the private sector.

The “mythbusting” initiatives championed by the recently departed administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Dan Gordon, will become “more relevant each and every day,” Waldron said, “and more vital that government and industry talk about requirements.”

RELATED STORIES:

DoD budget guidance aims for leaner, more agile military

Will revised DoD strategy put military pay, benefits on table?

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.