'Mind-Blowing' Pentagon Overhaul Will Reshape Acquisition

"In the weeks since the announcement, the U.S. Army has shared details on how it will reform its service-level acquisition process. Part of the change involves consolidating the service's program executive offices (PEOs), which are responsible for buying new weapons, into six new offices called "portfolio acquisition executives" (PAEs). Plans also include the creation of a new office to rapidly field and scale emerging technologies."

"Measures like these have been championed by the private sector, which has traditionally on the cutting edge of innovative capabilities for decades. Cipher Brief COO & Executive Editor Brad Christian caught up with Entrepreneur and Stanford Professor Steve Blank, who recently published a Department of War Program Executive Office directory to help entrepreneurs better navigate the current complicated system for selling to government. Their conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity."

"It was mind blowing. It was mind blowing not because anything the Secretary said was new; these are things that people who are interested in acquisition reform have been asking for the last 10 years. But it was put in a single package and was clearly done by the infusion of people who have actually run large businesses and were used to"

The U.S. Army will reform its service-level acquisition process by consolidating program executive offices (PEOs) into six portfolio acquisition executives (PAEs) and creating a new office to rapidly field and scale emerging technologies. Similar initiatives are planned across other services. The private sector has championed these measures and remains a primary source of innovative capabilities. A Department of War Program Executive Office directory aims to help entrepreneurs navigate the complicated system for selling to government. The reforms package aggregates long-sought acquisition changes and reflects influence from leaders with large-business experience. The directory and outreach efforts seek to bridge gaps and accelerate technology transition into fielded capabilities.

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