BBP in FOCUS


Te Hon. Frank Kendall takes stock of Better Buying Power initiative as it enters new phase


As DOD brings a renewed and refined focus to the need for better buying power (BBP) during a particularly difficult period, Army AL&T magazine asked the Hon. Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, for his perspective. Our five questions focused specifically on BBP 2.0 and what it rep- resents, in both general and specific terms, as acquisition processes continue to evolve. Here are his responses.


Q. When you released your memo on Better Buying Power 2.0 in November, you asked for input on the seven focus areas. What kinds of input have you received, and how will it influence the final release of BBP 2.0?


A. Immediately following the release of the Better Buying Power (BBP) 2.0 draft memo in November of last year, we held a two- month comment period to solicit feedback from members of the acquisition workforce, industry, academia and Congress. In response, we received approximately 90 comments, most of which provided helpful language to clarify BBP 2.0 initiatives, while others will be addressed in future updates to this continu- ous improvement process. Acquisition leadership, from OSD [Office of the Secretary of Defense] and the services, has also reached out to the workforce through a number of interactions so that we could get direct feedback from the people who will be most affected.


Q. If you had to prioritize the seven focus areas of BBP 2.0, which would be the top three?


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A. All of the focus areas in BBP 2.0 are important, and they each contribute to improved acquisition outcomes in unique, comple- mentary ways. Of particular note in BBP 2.0 is the addition of a new focus area that I am convinced is central to achieving greater success: “Improving the professionalism of the total acquisition workforce.” Tis focus area emphasizes the most important sin- gle factor in the performance of the Defense Acquisition System: the capability of the professionals in our acquisition workforce to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently.


In the end, it’s this capability that matters the most, more so than any policy or regulation we can put in place. As such, we will focus on further improving our workforce by providing its members with the tools and skill sets they need to do their jobs, while incentivizing and rewarding actions that yield the best value for the government. Specifically, we will focus on initiatives to raise standards for those in key leadership posi- tions, moving beyond certification in a functional area to being fully qualified to perform in a specific job, and recognizing and rewarding our best performers.


Additionally, I want to draw attention to another important initiative within this area: “Continue to increase the cost con- sciousness of the acquisition workforce – change the culture.” Cost consciousness is foundational to BBP 2.0’s overarching goal of getting more value for the taxpayers’ dollars we spend on products and services, all with more modest budgets. Te department has areas in which the workforce has already


Army AL&T Magazine


April–June 2013


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