FROM THE DEPUT Y A S SISTANT SECRETA RY OF THE ARMY FOR PROCUREMENT MR. HARRY P. HALLOCK


A BIG ROLE for SMALL BUSINESS


Even with fiscal disruptions, Army contracting has tools to ensure consistent support of innovative entrepreneurs


A


s government employees, we weathered a furlough in the 3rd quarter of FY13 and a two-week


government


had two public occasions to reiterate the commitment of


shut-


down at the beginning of FY14. But how did America’s small businesses fare with these interruptions in our support?


We in the Army contracting enterprise are well aware of the significance of small business to our nation’s industrial base. Small businesses support our Soldiers with technical innovation and entrepreneurial character that help sustain our leading edge on the battlefield. We rely on this community to meet the enduring and evolving need for innovation in response to current and anticipated threats.


As the deputy assistant secretary of the Army for procurement (DASA(P)), I am committed to maximizing small busi- ness participation throughout the Army’s buying activities, and I share this mes- sage at every opportunity. Last fall, I


the Army contracting


community to America’s small businesses, at the National Defense Industrial Asso- ciation and the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Small Business Forums. At both events, the Q-and-A sessions turned into town hall-like events that benefited all participants, with an exchange of information on the Army’s acquisition efforts to support and maxi- mize small business opportunities.


Folks were not bashful in expressing their views and concerns about today’s ever-changing economic environment, the declining budget and their impact on contracting. I heard from small busi- ness owners concerned about the Army’s approach to doing business with them.


Tey repeatedly expressed a desire to see more requests for information and draft solicitations that would allow them to comment on areas where they believe the


Army is inconsistent in efforts to meet small business goals.


I agree: Tere are inconsistencies. We’ve made our share of mistakes, and we need to review our way of doing business when it comes to supporting the small business community, the way we target small businesses and how we implement our actions at the various contracting offices. We need to be more consistent; that will greatly increase success for America’s small business community. We can and will improve. With some of the organizational changes we’ve made over the past


few


years and those on the horizon, I can see progress in how we communicate across commands to improve consistency in our contract actions.


SIGNS OF PROGRESS We have challenges, but the good news— fantastic news, actually—is that the Army is responsible for the leading share of DOD and federal government small


138


Army AL&T Magazine


January–March 2014


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180