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competition, if we make it easier for them to evaluate timely, multiple offers, they’re going to go for it because they want to get the most for their money, too.”
The task force developed a four-pronged approach to achieving greater competition:
• Remove obstacles. Carter directed that contracting officers conduct negotia- tions with all single-bid offerors unless the requirement is specifically waived by the Head of Contracting Activity, Secretary of the Military Department, or Director of the Defense Agency.
“The goal is to make it so difficult for the contracting officer to go out and get one bid, that he or she will do anything they can to go out and get more than one bid,” Griffin said. “We’re going to punish them if they only get one, so they’re going to make sure they get at least two.”
For example, a Nov. 24, 2010, Defense Procurement and Acquisition policy memo states that if a solicitation is open for less than 30 days and only one offer is received, the agency must read- vertise the solicitation for a minimum of 30 days. If the solicitation is open for at least 30 days or readvertisement yields a single offer, the agency must request certified cost and pricing data or other-than-certified cost and pricing data, and conduct negotiations.
• Require open-systems architecture and set rules for acquiring technical data rights. Carter’s Nov. 3, 2010 memo- randum, Implementation Directive For Better Buying Power—Obtaining Greater Efficiency and Productivity in Defense Spending, directed that a busi- ness case analysis, in concert with the engineering tradeoff analysis, be pre- sented at Milestone B. The business case analysis is to outline the approach
A S C . A RMY.MI L 95
to open-systems architecture and technical data rights that will be pur- sued. Analysis will be reported in the Acquisition Strategy Report and in the competition strategy, Griffin said.
The question of how to acquire techni- cal data rights affordably also arose in a separate session at the symposium. Dr. Steven Miller, in the Office of OSD CAPE, said, “I think the most effective time to buy the data rights is when we do the competition,” typically at Mile- stone B. “That’s when we’re likely to have the most leverage and control over the price.”
INDUSTRY DAY
Carter has called for strategies to promote greater competition. Here, exhibitor Joe Bardouche (right), with Pi’ Ilani, discusses opportunities for their business with another vendor (left) at the Hawaii Army Industry Day at the Hale Ikena Club on Fort Shafter, HI, Nov. 23. (U.S. Army photo by B. J. Weiner, U.S. Army Pacific Public Affairs.)
• Present a competitive strategy at each milestone. While DOD recognizes that some major programs are not suitable for classic head-to-head competition, all programs should have a competi- tive strategy, Griffin said. Carter’s Nov. 3 memorandum directed that a com- petitive strategy be included in the acquisition strategy before each mile- stone for Acquisition Category IC, ID, II, III, and IV programs. Agencies also report to USD(AT&L) on how they intend to reduce single-bid com- petitions, addressing market research, restrictive specifications, and adequate time for proposal preparation. Carter
BETTER BUYING POWER
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