CONCLUSION Te Army’s decision to gradually phase in the APFU for the existing uniform using upgraded materials


in a cost- conscious


way highlights the use of sound business principles and analysis. Te approach chosen for APFU acquisition and imple- mentation was successful in part because the PM and key members of the PM team had the proper business education— something provided by a formal business degree, not just 24 business credit hours.


Furthermore, the number of credit hours is not the important part of PM certifica- tion. What’s important is the recognition that business education is a fundamental and essential professional requirement for PMs. To ensure consistent application of this standard across the PM career field,


the minimum Level III PM certifica- tion requirements


should change from


24 business credit hours to an accredited business degree.


Te Army’s adoption of the APFU was not an ACAT I program with an acquisition program baseline controlling the PM’s actions from a performance, cost and schedule standpoint. In fact, the APFU program was not a program of record at all—it was just an effort, albeit one with high Soldier interest and oversight from top Army leaders. In this program and hundreds of similar programs, PMs must simply do the right thing without formal approval for Soldiers and the Army— deliver an affordable capability with the required performance within constraints.


schedule


Developing and implementing fiscally responsible acquisition approaches builds and cements trust with senior leaders, Congress and the American public: Tis is a PM’s fiduciary responsibility. Hav- ing PMs with the necessary business education, background and experience to carry out this responsibility with con- sistent success would have a high ROI for DOD. It would pay dividends in the form of even more financially astute, business-savvy, cost-conscious PMs with the acumen required to operate in an environment of budget uncertainty and increased emphasis on improved procure- ment returns with limited resources.


Over time, the credibility of the acquisi- tion profession could soar—and that is the highest possible ROI for DOD.


ROBERT F. MORTLOCK, COL., USA (RET.), managed defense systems development and acquisition efforts


for


the last 15 of his 27 years in the U.S. Army, culminating in his assignment as the project manager for Soldier protection and individual equipment in the PEO for Soldier. He retired in September 2015 and is now a lecturer for defense acquisition and program management


in the


Graduate School of Business and Public Policy at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, an MBA from Webster University, an M.S. in national resource strategy


from the Industrial


College of the Armed Forces and a B.S. in chemical


engineering from Lehigh THE BUSINESS OF ACQUISITION


Soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (2 CR) field artillery squadron conduct new equipment training on the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System Mobile Integrated Capability in March at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany. Proposals for new equipment run up against budget reductions and spending constraints, requiring the expertise of PMs with sound business management skills. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Devon Bistarkey, 2 CR Public Affairs)


University. He is also a recent graduate of


the Post-Doctoral Bridge Program


of the University of Florida’s Hough Graduate School of Business, with a management specialization.


+ ASC.ARMY.MIL 97


COMMENTARY


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