U.S. ARMY CONTRACTING COMMAND LAUNCHES INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Senior U.S. Army Contracting Command (AAC) leaders and a group of industry representatives came together at ACC headquarters on Fort Belvoir, VA, Feb. 24 for the first meeting of the ACC Industry Executive Council.

The council is a forum to exchange information, identify common issues, build partnerships, and develop solutions to advance ACC’s efforts to improve Army contracting.

“We have been planning this for over a year and now it aligns very nicely with DOD’s recent Better Buying Power Initiatives,” said Jeff Parsons, ACC’s Executive Director. “We’re here to gain a common understanding of how we can work together to face future challenges, including anticipated cutbacks in the Army budget.”

Dr. Ashton B. Carter, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (USD(AT&L)), announced the Better Buying Power Initiatives last November. They include targeting affordability and controlling cost growth, incentivizing productivity and innovation in industry, promoting real competition, improving tradecraft in the acquisition of services, and reducing non-productive processes and bureaucracy.

In addition to these initiatives, the council discussed an Office of Management and Budget memorandum dated Feb. 2 titled “ ‘Myth-Busting’: Addressing Misconceptions to Improve Communication with Industry During the Acquisition Process,” which recommends that “each agency develop a high-level vendor communication plan.” The establishment of ACC’s Executive Industry Council is a step in that direction.

The council is made up of senior contracting executives from ACC’s large business partners and the small business community. According to Christopher Evans, Deputy Associate Director, ACC Office of Small Business Program, “It’s imperative that small businesses have a voice, as well as a vote, when decisions are being made.”

One initiative the council will explore at future meetings is the possibility for ACC contracting professionals to train with industry, which would expand their insights into industry’s business processes and further the government-industry relationship.

The council decided to meet three times a year. The next meeting is planned for this summer.

Watch the ACC website, www.acc.army.mil, and the command’s magazine, ACC Today, for updates on the council’s activities.