2 december 4-5, 2006 sheraton premiere at tysons corner vienna, va ncma 25th annual government...

NCMA 25th Annual Government Contract Management Conference21st Century Federal Contract Management: Challenges and Opportunities 2

December 4-5, 2006Sheraton Premiere at Tysons CornerVienna, VA

Breakout SessionJose “Skip” R. Solis, Jr., Lt Col, USAF

Chief, Joint Staff Acquisition Management Branch Office of the Joint Staff Comptroller

December 5, 2006

11:40am-12:40pm

Purchase Requests for Dummies: Extending Procurement Automation to

the Requirements Community



Background Implementation Current State Future State



Joint Staff (JS) Mission

• Assist the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) in accomplishing his responsibilities for: the unified strategic direction of the combatant forces; their operation under unified command; and for their integration into an efficient team of land, naval, and air forces



JS Organizational Chart

Joint Staff Comptroller

Director, Joint Staff

Directorate of Management

Joint Staff Acquisition

Manager

Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

Manpower and Personnel

Joint Staff Intelligence

Operations

Logistics

Strategic Plans and Policy

C4 Systems

Operational Plans and Interoperability

Force Structure Resources and Assessment

J-1

J-2

J-3

J-4

J-5

J-6

J-7

J-8



JS Comptroller Mission

• Provide accurate, timely, and reliable financial management (FM) information and funds control to support the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combatant Commanders



JS Comptroller Responsibilities

• Responsible for the management of all financial resources allocated to the Joint Staff

• Manages financial resources provided by other agencies for Joint Staff use



576.5

41.9

90.9 7.5

O&M

Procurement

RDT&E

Milcon

JS Resources: FY06 Budget ($M)



The Big Picture

Joint Programs:•JCS Exercises•CoCom Initiatives•JSIN•JSIM

National Command AuthorityNational Command Authority

WarHomeland DefenseCounter-Terrorism

Counter-DrugsConflict Resolution

PeacekeepingWeapons of Mass Destruction

Missile Defense

National Military Strategy

OPLANSCONPLANSCONOPS

Combatant CommandsCombatant Commands

U.S. Transportation CommandU.S. Transportation Command

U.S. Strategic CommandU.S. Strategic Command

U.S. Special Operations CommandU.S. Special Operations Command

U.S. Southern CommandU.S. Southern Command

U.S. Joint Forces CommandU.S. Joint Forces Command

U.S. European CommandU.S. European Command

U.S. Central CommandU.S. Central Command

U.S. Pacific CommandU.S. Pacific Command

U.S. Space CommandU.S. Space Command U.S. Northern CommandU.S. Northern Command

Joint Staff Programs:

•Travel•Equipment•Studies & Analysis•Other Purchases Joint Staff Acquisition ManagerJoint Staff Acquisition Manager



JS Acquisition Process Org Chart

Comptroller

Vice Director, Joint Staff

Acquisition Manager

WRMC Members

Action Officers



JS Acquisition Manager Key Duties

• Serves as primary acquisition advisor to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), Director and Vice Director of the JS

• Develops and implements acquisition policies and business processes in support of the execution of the JS’ $700M budget

• Assists JS personnel on the development and execution of all acquisition actions



JS Acquisition Manager Key Duties (Continued)

• Provides oversight on all JS acquisition actions (review and approval authority)

• Serves as the JS Competition Advocate to promote fair business opportunities for all DoD contractors

• Ensures JS acquisitions are compliant with fiscal and contract laws, statutes and regulations



JS Historical Prospective

• Generating acquisition packages was a manual, paper-based, labor intensive process

• Lack of standardized business procedures and processes

• Action Officers hand-carried packages throughout Pentagon for review/approval/ signatures

• No real-time ability to monitor progress/delays in staffing of packages (lack of accountability)



Complex Acquisition Process at JS



Understanding the Environment at JS• Joint Staff does not have

Contracting Authority• Action Officer Profile

– Cream of the crop– High rate of turnover

(18 month tours)– Warfighters with no or limited

acquisition experience– “Type A”, results oriented

personalities

• Politically charged atmosphere• Bureaucratic processes

– Layered reviews and approvals



Understanding the Environment at JS (Continued)

• Security requirements• Dependencies on other

existing DoD and JS business systems– Financial Management– Acquisition Package

Processing– Receiving and Invoicing



Common Traits of Acquisition Organizations in Need of Operational Efficiency

• Desire for paperless method to electronically create acquisition packages (the need to leverage automation)

• Significant number of personnel with no or limited acquisition experience

• Large number of actions• Complex procedures and processes

(routing requirements)



JS Solution Requirement

• To develop and implement an effective and efficient application for JS Action Officers

• To articulate, process, execute and manage acquisitions (goods & services) from requirements definition through contract closeout

• All in an electronic, paperless environment with minimal training and maximum quality



JS Solution: System Requirements

• Paperless, automated system• Allow for secure electronic signatures• Web-based application accessible in remote

locations• Interface with other applications

– Financial Management System (CABS)– DoD & Agency Automated Procurement

Systems (SPS and EDARTS)– Receipt and Invoicing System (WAWF)



JS Solution: ACMS

• Automated Contract Management System (ACMS)– Based on Compusearch’s Commercial Off

The Shelf (COTS) PRISM S/W application• Customized to align w/JS requirements• Provides a “Turbo Tax ” like tool with

guidance text and resource links

TM



JS Solution: Automating Business Rules & Processes• “Built-in” acquisition package

development guidance• Electronic routing process• Secure approval and digital signatures• Standardized procedures,

documents/templates• Provides ‘real-time’ status with

MS Outlook notifications of changes• Configurable



JS Solution: Automating Business Rules & Processes (Continued)

• Web-based application• A knowledge management repository of:

– Contracts– Performance Work Statements (PWS)– Deliverables– Other

• Contracting officer electronically receives complete package via email– Contains ALL agency required forms



Guidance for Action Officers



Visibility via Electronic Routing



Process Integrity via Electronic Signatures



Generates Electronic Documents



Current State of ACMS at JS

• Nearly 300 action officers on the Joint Staff have been using ACMS daily since 2003– Includes users stationed

within the COCOMS & OSD• Built-in flexibility for

enhancements (based on need and user input)

• Describe system as “intuitive” and “user-friendly”



Summary: ACMS Package Statistics• FY06

– 710 packages processed– Contract value of ~$405M

• FY05– 769 packages processed– Contract value of ~$416M



ACMS Interfaces



Snapshot: Profile of an ACMS User

• LCDR Paul “Hose” Nylund– Naval Flight Officer in

the S-3B Viking• Pilot of a carrier

based anti-surface/ reconnaissance airplane

– No acquisition experience



Snapshot: Profile of an ACMS User(Continued)

• Assigned to J-7 Joint Doctrine Branch– Responsible for “managing” contracts

supporting the J-7 mission– User Feedback

• Comfortable using ACMS after a week• Describes ACMS as a “smart and

intuitive” system



JS Acquisition Training

• Evolutionary Development– Wrong focus initially– 4-hour block largely focuses

on “Acquisition 101”– Minimal training required on

ACMS itself due to the guidance embedded throughout the application (2-hour hands-on exercise)



Benefits Realized• Goods and services get in the hands

of the warfighter more quickly• Shorter cycle times and improved accuracy

– 60% reduction in acquisition package processing time

– Use of ACMS allows for a more robust review process (because it is faster)

– 50% to 95% increase in the rate of “first pass” acquisition packages by the contracting office in comparison to the pre-automation era



Benefits Realized (Continued)

• Packages are more compliant and Contracting Officers are more productive

• Action Officers have time to pursue other important organizational priorities



Future State of ACMS at JS

• CAC/PKI enabled• Performance Based Acquisition• Increased Embedded Guidance• Electronic Deliverables • Source Selection• Invoice Payments

(establish interface between WAWF and ACMS)



Summary Overview: Lessons Learned

• Establish Vision• Plan Enterprise• Executive Commitment• Strategic Planning• Plan Migration• Sound Business Case• Right People On-board• Establish Governance

Structure• User Support



Lessons Learned

• Establish a vision for how system fits the entire organizational enterprise – role, function, responsibility

–Critical for marketing to management, users, stakeholders

–Maintain focus while managing transition–Seek flexible and scalable technology

with a proven track record and implementation team with history of on-time and within-budget implementation



Lessons Learned (Continued)

• Plan for big picture (enterprise) from the start– Plan for the largest practical expansion for

licensing seats and option years– Turn over O&M to experts (systems integrator)

• Secure management commitment to the system as a primary professional tool

–Use a matter of acquisition professional performance

–Don’t view system as a facilitator for “an action passed is an action complete”




• Develop a Strategic Plan, vetted by all stakeholders– Include all major initiatives, objectives,

goals– Use the Plan to secure budget & personnel

• Plan the migration from the “Now” to the Vision of the future– Concretely define high level initiatives– Define needed budget & personnel

resources




• Establish a sound business case for the new system, along with functional and technical requirements

• Get the right people on the bus at the start of the initiative– Surround yourself with “excellence”– All stakeholders must have a say at the

beginning and during FOC




• Establish a governance structure to manage implementation and daily ops– Form a body of governance – Appoint a full-time project manager and

PMO responsible for driving change




• Employ change management strategy from the beginning– Communicate, communicate, communicate– Hold periodic user forum meetings with

relevant stakeholders• Provide extensive user support

– Help desk– Establish training and apply it with

discipline– Provide standardization to the

greatest degree possible



Q & A

Jose R. Solis, Jr., Lt Col, USAF

[email protected]

Chief Joint Staff Acquisition Management Branch

Office of the Joint Staff ComptrollerMilitary photography courtesy Department of Defense. All rights reserved.

2 december 4-5, 2006 sheraton premiere at tysons corner vienna, va ncma 25th annual government...

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