The Root Causes of Acquisition Challenges and the Need for Reform

With budgets declining under sequestration and rising international threats, the need for a truly modern, fully-capable Army is more urgent than ever. Yet the current acquisition process is cumbersome, risk adverse, and hampered by burdensome regulation and documentation. Past attempts to improve this system have only added layers of bureaucracy rather than addressing root causes. Drawing on more than thirty years of experience in the defense industry and five years in government, the Honorable Heidi Shyu, Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics & Technology), compared and contrasted her experiences managing defense acquisition in industry and in government, offering a critical look at the reforms necessary to make acquisition better serve the Army and its Soldiers.