Personnel get update on acquisition transformation efforts

  • Published
  • By Aimee Malone
  • Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  William Bailey, performing the duties of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, recently hosted a road show at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, for Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center personnel to discuss the Air Force’s ongoing acquisition transformation efforts.

In January, the Department of the Air Force rolled out their acquisition transformation strategy that aligns its services under the Department of War’s directives to prioritize speed, flexibility and rigorous execution in the acquisition process. It aims to field technology and modernize systems at a rate that outpaces U.S. adversaries; increase production capacity and deliver wartime surge capacity for key capabilities, systems, weapons and munitions; and put the entire acquisition system and the industrial base on a wartime footing with the urgency and mandate to accept more risk.

In his experience, Bailey said, one of the most important components of acquisition transformation is getting and implementing input from the professionals in the field.

“Ask them to write out what slows them down,” he said. “What are those things that you can't get done? What does it take in order for you to be able to seize opportunities to go faster, to waste less time, to have greater impact? You ask them for their recommendations, and you implement them.”

Bailey said it is important to acknowledge that some timelines and processes cannot be compressed without jeopardizing outcomes or safety. “Go fast and break stuff” has become a popular motto in the corporate world, but it is not realistic to expect the military to adopt the same attitude for every aspect of service, he said.

“One thing we realized was it’s not always wise to expect to go faster,” he said. “If you take a shortcut here, it may turn out half of your requirements are forgotten. You have to be careful in those areas.”

Instead of cutting corners in those vital areas, such as testing or maintenance, Bailey stressed that the Air Force needs to cut through the bureaucracy separating the subject matter experts from the decision makers.

“How many hands are on that steering wheel that’s getting to the decision maker?” he asked. “Let’s pay attention to that because I think reducing that number will get us to an informed decision quicker, and that is acceleration in its own right.”

He underscored that cutting the red tape that slows down decision makers is the essence of acquisition transformation. It is about empowering leaders at lower levels, delegating authority and giving portfolio acquisition executives the tools they need to execute their programs.

“We wanted authority at the PAE and system-center levels,” Bailey said. “When we talk about pushing down authority, it’s because the accountability is on that team in the field. The system center is accountable for the successful mission outcome. We need to locate that authority as close as possible to the point of consumption so that when things don't happen, it's felt.”

In closing, Bailey emphasized again that he wants to hear from the people in the field about both the problems they are facing and the solutions they have created.

“You're thinking about this. You care about this. You're passionate about this,” Bailey said. “There is no substitute for that.”