{"id":40249,"date":"2017-12-08T14:53:40","date_gmt":"2017-12-08T14:53:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/12\/08\/heres-how-ellen-lord-will-reduce-acquisition-time-by-50-percent\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:08:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:08:17","slug":"heres-how-ellen-lord-will-reduce-acquisition-time-by-50-percent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2017\/12\/08\/heres-how-ellen-lord-will-reduce-acquisition-time-by-50-percent\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s how Ellen Lord will reduce acquisition time by 50 percent"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2013 The Pentagon\u2019s top acquisition official plans to cut the time for early lead procurement by 50 percent, with a future goal of compressing the timeline of request for proposals to contract on major defense acquisition programs from two and a half years down to about 12 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of the strategy revolves around things the department can do, right now, to try and speed up the front-end of the acquisition timeline, Ellen Lord told a Thursday hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, Lord\u2019s plan starts with two moves that she believes the department can do with existing authorities: \u201cIncentivizing contractors to submit responsive proposals in 60 days or less,\u201d and \u201cimplementing an electronic departmentwide acquisition streamlining tool.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Gen. John Hyten, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, takes issue with the current space acquisition process.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Similarly, she pointed to two examples of pilot programs where she believes AT&L has the authority to draw down the lead time for programs. Those examples \u2013 the C-130J retrofit kits, and the Japanese Global Hawk foreign military sale requirement \u2013 could prove a way forward for the department as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal of those two programs is to prove the Pentagon can get those on contract in 280 days or less of the request for proposals, with the eventual goal of getting it down to 180 days from RFP to contract award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we were granted the statutory authority, on sole source procurements, it would allow us to use our judgment to reduce the amount of cost and pricing data we would require when we have cost transparency with the companies with which we do business,\u201d Lord told the SASC.<\/p>\n\n\n\t