Non-Subscriber Extract
US DoD 'needs more training and personnel' to deal with industry protests
By Caitlin Harrington
12 March 2008
The US Department of Defense (DoD) needs to hire more acquisition officials and provide more training to prepare for an expected increase in the number of industry protests, the head of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) told Jane's on 10 March.
"We really believe the Department of Defense...acquisition workforce needs shoring up," said Marion Blakey, the president and chief executive officer of AIA.
Blakey added that "increasing [staffing] numbers and more training" will be essential to ensure that the Pentagon's acquisition offices are adequately prepared to fairly evaluate major contracts and give due consideration to industry protests.
"The fact that a number of protests have been sustained really goes to [the heart of] our concern," she said.
Pentagon acquisition units have been hit by cutbacks in recent years because of the across-the-board pressure on the federal budget, Blakey said.