This report begins with a background discussing the factors driving the need for acquisition reform, including a brief review of some of the major events and reform initiatives in defense acquisition over the past half-century. The remainder of the report examines the challenges within each of four acquisition areas: what is acquired, how goods and services are acquired and supported, from whom goods and services are acquired, and who is responsible for acquisition and conducting the acquisition. Each of these sections will be divided into two parts, the challenges and our recommendations.
This research was partially sponsored by Lockheed Martin Corporation.