Issue 205 - 19 July 99
Issue 205 - 19 July 1999
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Change Through Ex-Change Conference - A Resounding Success
Acquisition Reform engines of change continued to churn even as the 1999 annual Change Through Ex-Change Conference came to conclusion. The event, held on 7 June at the Marriott Crystal City, was hosted by Ms. Eileen Roberson, the Department of the Navy's Acquisition Reform Executive (ARE) and Vice Admiral James Amerault, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Logistics). The two leaders focused on enforcing positive changes throughout the acquisition and logistics community. The conference provided a forum for informative presentations, lively discussions, and unique door prizes. Close to 400 people attended the conference, while many more members of the acquisition and logistics community tuned in via live broadcast and satellite down link on the web. Conference attendees included representatives from the Department of the Navy's acquisition and logistics community, members of industry, and interested acquisition government partners. Kicking off the event was Dr. Jacques Gansler, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology followed by Dr. H. Lee Buchanan, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition (ASN(RDA)), who spoke about his commitment to sharing success stories and lessons learned across traditional boundaries within the larger defense community.
Reaching Goals
The Change Through Ex-Change Conference is a culmination of working with senior leadership, program offices, and the acquisition and logistics communities at large. Discovering methods to save money, time, and effort while increasing efficiencies are the critical goals program offices in the acquisition and logistics community are striving to achieve. One example of the many programs that briefed their results of implementing acquisition reform initiatives at the Change Through Ex-Change Conference is the Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW). CAPT John Scheffler realized significant gains in terms of cost reduction, pilot workload, and reduced training requirements in his JSOW program office. All briefers identified methods to quantify their savings either in dollar terms or time efficiencies. The presenters also discussed the barriers that made achieving their goals more challenging. This section of the briefs proved extremely useful to potential program offices contemplating the implementation of their own acquisition reform initiatives. Below are the individuals who presented at the 1999 Change Through Ex-Change Conference:
Acquisition Reform Panel, Presented Successful Applications of Acquisition Reform:
- CAPT Thomas J. O'Connor - Acoustic Rapid COTS Insertion Team
- CAPT John J. Higbee - MK46 and MK54 Torpedo Asset Exchange Program
- CAPT Timothy Heely - T45TS Naval Undergraduate Flight Training System
- CAPT John Scheffler - Joint Stand Off Weapon Team
Logistics Reform Panel, Presented Successful Applications of Acquisition Reform to Logistics Scenarios:
- Col Robert L. Williams Jr., - AAV Reliability, Availability Maintainability/Rebuild to Standard Team
- Col Nolan D. Schmidt - V-22 Engine Commercial Procurement and Support
- Mr. Barron C. Nelson - Harbor Craft Privatization Initiatives Team
- CDR Lindsay Perkins - Navy Regional Contracting Center Bahrain Fleet Support Team
Success Stories Panel, Presented Proven Methods of Increasing Efficiencies within their organizations:
- VADM George P. Nanos Jr., - Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command
- VADM John A. Lockard - Commander, Naval Air Systems Command
- Mr. William H. Hauenstein - OASN(RD&A), Director, Acquisition Career Management
- BGen James M. Feigley - Commander, Marine Corps Systems Command
For more details on the conference agenda and for copies of the presenters' briefs, go to the Department of the Navy's Acquisition Reform website: www.ar.navy.mil. The Change Through Ex-Change video archive was available on the TV on the WEB site.
The Shape of Things to Come
Acquisition and Logistics Reform week for 1999 is over. However, the Navy Acquisition Reform Office is busy planning for continuous reform initiatives and events. In support of the customer proficiency initiative, the ARO will continue to focus on gathering and sharing examples of your success stories, lessons learned, and best practices. The Best Practices database, which was developed to gather proven methods of increasing efficiencies currently in use by the workforce will be expanding in the future. The future holds the attainable goal for another overwhelmingly successful Change Through Ex-Change Conference. To accomplish this feat, we are dependent upon your contributions to Acquisition Reform. Please continue to "Ex-Change" your successes.
