According to documents published by U.S. Government to discuss the dangerous world we live in and the risks, many Americans take to serve our country abroad.
People are the key to our success, and the Department is directly addressing OCS personnel issues impacting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are developing our acquisition workforce positions, strengthening the contracting workforce, and contributing to rebuilding DCMA and the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA). DoD continues to increase the capacity of the acquisition workforce as part of a deliberate DoD-wide initiative to rebuild the acquisition workforce.
Our current military leadership levels also demonstrate significant progress. We have increased the pool of contracting General and Flag Officers to recognize the importance of contracting to operational success. Where, only four years ago there were none, today the Army now has five new General Officers in contracting positions. The Navy has three Flag Officers serving in contracting joint billets, and the Air Force has two general officers in contracting positions. We were able to achieve this success with help from Congress, which provided legislation in the FY 2009 NDAA to add 10 military General or Flag Officer billets for acquisition positions. The engagement of senior military leaders strengthens the management and oversight of our contracting workforce. As noted above, joint contingency acquisition support office planners are embedded in the staffs of each geographic combatant command, USSOCOM and Joint Staff (17) to perform OCS integration and synchronization. Updates to strategic planning guidance, policy, and joint doctrine demand an increased requirement for OCS planning, integration and synchronization at the strategic and operational levels of war. The Joint Staff (J4) is conducting a comprehensive review of current OCS manning at all combatant commands and their service components to determine the appropriate staffing at the strategic and operational levels to meet these new requirements.
Integrated Planning
Through strategic planning guidance, the Secretary of Defense and CJCS have directed the Department components to plan for OCS at the same level of fidelity as they plan for military forces. This is a fundamental change to the Joint Operational Planning Process (lOPP). Combatant Commanders are now directed to consider and plan for contracted support in all phases across the spectrum of military operations. Further, strategic guidance has established minimum elements of OCS planning information to be included in operations and contingency plans. Additionally, the Joint Staff (J-4) is in the process of finalizing OCS planning instructions and templates for ClCS manuals to provide Combatant Commands and Service component statfs the minimum requirements for OCS in deliberate and crisis action planning.
Accountability and Visibility
We have invested a significant amount of time and etfort into improving the accountability and visibility of contractors supporting the U.S. government in contingency operations. A key aspect ofthis is our expanded use of the designated common database, the Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT). As recognized by the Government Accountability Office in its recent review of our annual joint (DoD/DoS/USAID) report on Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the accuracy of data is much improved, in part due to a sustained effort to improve compliance. SPOT capability is continually evaluated to identify enhancements to improve functionality and ease user interface. SPOT is currently being used to account for US government contractor personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan and DoS continues to utilize SPOT as the primary automated program management tool as it assumes the lead for all US government contractors in Iraq. We continue to expand and improve its capabilities and today it has little resemblance to the very basic tool we developed years ago. Industry's involvement in the program hclped mature it and it has now transitioned to a program of record and will continue to be improved.
The Future: Continuing to Mature OCS and Sustaining What We Have Accomplished
As we have detailed, much has been accomplished, but we recognize there is still more to do; in addition to sustainment of previous accomplishments. We are developing programs to improve the requirements process, which will provide the information and attention necessary to build future operations plans (OPLANS) in a comprehensive fashion, including all elements of the Total Force. We will continue to develop the expertise to apply the applicable program management skills to joint, inter-agency, and coalition contracting efforts to maximize effectiveness, avoid unnecessary duplication and to promote efficiency.
Our use of contractors to support operations is a current and future reality. The role of contracts and contractor support to the armed forces in peace and war has been accepted, and we must ensure we are doing everything we can to institutionalize responsibilities, policies, and procedures (to include planning, training, education, accountability, and reporting).
To sustain the advances we have made in institutionalizing OCS and act upon lessons learned, the Department must continue to: staff the relevant OS D and Joint Staff offices; sustain OCS capabilities in the Services; maintain funding for training; and support a lead Inspector General capability for designated contingencies. Sustaining the manpower and skills in particular with respect to Contracting Officer and Contracting Officer's Representative and planners - will be a challenge against the backdrop of pressure on fiscal budgets, especially post drawdown.
We must resist making disproportionate cuts to assets and resources associated with OCS as compared to other areas of the Department. Maintaining an appropriate workforce balance is critical to avoid losing the gains we've worked so hard to achieve and is essential in ensuring that we are best prepared for the next contingency. We have worked hard to improve our oversight and management of this very critical area and have no intention oflosing focus. We will continue to mature as we apply additional lessons learned from Afghanistan and other operations world-wide. We are grateful for the committee's continued interest and support in ensuring OCS remains a priority.
