DOD launches acquisition review

The Defense Department is planning a series of public and private meetings in August and September as part of Defense Acquisition Performance Assessment Project.

The project, headed by Gordon England, acting deputy secretary of Defense, will look at acquisitions and make recommendations as part of the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review.

The first meeting will be will be held Aug. 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Anteon Conference Center in Arlington, Va., and will be open to the public, according to a Federal Register notice. The notice also includes an agenda.

The next public meetings are scheduled for Aug. 17, Aug. 23 and Sept. 15. Meetings that are closed to the public will be held Aug. 11, Aug. 18, Sept. 8-9 and Sept. 16. All of the meetings are at the Anteon center.

When announcing the start of the project June 7, England said a simplified acquisition process that restores confidence in the acquisition system and supports fight the war on terror is a primary goal.

"I am authorizing an integrated acquisition assessment to consider every aspect of acquisition, including requirements, organization, legal foundations ? decision methodology, oversight, checks and balances ? every aspect," he said.