Accession Number:

ADA550491

Title:

Defense Science Board Task Force on Improvements To Services Contracting

Descriptive Note:

Final rept.

Corporate Author:

DEFENSE SCIENCE BOARD WASHINGTON DC

Personal Author(s):

• Kaminski, Paul G.
• Gansler, Jacques S.

Report Date:

2011-03-01

Pagination or Media Count:

68.0

Abstract:

Contracts for services are essential to all aspects of military operations. Contracted services to support Department of Defense DoD missions range from routine base operating support to highly skilled analysis to direct support to battlefield operations. Contracts for services supporting major DoD programs and their associated administrative, technological, and logistics services are a strategic component of the expanding expeditionary military, stability, and reconstruction operations. The reduction in the number of uniformed personnel in the 1990s, and todays demanding combat missions have resulted in the expansion of services contracting to more than 200 billion -- over 50 percent of the DoD acquisition budget. Today, almost every defense task that is not an inherently governmental function is carried out in some part through contracted services. The task force findings include many issues related to the complexity, span, and scope of services contracting -- not just in the range of dollars involved, but also in types of activities contracted for. A better understanding of these issues is needed and the right data about them needs to be tracked to conduct relevant trend and performance analyses. The report also makes useful recommendations in specific areas, such as the definition of inherently governmental functions and services contracting in support of contingency operations. The report suggests many helpful actions to address these issues in the areas of policies and procedures, leadership, and training, but no one-size-fits-all solutions exist.

Descriptors:

• *CONTRACTED SERVICES
• *DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• *LEADERSHIP
• *MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND CONTROL
• *MILITARY PROCUREMENT
• *PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT
• *POLICIES
• MILITARY BUDGETS
• QUALIFICATIONS
• REGULATIONS
• SKILLS
• STANDARDS
• TASK FORCES
• TAXONOMY
• TRACKING
• TRAINING

Subject Categories:

• Administration and Management
• Military Forces and Organizations
• Logistics, Military Facilities and Supplies

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE