DoD Acquisition Workforce: 'Essential,' Growing

The 23-point plan for improving the Defense acquisition process issued today by Undersecretary Ashton B. Carter reinforced a point that Secretary Gates had made earlier: that planned acquisition workforce increases wouldn't be halted:

A capable, qualified and appropriately sized acquisition workforce will be key to achieving efficiency. While Secretary Gates had directed a scrub of the oversight staff in [the Office of the Secretary of Defense] and the military commands, he also has determined that the acquisition workforce increases planned last year should proceed, since they are focused on specific skill sets near to the point of execution. You, the acquisition workforce leaders and your workforce will be essential to the execution of this guidance.

Of course, more people doesn't necessarily mean more resources. While Carter can't bring himself to use the dreaded business cliche "do more with less," he comes as close as he can to the line without going over. "We must ... strive to achieve what economists call productivity growth," he wrote in the memo. "In simple terms, to DO MORE WITHOUT MORE." (Emphasis his.)