All About the Base: Acquisition Crash Course

Overview

The U.S. industrial base has experienced a wave of new government policies, increased funding, and focused attention. In a rapidly changing environment, it is vital for stakeholders to understand the opportunities and challenges in this system.

Join the Center for the Industrial Base (CIB) and Executive Education for a one-day course that provides an overview of the industrial base including the U.S. acquisition process; cooperation with allies and partners; and the roles of commercial industry, from prime contractors and their suppliers to dual-use startups, private equity, and venture capital.

Formal training on government acquisition often focuses on the development of skills on the way to acquisition workforce certification. This training is less accessible and less relevant to the broader D.C. policy community, including foreign partners, industry executives, and policy analysts, who are looking for a summary overview of federal acquisition and insight into issues and terminology. This course will provide this foundational knowledge and demystify the complexities of doing business with government agencies while explaining the recent shifts in policy and the opportunities for innovation.

Curriculum

Understanding the Industrial Base

The first session will provide an overview of the U.S. industrial base, the roles of different stakeholders, and a summary of the recent changes to industrial base policy. Topics will include executive orders on Federal Acquisition Regulations and Foreign Military Sales; Pentagon policy changes, like the elimination of the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS); and international cooperation arrangements, like ICE Pact. The session will give participants a broad foundation for the rest of the day and enable them to see the big picture before diving into each stage of the acquisition process: requirements, funding, and the pathways toward acquiring systems.

Setting Requirements

The requirements process is being transformed, and an understanding of these changing dynamics is essential for doing business in the industrial base. The requirements process identifies what the warfighter needs, ranging from additional investments in existing systems to the new development of future capabilities. This process connects strategic goals to those in the field with the tools to accomplish them. CIB experts will follow these developments in real time and explain the updated requirements process as it has unfolded by the course start date.

Getting Money

The third session will cover how—and how much—government agencies budget to meet their requirements. Participants will dive deep into the Pentagon’s Planning, Programming, Budget, and Execution (PPBE) process and the congressional appropriations process. This session will explain the different steps, actors, and timelines involved in the PPBE and appropriations processes, trends in defense spending, and the different types of defense funding. It will also explore recent efforts to reform the PPBE process and the impact of reconciliation funding.  

Acquiring Systems

This final session will outline how the government acquires and maintains capabilities through multiple pathways within the Adaptive Acquisition Framework. From fighter jets and aircraft carriers to software solutions and emerging technology, different capabilities fit different pathways. This session will cover those pathways in addition to regulations like FAR and DFARS, the organizational structure of the acquisition ecosystem, the history of acquisition reform, and the new Acquisition Transformation Strategy.

How to Register

The online application includes a short entry form, statement of interest, brief bio, and resume. Entries will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please note that spaces are limited and the course may fill before the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered.