Hearing on CG Acquisitions Process

Today, March 24, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, convened the Subcommittee to examine steps the Coast Guard has taken to reform and strengthen the policies and procedures it utilizes to manage acquisition processes.

Specifically, the hearing examined the extent to which the Coast Guard will be positioned to exercise effective oversight of acquisition efforts as a result of new reforms implemented in response to extensive criticism of its management of the $24b Deepwater program. Over the past two years, the Coast Guard has moved to restructure its acquisition management systems, creating an Acquisition Directorate and developing a “Blueprint for Acquisition Reform.” Additionally, it is developing individual cost and schedule baselines for each of the acquisition projects contained in the Deepwater program.

The hearing also included discussion of the Coast Guard Acquisition Reform Act of 2009, new legislation that Congressman Cummings will be introducing today to build on the Coast Guard’s acquisition reform efforts by creating a Chief Acquisition Officer position, barring the Coast Guard’s use of lead systems integrators, and requiring the development of independent life-cycle cost estimates and testing and evaluation plans for the largest acquisition programs.