Statments on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Akaka, and Mrs. McCaskill):
S. 761. A bill to improve the acquisition workforce through the establishment of an acquisition management fellows program and a leadership development training program, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President. I rise today to introduce two bills that would lay a strong foundation to improve the Federal acquisition system.
The first bill, the Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act of 2011, S. 761, co-sponsored by Senators Akaka and McCaskill, would create a Federal acquisition management fellows program to develop a new generation of acquisition leaders with government-wide perspective, skills, and experience.
The second bill, the Federal Acquisition Institute Improvement Act of 2011, S. 762, co-sponsored by Senators Akaka, McCaskill and Brown of Massachusetts, would provide much-needed organizational clarity to enable the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) to fulfill its mission of facilitating career development and better management of the federal acquisition workforce.
The Federal acquisition system is under tremendous stress. Between fiscal years 2000 and 2010, acquisition spending by the federal government expanded by 163 percent, from $205 billion to $535 billion. The necessary costs of military operations, natural disasters, homeland security precautions, and other vital programs will continue to strain the acquisition system in the years ahead.
This unprecedented level of purchasing creates abundant opportunities for fraud, waste, and abuse. We have seen far too many outrageous failures in government contracting. The Secure Border Initiative Network, the Census Bureau's handheld computers for the 2010 Census, and the Marine Presidential Helicopter programs are among recent, notorious and costly acquisition failures, which we can ill afford.
These and other failures demand strong steps to protect taxpayer dollars and deliver better acquisition outcomes.
As a long-time advocate for stronger competition, accountability, and transparency in government contracting, I recognize the actions the Administration has taken recently to improve federal contracting. Many of these initiatives originated from legislation I co-authored with Senator Lieberman during the 110th Congress.
But, no matter how many laws we pass or guidance documents OMB issues, the effectiveness of our Federal acquisition system ultimately depends on a vital human component--the acquisition workforce.
While contract spending has risen dramatically, the number of acquisition professionals who help plan, award, and oversee these contracts has been stagnant. And with roughly half of the current acquisition workforce eligible to retire by 2018, the difficulties of strengthening that workforce are becoming increasingly acute. A well-trained and adequately sized acquisition workforce is critical to managing and overseeing federal spending and the increasingly complex procurements of services and goods.
The two pieces of legislation I am introducing today are designed to address these important long-term goals.
The Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act would create a centrally managed, Government-wide Acquisition Management Fellows Program that combines both a Master's degree-level academic curriculum and on-the-job training in multiple federal agencies. By partnering with leading universities that have specialized government acquisition programs, the government can attract top-caliber students and retain our best government employees who are interested in pursuing both academic advancement and public service.
Compared to the several existing, agency-specific intern programs, this government-wide program would provide a much-needed skill set that we currently do not have in sufficient number; that is, acquisition professionals with multi-agency and multi-disciplinary training who can understand and manage government-wide acquisition needs and perspectives.
Considering that interagency acquisition now accounts for approximately 40 percent of the Federal Government's entire contract spending, and that GAO has designated the management of interagency contracting a high-risk area since 2005, it is evident that we need to develop future acquisition leaders who understand government-wide needs and perspectives and are able to operate effectively outside of the traditional, single-agency environment.
Specifically, the Acquisition Management Fellows Program would include one academic year of full-time, on-campus training followed by 2 years of on-the-job and part-time training toward a Masters or equivalent graduate degree in related fields; and a curriculum that would include rotational assignments at three or more executive agencies covering, among other issues, acquisition planning, cost-estimating, formation and post-award administration of ``high risk'' contract types, and interagency contracts.
Upon graduation, participants will have completed all required, non-agency-specific training courses necessary for a basic contracting officer warrant.
In addition, participants would be required to enter into a service commitment to ensure the Federal Government receives a proper return on its investment. The service commitment would be no less than 1 year for each year a participant is in the program, and would require reimbursement of funds for those who do not successfully complete the program or do not fulfill the minimum service requirements.
Our second bill, the Federal Acquisition Institute Improvement Act, would strengthen the Federal Acquisition Institute, FAI, whose key responsibilities are to promote career development and strategic human capital management for the entire civilian acquisition workforce.
The FAI has remained largely underutilized due to a lack of organizational clarity, the disproportionate funding compared to its counterpart in the Department of Defense, and its intermittent use by a few Federal agencies.
The proposed legislation would establish a clear line of responsibility and accountability for the Institute by requiring that FAI, through its Board of Directors, report directly to the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, OFPP; the director of FAI be appointed by the OFPP Administrator, and report directly to the OFPP Associate Administrator for Acquisition Workforce; all existing civilian agency training programs follow guidelines issued by OFPP, which would ensure consistent training standards necessary to develop uniform core competencies; and the OFPP Administrator report annually to Congressional committees of jurisdiction projected FAI budget needs and expense plans to fulfill its statutory mandate.
With respect to its core government-wide functions, FAI would be required to provide and keep current government-wide training standards and certification requirements including ensuring effective agency implementation of government-wide training and certification standards; analyzing the curriculum to ascertain if all certification competencies are covered, or if adjustments are necessary; developing career-path information for certified professionals to encourage retention in government positions; and coordinating with the Office of Personnel Management for human capital efforts.
The administration has identified acquisition workforce development as a pillar for improving acquisition practices and contract performance. While I fully agree with this goal, we need specific and concrete action to solve this problem.
Our legislation would prompt the sustained effort necessary to rebuild the acquisition workforce. While this will take time and investment, I am confident this is a wise investment that will yield substantial returns. Just think about it: if our better-trained acquisition professionals can prevent one failed procurement, it can save the taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars. If they can avoid overpaying one percent of our contract spending, it will save the taxpayer more than five billion dollars each year. The numbers speak for themselves.
The Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act and the Federal Acquisition Institute Improvement Act are critically needed and both enjoy bipartisan support. I encourage my colleagues to support them.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source