Intercepts
- By Christopher Dorobek (Moderator)
- Nov 11, 2001
Reforming Reforms
Defense Department reforms would seem to be old hat by now — there have
been seemingly endless ongoing reform initiatives at the department over
the years.
This year, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has produced some of the
most significant proposals to date. But those business reform initiatives
have a better chance of success than previous ones, a senior Navy official
involved with the process said Nov. 7.
That is largely due to the decision to let organizations reinvest the
money they save back into their own organizations, said Vice Adm. Joe Dyer,
chairman of the executive steering committee of the DOD Business Initiative
Council. A clear focus from DOD's senior leadership also helps, he added.
Traditionally, when a program saved money, those dollars were cut from
the budget, sapping motivation for improving business processes. The services
now are able to "retain savings and to reallocate to higher priorities within
the services and to provide motivation for bringing forward good ideas,"
Dyer said.
The council, formed earlier this year by Rumsfeld to spearhead projects
that have the ability of improving DOD business operations, selected a handful
of programs, including a number that involve information technology. One
of the projects is DOD's effort to buy enterprisewide software licenses.
The council's efforts have also received "energetic support" from E.C.
"Pete" Al.dridge, DOD's undersecretary for acquisition, technolog.y and
logistics, and the three service secretaries. "They come from a business
background," Dyer said, and they expect those projects to move forward quickly.
According to Rear Adm. Robert Cowley, executive director and Navy representative
to the council, the initial 10 projects are quick-hits, which have little
or no cost and can show savings as early as fiscal 2003. The council will
have action plans for the proj.ects by early December.
Follow the Money
Despite DOD's preoccupation with fighting a war, that effort has not
diluted the focus on fixing the department's abysmal financial systems.
DOD financial fixes were a top priority in the pre-Sept. 11 world, but
there had been speculation that the effort would fall by the wayside during
the war on terrorism. That is not so, according to several DOD officials
and observers.
Government auditors have said that DOD's financial woes — largely due
to its antiquated financial systems — are the primary reason the federal
government does not have auditable books.
DOD officials are pressing forward with plans to create a financial
management enterprise architecture, a road map for planning, developing
and implementing financial systems that meet federal requirements.
Financial fixes are seen as a cornerstone of other DOD reforms because
it is nearly impossible to track performance without being able to track
costs and savings. A major problem: DOD is overwhelmed with a huge number
of legacy financial systems.
Conference Roadblocks
Terrorism has been tough on the conference business, especially defense-related
conferences.
With a dwindling number of attendees, some have been canceled outright
while others have been scaled back. This year's Milcom conference, for example,
had fewer attendees than expected.
And some conferences have also tried to keep the press at arm's length.
DOD public affairs officials had Milcom organizers tell reporters that Gen.
Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would not answer questions
after his speech. Myers, however, went on to take audience questions.
Other conferences have decided to ban the press al.together. AIE Conferences,
which is organizing the Military IT conference, said that no reporters would
be allowed at the two-day conference.
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About the Author
Christopher J. Dorobek is the co-anchor of Federal News Radio’s afternoon drive program, The Daily Debrief with Chris Dorobek and Amy Morris, and the founder, publisher and editor of the DorobekInsider.com, a leading blog for the Federal IT community.
Dorobek joined Federal News Radio in 2008 with 16 years of experience covering government issues with an emphasis on government information technology. Prior to joining Federal News Radio, Dorobek was editor-in-chief of Federal Computer Week, the leading news magazine for government IT decision-makers and the flagship of the 1105 Government Information Group portfolio of publications. As editor-in-chief, Dorobek served as a member of the senior leadership team at 1105 Government Information Group, providing daily editorial direction and management for FCW magazine, FCW.com, Government Health IT and its other editorial products.
Dorobek joined FCW in 2001 as a senior reporter and assumed increasing responsibilities, becoming managing editor and executive editor before being named editor-in-chief in 2006. Prior to joining FCW, Dorobek was a technology reporter at PlanetGov.com, one of the first online community centers for current and former government employees. He also spent five years at Government Computer News, another leading industry publication, covering a variety of federal IT-related issues.
Dorobek is a frequent speaker on issues involving the government IT industry, and has appeared as a frequent contributor to NewsChannel 8’s Federal News Today program. He began his career as a reporter at the Foster’s Daily Democrat, a daily newspaper in Dover, N.H. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California. He lives in Washington, DC.