The barbarism executed over the last week against our nation’s dear friend and ally, Israel, provides a shocking reminder to all people of good will that evil, the antithesis of life, always is lurking, always is seeking to infect the hearts and souls of men to undermine the precious gift that is our existence.
It may seem crass or trivializing to speak of procurement at this time, but we must recognize that the procurement system, and our participation in it, is at the center of our nation’s ability to defend itself, to defend its friends, and to uplift the shared human values of the civilized world. It is the means by which we invest in capabilities and add skill sets to supplement our dedicated war fighters and support those citizens who serve their fellow citizens in government. Current events demonstrate the fact that system improvement is not an academic exercise; it is an imperative with real world consequences. Our capabilities deployed around the world in the defense of freedom are there, in part, because of the procurement system. The supplements to the Iron Dome defending the civilians of Israel were acquired through the procurement system.
Understanding how DoD and the procurement system are facing the evolving challenges of our world is the subject of a recent Off the Shelf episode featuring Bill Greenwalt, Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Moshe Schwartz, President of Etherton and Associates. The two discuss issues, like data-driven decision-making; the speed of innovation; IT modernization; and increased use of contracting flexibilities. The episode can be found here. It is worth listening to and should prompt action.
Our community’s work in government procurement makes us silent partners in our nation’s efforts to do good in the world. It is why we constantly work to improve the system, as so much depends on it.
In closing, we ask that you remember all those impacted by the violence and atrocities of the last week.