Aerospace Industries Association
AIA Reaches for Acquisition Reform Goals
AIA’s Procurement and Finance Council and its committees have been active providing comments and meeting with government officials on a number of proposed government policies and procurement rules. The association’s objective is to promote stability and fairness in 
contracting and financial policies, a goal established in a special report published by AIA earlier this year titled “U.S. Defense Acquisition: An Agenda for Positive Reform.”
In particular, AIA submitted comments to the Defense Department in September in response to provisions in the Weapon Systems Advisory Act signed by the president last May. The comments provide options aside from divestiture for engineering and advisory work performed by industry to avoid conflicts of interest.
Also in September, AIA wrote to the Defense Department comptroller pointing out that recent changes in how the Defense Contract Audit Agency is handling contractor audits has resulted in billing delays, wholesale disapproval of contractor systems, lack of dispute resolution and increased costs for industry, which are ultimately passed on to the government. Several member company officials recently met with the director of DCAA to discuss those concerns.
Over the past several years, the government has begun to re-examine acquisition policies of the 1990s, which has led to a tightening of requirements and shifting of risk to industry. In the past 12 months, AIA has commented on more than 15 Federal Acquisition Regulations and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement proposed rules dealing with the use of specialty metals, contract close-out procedures, government property, data systems, acquisition of commercial items and other issues.
The Procurement and Finance Council is also represented on the Acquisition Reform Working Group, the Council on Defense and Space Industry Associations and on other coalitions, arguing for and proposing modifications in legislation that would impact stability and fairness. As the new administration continues to define its acquisition reform agenda, AIA will continue to seek out and respond to procurement and finance issues on behalf of the industry.
Source: richard.sylvester[at]aia-aerospace.org
