Comments on: War Profiteers http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2006/12/03/war-profiteers/ A dissident twist of reality... Sat, 18 Feb 2012 01:49:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Ken Larson http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2006/12/03/war-profiteers/comment-page-1/#comment-211 Ken Larson Tue, 05 Dec 2006 15:49:17 +0000 http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2006/12/03/war-profiteers/#comment-211 Government Computer News (GCN) recently carried a story on the difficulties experienced in the latest form of contracting being attempted by the federal government. "Performance-Based Contracting" was made part of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) recently in an attempt to pre-establish at contract award those discrete performance outcomes that determine if and when a contractor will be paid. Interestingly enough, the article splits the blame for the difficulties right down the middle, stating the government typically has problems defining what it wants as an end product or outcome and looks to contractors to define it for them. More than willing to do so, the contactors detail specific end products or outcomes, set schedule milestones and submit competitive proposals. The winner is selected based on what the government thinks it needs at the time to fullfill its requirement and a contract is negotiated. Once underway, the government decides it wants something else (usually a management by government committee problem combined with the contractor wanting to grow his product or service and offering lots of options). The resulting change of scope invalidates the original price and schedule, so a whole new round of proposals and negotiations must occur with the contract winner while the losers sit home and watch something totally different evolve than that for which they competed. The clock keeps ticking and the winner keeps getting his montlhy bill paid based on incurred cost or progress payments. The link to the GCN ariticle is below and is yet another indication of how government keeps getting bigger by incompetancy: http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/42691-1.html For your holiday enjoyment, latch onto the 1980's HBO Movie, "The Pentagon Wars", a humorous but remarkably true story of the design and development of one of the costliest weapons systems ever to grace the Pentagon Budget, the "Bradley Fighting Vehicle". The movie starred Kelsey Grammer as the Pentagon General who led the government establishment sponsoring the vehicle program. The profusion of design and performance specification changes and other difficulties which plagued the program for years was hilariously but accurately portrayed in the film. It was nominated for an Emmy. Further details on the procurement process in the Defense Industrial Complex see the posting entitled, "Odyssey of Armaments" at: http://www.rosecoveredglasses.blogspot.com Government Computer News (GCN) recently carried a story on the difficulties experienced in the latest form of contracting being attempted by the federal government.

“Performance-Based Contracting” was made part of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) recently in an attempt to pre-establish at contract award those discrete performance outcomes that determine if and when a contractor will be paid.

Interestingly enough, the article splits the blame for the difficulties right down the middle, stating the government typically has problems defining what it wants as an end product or outcome and looks to contractors to define it for them. More than willing to do so, the contactors detail specific end products or outcomes, set schedule milestones and submit competitive proposals.

The winner is selected based on what the government thinks it needs at the time to fullfill its requirement and a contract is negotiated. Once underway, the government decides it wants something else (usually a management by government committee problem combined with the contractor wanting to grow his product or service and offering lots of options).

The resulting change of scope invalidates the original price and schedule, so a whole new round of proposals and negotiations must occur with the contract winner while the losers sit home and watch something totally different evolve than that for which they competed. The clock keeps ticking and the winner keeps getting his montlhy bill paid based on incurred cost or progress payments.

The link to the GCN ariticle is below and is yet another indication of how government keeps getting bigger by incompetancy:

http://www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/42691-1.html

For your holiday enjoyment, latch onto the 1980’s HBO Movie, “The Pentagon Wars”, a humorous but remarkably true story of the design and development of one of the costliest weapons systems ever to grace the Pentagon Budget, the “Bradley Fighting Vehicle”. The movie starred Kelsey Grammer as the Pentagon General who led the government establishment sponsoring the vehicle program. The profusion of design and performance specification changes and other difficulties which plagued the program for years was hilariously but accurately portrayed in the film. It was nominated for an Emmy.

Further details on the procurement process in the Defense Industrial Complex see the posting entitled, “Odyssey of Armaments” at:

http://www.rosecoveredglasses.blogspot.com

]]> By: TheDevil http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2006/12/03/war-profiteers/comment-page-1/#comment-210 TheDevil Tue, 05 Dec 2006 13:11:36 +0000 http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2006/12/03/war-profiteers/#comment-210 It is sad that there is always someone out there that takes advantage and profits from whether it be war, Katrina, tsunami or any other thing. I believe US still has the big leverage in the global economy because it has the biggest economy in the world, and it still controls the direction. Despite what you see on TV... US still is the big daddy when you talk about money, and still will be for a while unless the spending keeps skyrocketing. And the spenders keep piling the debt... and filling their own damn pockets. It is sad that there is always someone out there that takes advantage and profits from whether it be war, Katrina, tsunami or any other thing. I believe US still has the big leverage in the global economy because it has the biggest economy in the world, and it still controls the direction. Despite what you see on TV… US still is the big daddy when you talk about money, and still will be for a while unless the spending keeps skyrocketing. And the spenders keep piling the debt… and filling their own damn pockets.

]]> By: Joe http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2006/12/03/war-profiteers/comment-page-1/#comment-205 Joe Mon, 04 Dec 2006 04:55:26 +0000 http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2006/12/03/war-profiteers/#comment-205 That was just for 2 years...2006 and projected 2007. Add in 2003-2005 and the monetary cost of the war is in the neighborhood of 4 billion dollars. That was just for 2 years…2006 and projected 2007. Add in 2003-2005 and the monetary cost of the war is in the neighborhood of 4 billion dollars.

]]> By: The Holywriter http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2006/12/03/war-profiteers/comment-page-1/#comment-204 The Holywriter Mon, 04 Dec 2006 03:19:28 +0000 http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2006/12/03/war-profiteers/#comment-204 Wow...I thought we had spent more money that that. Wow…I thought we had spent more money that that.

]]> By: Comrade O'Brien http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2006/12/03/war-profiteers/comment-page-1/#comment-203 Comrade O'Brien Mon, 04 Dec 2006 01:07:51 +0000 http://joecrubaugh.com/blog/2006/12/03/war-profiteers/#comment-203 Attention Comrades, Please visit http://ministryoflove.wordpress.com to learn more about our creative protest of the Military Commissions Act. We are sending a copy of 1984 to every Congressperson who voted for it. Regards, O'Brien Attention Comrades,
Please visit http://ministryoflove.wordpress.com to learn more about our creative protest of the Military Commissions Act. We are sending a copy of 1984 to every Congressperson who voted for it.
Regards,
O’Brien

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