Pentagon to add 20,000 jobs for contracting reform

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Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under pressure to reform its troubled weapons-buying process, the Pentagon is planning to add 20,000 new federal jobs over five years to beef up its ability to handle contracts, cost estimates and oversight, the deputy defense secretary said Wednesday.

William Lynn told the Senate Armed Services Committee that as the department increases personnel, it also will move toward more fixed-price contracts, scrutinize programs more closely and link incentive payments to contractor's performance.

The changes are part of a broad effort to bring under control an acquisition process that has been plagued with huge cost overruns, lengthy delays and a sharp decline in competition among a shrinking number of contractors.

At the heart of the problem, Lynn said, is a military looking for the latest, high-tech aircraft and weapons systems.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jQmxXnxYj-QCiyNGTlk4LbopL_aAD98127B00

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1. Okay, that just makes me nervous.

But go employment!

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2. The jobs cannot hurt, and if you want oversight, you need enforcement.

So yeah. Some reform of FARS/MILSPEC etc. to be something more pragmatic and less expensive to deal with would not hurt either.