E-mail to the editor: Better procurement, not more buyers

FCW's editorial, Help acquisition workers [Federal Computer Week, May 21, 2007] has spurred more e-mails then most recent editorials. (Woohoo!)

My favorite so far is this one from a Generation Yer:

I enjoyed reading your article "Help acquisition workers" featured in Federal Computer Week. As a young acquisition professional (4 years of experience) I disagree with the approach that is offered within your article. The plan to replace the federal acquisition workforce may be better suited by not replacing these individuals at all. It seems that the federal government accepts throwing personnel at looming problems within the government. In fact when a contractor is not performing to the desired standard on contract they often propose adding personnel to accomplish the tasks, and almost always the government agrees. I pose a different look at this issue of a depleting federal workforce.


My generation, dubbed Generation Y, has been making a rift in the current business model as go-getters who want constant praise and attention but provide productivity numbers not produced by any other generation. We all can agree that the federal government acquisition process is not streamlined in process nor paperwork. I believe that this is the opportunity that we have been waiting for to make this leap into a more productive and light-weight organization. The military boasts that the future of weaponry will not be how large a tank is or how much fire power an aircraft can drop on a target, but rather how precise the weaponry is and how fast it can move to defeat an enemy. Let's take a similar approach, one that focuses on efficiency and productivity, rather than solving this problem with manpower.