Susan Davis: “For a bill designed to increase efficiency, its formal title sure is long, but the acronym gets straight to the point…”

“For a bill designed to increase efficiency, its formal title sure is long, but the acronym gets straight to the point, just like the legislation itself. Simply put, the IMPROVE Acquisition Act reduces waste, increases efficiency, and encourages innovation in the defense marketplace. It does this by creating a better accountability system, improving the management of the acquisition workforce, and expanding and strengthening the industrial base. I routinely meet with small businesses in San Diego that have so much to offer the defense world in the form of quality products and efficient services. Yet it has been frustrating to hear from these very capable and resourceful companies that they continually run into barriers. One example is the negative impact contract bundling has on our industrial base. Contract bundling is when multiple requirements are combined into a single contract. While in theory this practice generates savings and speeds up the procurement cycle, it often forces out small businesses that can't compete for large contracts. Especially now, at the brink of economic recovery, our government needs to help bring more businesses into the DOD procurement system, not push them out.”