ARLINGTON, Va. -- The organization responsible for delivering the DAF Battle Network recently realigned contracting execution responsibilities consistent with the Department of War’s ongoing pivot to a warfighter-focused acquisition system.
The Department of the Air Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management realigned its contracting process to a single Chief of the Contracting Officer and Senior Contracting Official, delegating contracting authorities as close as possible to the units focused on mission outcomes.
This effort placed contracting execution responsibilities for all PAE operating locations under a single authority chain along with implementing DAF Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Contracting-delegated authorities.
These process changes represent more than an organizational realignment; they reflect a broader shift in how the acquisition workforce minimizes bureaucracy and maximizes acquisition speed.
"This is a massive milestone for the entire C3BM portfolio," said Brig. Gen. Jason Voorheis, C3BM PAE. "By delegating and streamlining our clearance and approval processes, we are cutting through traditional bureaucratic friction and posturing ourselves to deliver critical capabilities at the speed of relevance. Empowering a unified contracting chain of command ensures we remain agile, decisive and ruthlessly focused on our warfighting mandate."
That mandate centers heavily on the rapid fielding of capabilities for the DAF Battle Network, the integrated system of systems connecting sensors, effectors and logistics systems enabling better situational awareness, faster operational decisions, and decisive direction to the force. As part of the broader DAF's Acquisition Transformation initiative, the new structure enables acquisition professionals to make decisions at lower levels while maintaining appropriate oversight.
"Part of acquisition transformation is pushing those delegations down as close as they can to the actual execution parts of the organization that's doing the work," said Terry Schooley, C3BM chief of contracting.
According to Schooley, the approach is intended to improve efficiency by eliminating approval steps that add time to the acquisition process without providing significant additional value. Rather than routing decisions through multiple organizations or higher headquarters, mission partners now work through a more streamlined chain of authorities.
The change also supports a cultural shift within the acquisition and contracting community from a traditional compliance-focused approach toward one centered on mission outcomes and risk management. Instead of attempting to eliminate every potential risk through additional reviews and controls, acquisition professionals are being encouraged to better understand risks, manage them appropriately, and then make informed decisions that balance schedule, performance and cost.
"We're trying to get out of the compliance mindset and move more toward a risk-management mindset," Schooley said. "Not necessarily a risk-mitigation mindset, where we're doing everything we can to eliminate all risk, but making sure we understand the risks and can manage them as best we can."
For C3BM, the result is expected to be a more responsive acquisition process capable of adapting to rapidly evolving mission demands. By empowering decision-makers closer to the work and focusing on informed risk acceptance, the organization can move more quickly to deliver capabilities to operators in the field while maintaining accountability and oversight.
"Hopefully we're able to be more responsive and quicker to move through the acquisition process," Schooley said. "Some of those compliance gates added time to the schedule without a perceived added benefit. This helps us focus on delivering capability to the operators while managing acceptable levels of risk."