AGB's role increases with new charter.

On April 9, Michael Wynne, under secretary of defense (acquisition, technology & logistics), opened the Acquisition Governance Board (AGB)'s first meeting since the Board's re-chartering on March 15. "Senior Procurement Executives have been participating in the AGB since it was chartered [March 21, 2003]," said Wynne. "This group has been realigned to reflect participation by the Component Acquisition Executives and to document the scope of the AGB as being the acquisition process as a whole, rather than solely focusing on procurement."

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The AGB oversees management of the Acquisition Domain information technology (IT) portfolio to ensure IT capital investments are aligned with DoD business goals. The Board also provides guidance to the Acquisition Domain with respect to portfolio management, business process improvements, architecture products, joint initiatives and Component-level programs.

Acquisition vs. Procurement: What Distinguishes Them?

The terms acquisition and procurement are often used interchangeably even though there is a distinct difference between the two. Acquisition encompasses lifecycle management from concept to disposal:

* Concept refinement

* Technology development

* System development and demonstration

* Production and deployment

* Operations

* Benefits analysis and support

Acquisition also includes the processes associated with science and technology; program formulation; planning, design, development, and purchasing of materiel, systems, and goods and services; resource management; test and evaluation; and systems sustainment. Procurement, on the other hand, can be looked at as a subset of acquisition. Procurement is the actual purchasing of goods and services by contract, purchase card, grant, intra-governmental transaction, or other means of sourcing.

The AGB will now tackle issues that encompass the entire acquisition process to ensure the goals of the Acquisition Domain are met.

Why Domains? The Answer Lies in the BMMP 

The business transformation of the DoD is guided through the Business Management Modernization Program (BMMP). The BMMP is identifying a system of business process improvements that will be incorporated into an overarching enterprise architecture framework. [Editor's note: For more information on the BMMP, see "Say Goodbye to the Old Ways of Doing Business And Hello to the Business Management Modernization Program" on page 56.)

Identifying the processes, systems and technical requirements of the future architecture and managing the transition to that future state is an enormous undertaking. There are seven domains that encompass the system of business processes:

* Accounting and Finance

* Acquisition

* Human Resources Management

* Enterprise Information Environment

* Installations and Environment

* Logistics

* Strategic Planning and Budgeting

The AGB will help to ensure the goals of the Acquisition Domain are achieved, including:

* Implementing enterprise systems, and identifying and retiring unique/outdated systems

* Deploying Version 4.2 Increments 2 and 3 of the Standard Procurement System to current and future users (to include the Defense Contract Management Agency)

* Deploying a fully-operational Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF) Program to all Components by April 2005.

AGB Membership Broadens to Embrace Entire Acquisition Community

Deidre Lee, director, defense procurement and acquisition policy (DPAP), is the chair of the AGB. She is assisted by the executive secretary, Mark Krzysko, deputy director, DPAP, electronic business. Members of the AGB not only represent their respective components on Acquisition Domain issues, they also help to resolve issues raised by the Joint Acquisition Electronic Business Oversight Board (JAEBOB) and provide advice to Lee regarding Acquisition Domain governance. The members are:

* Assistant secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology)

* Assistant secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition)

* Assistant secretary of the Air Force (Acquisition)

* Acquisition executive, United States Special Operations Command 

* Senior procurement executive, Defense Logistics Agency 

* Director, Defense Information Systems Agency

* Director, Defense Contract Management Agency

* Director, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment Directorate (J-8)

* Director, Acquisition Resources And Analysis

* Director, Defense Finance and Accounting Service 

* Representative for other defense agencies

The new members are in addition to the original senior procurement executives serving as representatives on the AGB.

In addition to the members of the AGB, there are eight associates who support strategic directions of the AGB. They facilitate cross-domain coordination and provide insight into specific projects that are part of the Acquisition Domain or cross multiple domains. AGB associates are:

* President, Defense Acquisition University

* Assistant secretary of defense, network information and integration/chief information officer, DoD

* Under secretary of defense (comptroller)/chief financial officer, DoD

* Deputy under secretary of defense (logistics and materiel readiness)

* Deputy under secretary of defense (installations and environment)

* Deputy director of plant, property, and equipment policy

* Deputy under secretary of defense (systems planning and budgeting)

* Special assistant, under secretary of defense (acquisition, technology & logistics)

For further information, contact Lisa Romney at [e-mail] or Diane Morrison at [e-mail] of the Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy, Electronic Business Office.