Faces of Acquisition Planning

Faces of Acquisition Planning

Civilian agencies have obligated over $135 billion in the fiscal year 2010 for services 805 of total civilian spending on contracts. Services acquisitions have suffered from inadequate planning, which puts the budget, schedule, and quality at risk. If reviewing the GAO Report titled "Acquisition Planning: Opportunities to build strong Foundations for better Services Contracts," GAO -11-672, August 9, 2011

1. What are the comparisons and contrast of how the Department of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have carried out acquisition planning?
2. In comparing and contrasting how these same three agencies have established policies that set different their requirements and levels of oversight for acquisition planning.
3. Key acquisition planning elements, including written acquisition plans, requirements development, cost estimating, and incorporating lessons learned are critical to the process. What would you list as the 3 essential factors in acquisition planning and elaborate why each is so critical?
4. In analyzing the three agencies strategies for acquisition planning how does each agency's strategy create a competitive advantage.