Booz Allen VP Chairs Defense Acquisition Panel

Panel proposes sweeping changes to dramatically improve DoD's ability to stabilize and integrate key elements of the acquisition system.

In June 2005, acting Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England formed the Defense Acquisition Performance Assessment panel after lawmakers complained about the rising cost of weapons and delays in developing those weapons. Ron Kadish, a Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton, had the honor of chairing the panel, which delivered their final report in December of 2005.

Ronald Kadish

"It was a lot of hard work ... but it was a rewarding experience and hopefully it will help the country get to the place it needs to be," said Kadish, who joined Booz Allen in February of 2004 after retiring from 34 years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force.

For six months, the panel asked for public input, maintained transparency into their processes and completed over 200 hours of briefings and surveys. The panel completed detailed assessments of the budget process, industry, workforce, the organization, and they offered very specific change recommendations.

"It started a debate on things that need to be discussed and debated, and that is a good thing," Kadish said. While serving on the panel, a position that is governed by the Federal Advisory Comission Act, Kadish continued his full-time work at Booz Allen.

"My service on the panel reflects positively on Booz Allen because I chose to come to work here, and I had expertise that the government valued enough to ask me to join the panel. This is reflective of the type of people that work for the firm on the whole...that they are experts in their fields and are called upon to do important things."

story posted March 22, 2006