NDIA urges preservation of government-industry dialogue.

• Author: Farrell, Lawrence P., Jr.
• Position: NDIA News

On Dec. 21 National Defense Industrial Association President and CEO Lawrence P Farrell Jr. wrote to Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter to emphasize the necessity for robust and productive government-industry communication, and to highlight the adverse impacts to professional and productive dialogue stemming from recent complex and restrictive conference participation procedures imposed on Defense Department personnel.

Dear Mr. Secretary,

Since its inception in 1919 the National Defense Industrial Association has served as a "communications bridge" between Department of Defense (DoD) agencies, offices and Military Components, and defense industry companies facilitating an important professional dialogue on the best and most efficient ways to support our troops with best-in-the-world products, services and training. ND IA's many public conferences, symposia, exhibitions, workshops and seminars have been the principal vehicles for this collaborative exchange.

The legal and ethical exchange of information occurring at these NDIA forums has served to inform defense industry of government priorities, plans, challenges and needs, enabling better informed and more timely responses to DoD requests for information and proposals, while simultaneously offering industry the opportunity to inform DoD leaders about new and emerging technologies, capabilities and processes--and the need has never been greater.

This process of collaboration and understanding is now severely compromised. The need to engage on matters of common interest has become a "one-off' exercise for each conference. The complex levels and process of approvals have resulted in extremely late approvals (most recently the Friday before a Monday start). The substantive message seems to be "don't ask."

In the past two years, defense industry has become increasingly anxious regarding DoD's future acquisition plans, anticipating reduced contracting resulting from the planned drawdown and return of forces from Iraq and Afghanistan. Adding to that anxiety, today we face the enormous challenge embodied in the budget uncertainty created by the threat of sequestration. Whether or not sequestration occurs, it is relatively certain that severe budgetary impacts will be thrust upon the DoD, creating treacherous ripple effects throughout the defense industrial base. It is especially in such times of uncertainty that non-profit organizations like NDIA can be of tremendous value in keeping the...