The President's Blue Ribbon Commission on Defense Management, informally known as the Packard Commission, was a federal government commission by President Ronald Reagan, created by Executive Order 12526 to study several areas of management functionality within the US Department of Defense. The commission was chaired by David Packard.
Title page of the Final Report of the Packard Commission to the President.
Beginning in 1981, Reagan began an expansion in the size and capabilities of the US armed forces, which entailed major new expenditures on weaponsprocurement. By the mid-1980s, the spending became a scandal when the Project on Government Oversight reported that the Pentagon had vastly overpaid for a wide variety of items, most notoriously by paying $435 for a hammer,[1] $600 for a toilet seat, and $7,000 for an aircraft coffee maker.[2] In fact, these numbers were inaccurate; they were an accounting convenience rather than the actual cost of the materials.[1]
the budget process, the procurement system, legislative oversight, and the organizational and operational arrangements, both formal and informal, among the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Unified and Specified Command system, the Military Departments, and the Congress.[4]
Before the 1986 Final Report, 33 competitors of the military industry sector gave life to the Defense Industry Initiative, a pact which planned the adoption of code of ethics, "whistleblower" reporting mechanisms, an increased public accountability, anonymous evaluation questionnaires to be synthesized by the internal audit functions and by external and independent agencies.[5]
Recommendationsedit
The Packard Commission reported that there was "no rational system" governing defense procurement, and it concluded that it was not fraud and abuse that led to massive overexpenditures but rather "the truly costly problems are those of overcomplicated organization and rigid procedure."[6]
the creation of a "procurement czar," to be known as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and the creation of a clear hierarchy of acquisition executives and managers in each of the services
the powers of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff should be strengthened[6]
On April 1,1986, Reagan signed National Security Decision Directive 219, an executive order that implement the commission recommendations that could be put in place solely by presidential action.[7] Other recommendations which required legislative action were enacted when Congress later reformed the Joint Chiefs of Staff system in 1986 with the Goldwater–Nichols Act.
The FASA of 1994 and the Federal Acquisition Improvement Act of 1995 rewrote the government procurement regulations.[8]
^Fiorelli, Paul E. "In Defense of Ethics: New Considerations After the Packard Commission" (PDF). The Catholic Lawyer. 34 (2). OCLC 8091189101. from the original on March 21, 2020 – via Paperity. {{cite journal}}: External link in |via= (help)
^ abThomas, Evan (1986-03-10). . Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
^Kukielski, Philip (2019). The U.S. Invasion of Grenada : legacy of a flawed victory. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Co. p. 213. ISBN978-1-4766-7879-5. OCLC 1123182247.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
^Christensen, David S.; Searle, David A.; Uickery, Caisse (Summer 1999). "The Impact of Packard Commission0s Recommendations on Reducing Cost Overruns on Defgence Acquisition Contracts" (PDF). Acquisition Review Quarterly. Defense Technical Information Center: 258, 262. doi:10.21236/ada372859. OCLC 8160098530. (PDF) from the original on March 26, 2020.
External linksedit
November 15, 2023
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The President s Blue Ribbon Commission on Defense Management informally known as the Packard Commission was a federal government commission by President Ronald Reagan created by Executive Order 12526 to study several areas of management functionality within the US Department of Defense The commission was chaired by David Packard Title page of the Final Report of the Packard Commission to the President Contents 1 Background 2 Recommendations 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksBackground editBeginning in 1981 Reagan began an expansion in the size and capabilities of the US armed forces which entailed major new expenditures on weapons procurement By the mid 1980s the spending became a scandal when the Project on Government Oversight reported that the Pentagon had vastly overpaid for a wide variety of items most notoriously by paying 435 for a hammer 1 600 for a toilet seat and 7 000 for an aircraft coffee maker 2 In fact these numbers were inaccurate they were an accounting convenience rather than the actual cost of the materials 1 In response to the scandals Reagan appointed a commission chaired by Packard to study government procurement undertaken by the US Department of Defense The Commission had Packard Ernest C Arbuckle Robert H Barrow Nicholas F Brady Louis W Cabot Frank Carlucci William P Clark Jr Barber Conable Paul F Gorman Carla Anderson Hills James L Holloway III William Perry Robert T Marlow Charles J Pilliod Jr Brent Scowcroft Herbert Stein and R James Woolsey Jr 3 The President tasked the Commission with studying defense management policies and procedures including the budget process the procurement system legislative oversight and the organizational and operational arrangements both formal and informal among the Office of the Secretary of Defense the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff the Unified and Specified Command system the Military Departments and the Congress 4 Before the 1986 Final Report 33 competitors of the military industry sector gave life to the Defense Industry Initiative a pact which planned the adoption of code of ethics whistleblower reporting mechanisms an increased public accountability anonymous evaluation questionnaires to be synthesized by the internal audit functions and by external and independent agencies 5 Recommendations editThe Packard Commission reported that there was no rational system governing defense procurement and it concluded that it was not fraud and abuse that led to massive overexpenditures but rather the truly costly problems are those of overcomplicated organization and rigid procedure 6 The Commission made several recommendations defense appropriations should be passed by the United States Congress in two year budgets rather than annual appropriations bills the creation of a procurement czar to be known as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and the creation of a clear hierarchy of acquisition executives and managers in each of the services the theater commanders should report directly to the United States Secretary of Defense through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff the powers of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff should be strengthened 6 On April 1 1986 Reagan signed National Security Decision Directive 219 an executive order that implement the commission recommendations that could be put in place solely by presidential action 7 Other recommendations which required legislative action were enacted when Congress later reformed the Joint Chiefs of Staff system in 1986 with the Goldwater Nichols Act The FASA of 1994 and the Federal Acquisition Improvement Act of 1995 rewrote the government procurement regulations 8 See also editPublic administration Presidential Commission United States References edit a b The case for the 435 hammer Free Online Library www thefreelibrary com Retrieved 2016 04 13 Meyer David S 1990 01 01 A Winter of Discontent The Nuclear Freeze and American Politics ABC CLIO ISBN 9780275933067 http www ndia org Advocacy AcquisitionReformInitiative Documents Packard Commission Report pdf Final Report of the Packard Commission June 1986 http www reagan utexas edu archives speeches 1985 71585c htm Executive Order 12526 President s Blue Ribbon Commission on Defense Management Fiorelli Paul E In Defense of Ethics New Considerations After the Packard Commission PDF The Catholic Lawyer 34 2 OCLC 8091189101 Archived from the original on March 21 2020 via Paperity a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a External link in code class cs1 code via code help a b Thomas Evan 1986 03 10 Defensive About Defense Time ISSN 0040 781X Archived from the original on November 5 2012 Retrieved 2016 04 13 Kukielski Philip 2019 The U S Invasion of Grenada legacy of a flawed victory Jefferson North Carolina McFarland and Co p 213 ISBN 978 1 4766 7879 5 OCLC 1123182247 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint date and year link Christensen David S Searle David A Uickery Caisse Summer 1999 The Impact of Packard Commission0s Recommendations on Reducing Cost Overruns on Defgence Acquisition Contracts PDF Acquisition Review Quarterly Defense Technical Information Center 258 262 doi 10 21236 ada372859 OCLC 8160098530 Archived PDF from the original on March 26 2020 External links editDocuments from the Packard Commission stored in the National Defense University Library Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Packard Commission amp oldid 1135148682, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
