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                         January 25, 2002

Chief delivers quarterly briefing

DOL, DOIM latest targets of commercial activities studies

"It’s your last chance to put good ideas forward."

That was the message U.S. Military Academy Chief of Staff Col. Grant Smith gave to Directorate of Logistics personnel at his quarterly update to the workforce Tuesday.

"We are trying to make a last gasp effort to make the government bid the most efficient organization," Smith said.

He asked that DOL employees participate by providing the input that could help the government win the study come November.

"The big date that all DOL employees should have in mind is Nov. 21, 2002," Smith said. That’s when the initial announcement will be made about the result of the cost comparison between the government’s and NANA’s MEO’s.

The government’s proposal is due May 18 with NANA’s due two days later.

Smith also briefed the Directorate of Information Management study. He said he expects a study contractor to be selected by the end of March.

West Point’s Chief Information Officer, Col. Steve Klinefelter, was named project manager for the study.

Currently the project work statement data is being collected. The first draft of the Performance Work Statement is due October 11, with a tentative initial decision date of Nov. 12, 2003.

Smith pointed out that the DOIM study is being done to try to achieve the Quadrennial Defense Review savings ordered by the 1996 QDR for fiscal year 2004.

Smith appealed to DOIM employees, as he did to the DOL workers, to "get involved.

"That’s your best chance to win," he said. "We have to have new ways of thinking to win these studies."

The chief pointed to the government’s recent custodial study victory as proof.

The only reason the government won the custodial study was because they came up with new and better ways of doing things, Smith explained.

"I can almost guarantee you will lose if you don’t get involved," the chief emphasized to members of the DOIM workforce in attendance.

"We are in an era where we have to accept change," he added. "The status quo won’t do."