"Prepared for the Office of the Secretary of Defense."
"This research was conducted within the Acquisition and Technology Policy Center of the RAND National Defense Research Institute"--Preface
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 47-51).
Contents
The intersection of small-business policies and strategic-sourcing practices -- Origins and intents of small-business contracting policy -- Composition of small-business purchases by DoD and its implications for strategic sourcing -- Identifying specific opportunities for strategic sourcing and implications for small-business procurement -- Conclusions and recommendations : improving the classifications of small businesses and adjusting to changing DoD needs -- Appendix: Overview of data used in the analyses.
Summary
The Department of Defense (DoD) may face challenges as it attempts to maintain its goal of spending about 23 percent of its prime-contract dollars for goods and services with small businesses and at the same time apply strategic-sourcing practices to reduce total costs and improve performance in ways that will not conflict with small-business goals while making DoD purchasing more effective and efficient. Strategic sourcing practices, for example, recommend consolidation of the supply base to reduce total costs, which can lead to fewer, larger, longer-term contracts with fewer and, often, larger suppliers.
