Performance-Based Acquisition: What is the Problem?

Since the early 1990’s, the federal government has been moving toward a more results oriented, performance-based management environment. Under performance-based acquisition (PBA), agencies tell the contractor the results they want, not how to do the...

A stylized illustration features multiple translucent document icons layered over a gradient blue background. The documents appear to float, with faint white lines and geometric shapes adding a sense of depth and technology. No visible text, numbers, or recognizable brands are present in the image.

By

Allan V. Burman Ph.D.

President

Jefferson Solutions

Since the early 1990's, the federal government has been moving toward a more results oriented, performance-based management environment. Under performance-based acquisition (PBA), agencies tell the contractor the results they want, not how to do the work and then measure whether or not the results are achieved. Uneven adoption of PBA techniques appears to be partly due to holding contracting accountable for a program responsibility, as well as a lack of staff expertise. Better marketing the benefits of performance-based acquisition to program offices and greater collaboration between program and contracting staff would increase effective usage. Learn more about PBA as well as approaches agency senior leaders can use to strengthen the effort and achieve more that PBA should offer by reviewing this paper.

Performance Based Acquisition