b'We want to make sure that we have an environment where staff can do theirbest with access to all the tools they need to work collaboratively to realize the vision and mission of this organization.On the Effective Use of Other cyber-hardened and dont use Chinese components or Transaction AuthorityChinese completed products. They are available on the We continue to use Other Transaction Authority veryGSA schedule so any agency can purchase them. effectively. While this authority has been used by NASA since 1958, its expanded use is somewhat recent within the DoD.Another example is buying launch as-a-service technology, Other Transactions have become a vital part of the defensecombined with sponsoring small satellite companies. Its research process. In fact, the IBM Center recently released aphenomenal whats happening: being able to launch more report, Other Transactions Authorities: After 60 Years, Hittingcargo at low prices and accessing technologies that give Their Stride or Hitting The Wall? that concludes OTs are anus visibility around the earth, that go beyond optical. Its invaluable tool and offer an increasingly common, viablecalled synthetic aperture radar. It allows us to see day and alternative to traditional, FAR-based procurements. Usingnight and through clouds. Then of course, AI/ML technology them does not represent a significant departure from theallows us to spot whats changing in these images so that principles of public procurementcompetition, transparency,people dont have to go blind looking at pixels. Were and accountability.bringing this combination of technologies to the Defense Department so that we have much more situational OTAs offer a more streamlined, flexible, and faster wayawareness or global visibility. to buy things. The use should continue to grow and more people should be trained in how best to use this authority. I would like to see department leadership encouraging more widespread use of OTAs as an alternative to the federal acquisition regulations. On SuccessesWe must increase the impact of the work we are doing. Wed like to be doing more projects on a larger scale, as well as work internationally with our partners. That said, were proud of our work at DIU. The creation of the Blue sUAS project, for example, develops trusted small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) for the broader DoD and other federal government partners. This effort builds upon the U.S. Armys sUAS program of record, Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR), for an inexpensive, rucksack portable, vertical take-off and landing sUAS. Blue sUAS systems share the SRR air vehicles capabilities but integrate a vendor-provided ground control system. We decided what we needed to do was harmonize requirements across DoD so that were not splitting the volume that we need across multiple vendors. Blue sUAS is aimed at doing that. Today were increasing the number of vendors who are on the approved listtheyre 14 www.businessofgovernment.org The Business of Government'