Original Date: 04/07/1997
Revision Date: 04/14/2003

Rock Island Arsenal’s (RIA’s) Directorate of Contracting consists of Production Support, Special Acquisition, and Installation Sustainment and Policy Divisions. Previously, no formal organizational structure existed within these divisions. Each contract specialist was assigned to a contracting officer. However, there was no requirement to process contracts and other purchase documents through a specific contracting officer. All workload was assigned and monitored by the division chiefs.

In 1993, this relationship was restructured to improve responsiveness to customers and enable better acquisition planning. Teams of three to four specialists under a team leader with a contracting officer’s warrant were established and assigned a commodity specialty. This formalized commodity-based team concept cemented the relationship between contract specialists and the commodity contracting officer. The team leader translates customer requirements into an acquisition strategy and plan, and monitors milestone progress within the team’s assigned commodity area. Presently, 12 teams operate at RIA. However, flexibility has been maintained to allow assigning workload outside a team’s commodity area if required to balance resources. In 1995, the commodity-based team structure contributed to the ability to implement a formal AAP process with each team leader responsible for the AAP projects within their commodity area.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.