The Interim Report of the Section 809 DOD Acquisition Reform Panel was released last week and contained such nuggets as the one in the headline.  When there are potentially as many as 431 contract clauses that must be reviewed for possible inclusion in a simplified acquisition RFP, is it any wonder DOD acquisition needs to be streamlined?  Among the interim reports other findings are that DOD is no longer the market driver for many of the things or services it buys.  The agency must fundamentally shift its approach in order to be an attractive customer, especially to new and innovative companies.  The panel also recommends that socio-economic factors become secondary considerations so that acquisitions primary goal is to support the agency’s mission.  DOD can also take longer to review and approve an acquisition plan than it takes to actually develop an acquisition plan.  Need more proof that year-end buying matters?  The panel report says that 3.5 times as many acquisition actions are taken by DOD in the last week of the fiscal year than in any other average week.  The report is available on the Defense Acquisition University website.