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Celebrating 25 Years

GCN Home > 10/07/02 issue

Where are they now...

Chip Mather

By Nancy Ferris, Special to GCN

When Lt. Col. Charles “Chip” Mather retired from the Air Force in 1996, he was regarded as the government’s foremost PC buyer. Not only had he obtained more than 500,000 PCs on the Desktop IV and Desktop V contracts on outstanding terms, but he had also developed innovative acquisition strategies for repricing and technology refreshment, among other elements.

He enjoyed a 20-year Air Force career, focused on IT acquisitions totaling tens of billions of dollars. At retirement, Mather was chief of the IT Acquisition Division of the Air Force Standard Systems Group in Montgomery, Ala.

After retiring, he and Eben Townes, another Air Force procurement leader, founded Acquisition Solutions Inc., a Chantilly, Va., consulting firm that helps federal agencies improve procurement processes and undertake acquisitions. It now has nearly 40 employees.

Mather’s thoughts: “As a longtime acquisition reformer, I understand just how difficult it is to effect meaningful change in a large organization. While we have made much progress in improving the government’s acquisition system, I am increasingly concerned that we are in danger of losing many of reform’s important tools and flexibilities.

“If we are to make good on the promise offered by acquisition reform, we must start demonstrating smarter and better. One opportunity is through implementation of performance-based acquisition.

“Performance-based acquisition changes everything and holds great promise to align the goals and objectives of the agency with its supporting contractors. In its most basic terms, instead of contracting for compliance, you contract for results. When it is properly implemented, both parties have shared objectives.

“From our experience to date, both the transformation in the government-contractor relationship and the results achieved implementing performance-based concepts have been remarkable.

“I invite all who are interested in improving the acquisition process to look at the recent Transportation Security Administration acquisition of IT managed services. I believe this acquisition embodies the promise offered by acquisition reform.

“I challenge all to keep the promise of acquisition reform going forward. For those of us who have been in the trenches, the requirement to issue an RFP or IFB for every action over $25,000 is not remembered as the good old days.”

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