Kristen Smith 
Federal agencies are accelerating acquisition timelines and shifting decision-making authority upward, forcing government contractors to adjust capture strategies built for longer procurement cycles and prescriptive requirements, according to The Chertoff Group.
In an opinion piece published Tuesday, Davi Hayes, senior director for federal strategy, said contractors must adapt to a market increasingly defined by rapid delivery, portfolio-level prioritization and performance-based post-award scrutiny.
How Is Decision Authority Shifting Within Federal Acquisition?
According to Hayes, decision-making has moved beyond program executive offices toward portfolio acquisition executives overseeing broader capability suites.
He also noted that agencies are increasingly adopting a venture-capital mindset, prioritizing rapid prototyping — often within 60 to 90 days — over traditional, multi-year development cycles. Hayes warned that this shift brings tighter accountability: programs that slip 15 percent behind schedule or exceed cost projections now face aggressive “red-team” reviews or outright cancellation.
How Should Contractors Adjust Their Growth Strategy?
The executive urged contractors to shift away from capture approaches focused on requirements parsing and instead emphasize technology proposals aligned to commercial-first acquisition models. Contractors must also reassess their protest strategies as agencies take steps to discourage protests that delay awards, including by increasing financial risk for firms that pursue unsuccessful challenges.
What Does Chertoff Recommend for Navigating the Shift?
The federal strategy senior director encouraged companies to evaluate pipeline alignment against evolving portfolio priorities and assess whether their delivery models can meet tighter performance expectations.
He also highlighted the need for stronger internal data transparency to withstand efficiency audits and demonstrate value through measurable cost and compliance metrics.
