DAHLGREN, Va. – The Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) contracts team continues to meet acquisition requirements of stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic, the NSWCDD Contracts Department head announced, May 6.
Michael Busansky – who assumed duties as the command’s new Contracts Department head in January – resolved a myriad of challenges to acquiring products and services for his customers throughout his federal civil service career.
Now, he is leading efforts to identify and document methods to improve contracts cycle time while maintaining the integrity of the contracting process in spite of telework due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“I am extremely proud that the team is able to continue supporting our stakeholders with no negative impact to productivity,” said Busansky. “As long as we can maintain communications with our stakeholders and connectivity to our acquisition systems, we can continue providing acquisition support regardless of where we might be physically located.”
Moreover, the NSWCDD Contracts Department will continue to focus on its contracting processes to ensure that decision makers are provided with better buying power, including elements of competition, innovation, and correct specifications in order to increase the command’s effectiveness while reducing costs.
“My personal goals are to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the contracting department which means we are getting the customer what they want, when they want it, and at a fair and reasonable price, while still meeting federal socio-economic goals,” said Busansky. “I see the contracting department as an important and value added team member for the technical divisions we support. We enable their success by acquiring the goods and services they require which ultimately supports the warfighter.”
The NSWCDD Contracts Department also fosters broad and open competition by working with the command’s technical departments and stakeholders to develop second sources and creates – through its contracting efforts – an environment of broad and open competition, ensuring innovation and best value from industry partners.
“I see the Contracting Department as the subject matter experts within the contracting swim-lane with additional acquisition and business acumen that can be used to meet customer requirements,” said Busansky. “Navigating the complex acquisition processes with their myriad of layered policy and regulation allows us to select appropriate contracting strategies and tools to help the command accomplish our mission of supporting the warfighter.”
Since acquisition policy is constantly evolving, NSWCDD contracting personnel are always learning and refining their knowledge and processes.
“Recent changes have allowed my shop to work requirements that would normally go to NAVFAC (Naval Facilities Engineering Command) such as facilities maintenance and support efforts,” said Busansky. “We are also more heavily involved in Other Transaction Authority which differs significantly from standard FAR (Federal Acquisition Regulation) based contracting.”
Other Transaction Authority describes the streamlined procedures that federal agencies may use to procure innovative research or prototypes, without the constraints of a typical contract, grant, or cooperative agreement.
The Federal Acquisition Regulations – a principal set of rules in the Federal Acquisition Regulations System regarding government procurement – governs the acquisition process by which government agencies acquire goods and services by contract with appropriated funds.
“It’s also critical that the contracting department continue to right-size. We need to make sure that we have the right number of people in the right places at the right levels of expertise,” said Busansky. “The GS 1102 series (federal government's job classification series for contracting and acquisition personnel) is in high demand so attracting and keeping high performing personnel is key. We need to invest in workforce development and provide our people with career opportunities which include potential for appropriate succession planning.”
Upon graduation from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, Busansky served as a Marine Corps officer for seven years in aviation and supply billets.
After leaving active duty, he entered the Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) contracting intern program, progressing from GS-7 to GS-14. He then joined Space and Naval Warfare Systems command supporting the Navy and Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) program office administering the $10 billion NMCI contract. Busansky then joined the Marine Corps Systems Command where he supported various Acquisition Category Major Automated Information System programs. He also served as the Mission Essentials Division Director at the Transportation Security Administration supporting strategically sourced supplies and services that supported 450 airports nationwide.
Busansky’s final position before joining NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Yokosuka was with the Strategic Acquisition Center at the Department of Veterans Affairs where he led a division responsible for supporting the Veterans Health Administration’s hospital and clinic network.
Busansky earned a Master of Science from Hawaii Pacific University in management information systems; a Master of Business Administration from Marymount University; and a Master of Science in contract management from the Naval Postgraduate School. He is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act certified Level III in contracting and is a designated Acquisition Corps member.
NSWCDD's mission is to provide research, development, test and evaluation, analysis, systems engineering, integration and certification of complex naval warfare systems related to surface warfare, strategic systems, combat and weapons systems associated with surface warfare. The command also provides system integration and certification for weapons, combat systems and warfare systems and fulfills other responsibilities assigned by the NSWC commander.