What to Buy. The Role of Director of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) Lessons from the 1970s

摘要

Defense acquisition programs, which had their initial inception in the 1970s, performed exceptionally well by many measures. The management of acquisitions during this period is examined in detail by means of case studies, and contrasted with earlier and later periods, to identify key factors and formulate promising policy initiatives. Previous findings about the crucial importance of decisions in the very earliest conceptual phase are strongly confirmed and success is shown to have very often hinged on effective intervention by the Director of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E) even before the equivalent of today's Materiel Development Decision. Factors in DDR&E's successes included a focus on the intersection of technology and military need, DDR&E's background of institutional success and the prestige and credibility it established, a compact and highly capable staff, a strong culture of objectivity and absence of either pessimistic or optimistic bias, excellent internal and external communications, a very sharp focus on things that made a real difference, and close meshing with the top management of the Department of Defense and its priorities. Finally, ways that these lessons could be effectively applied in today's environment are explored.