ABSTRACT
This chapter presents three big ideas to help move acquisition reform from treating symptoms to addressing root causes. They are improving competition, improving innovation and technology transition, and improving the acquisition workforce. Typical acquisition reform efforts have focused on making changes in the margins, achieving marginal results. The chapter offers several potential solutions, including leveraging commercial models of technology transition, removing barriers to technology innovation, and instituting a more disciplined management of acquisition system baselines to facilitate transition. It suggests ways to improve how civilians are managed that will bolster the experience and leadership of civilians as program managers. To reduce system development time and field an improved capability, it is necessary to enforce a proven and rigorous technology insertion strategy in acquisition programs. Defense should consider transitioning to a civilian acquisition corps with military requirements advisors assigned to large programs or Program Executive Offices.
