The Defense Acquisition University: Training Professionals for the Acquisition Workforce, 1992-2003
Abstract
During World War II and into the Cold War, a fundamental change in the nature of weapons emerged, and the relationship between government and industry was redefined. The government could no longer rely on its own arsenals and shipyards to meet the needs of the warfighter because the implements of war were no longer simply weapons; they had become complex weapon systems. Each sub-system was typically developed and produced by a different defense contractor. The government's role was to put this all together. The government was now a program manager, a role requiring new skills. Unfortunately, the Defense Department not fully prepared for this new role. Major cost overruns, schedule slippages, and performance shortfalls made headlines. Defense historian William Gregory described the defense acquisition system of the late eighties as one that had been managed and over-reformed into impotence with volumes of oversight regulations. A period of acquisition reform extended through the decade of the nineties. Virtually every aspect of the defense acquisition process was studied and major changes made. One of the most fundamental changes was in the professional development of the workforce charged with managing the acquisition programs. But government training was decentralized, fragmented, and often of poor quality. An institution was needed to focus on preparing acquisition professionals. In August 1992 the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) consisted of 20 people occupying a small rented office space. They were charged with creating a university out of a 12-school consortium with each member reporting through their own chain of command. Within a decade, DAU became a premier best-in-class corporate university winning coveted awards in competition with the best training organizations from government and industry. This book presents the history of that transformation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA483328
Entities
People
- Evelyn Layton
Organizations
- Defense Acquisition University