Understanding how program managers successfully manage innovation in Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs): an exploratory study

Senior DoD leadership, under the banner of acquisition reform, seek change in the acquisition process and within acquisition programs to reduce program cycle-time and total ownership cost. Key to achieving acquisition reform is the program manager (PM). PMs are tasked with the overall responsibility for their program's cost schedule and performance goals. The DoD 5000 Series encourages PMs to, "continually search for innovative practices that reduce cycle-time, reduce cost, and encourage team-work", yet little is contained in the DoD 5000 Series or any other acquisition documents to assist the PM in understanding or achieving innovation. In this exploratory study, the author chose five previous PMs known for successful innovation and interviewed them about their innovations. In an effort to aid future PMs, interview data are compared and analyzed to produce preliminary acquisition innovation "best practices".