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Conclusion Our research established that the traditional FAR-based solicitation and award techniques are considered “inflexible” (Section 809 Panel, 2018, p. 6), “inefficient” (Department of Defense Inspector General [DoDIG], 2015, p. 10), and “slow” (DoDIG, 2022, p. 7). This research also recognized that these traditional models are bureaucratic and result in delays in fielding innovations as discussed by Congress and oversight committees (Government Accountability Office [GAO], 2019). Considering these concerns, this research explored the CSO solicitation technique and the contract awards issued as a result to capture the collective strengths, weaknesses, and best practices of the CSOs. Moreover, the research enabled the aggregation of lessons learned and bolstered the DoD’s KM environment, leading to further proliferation of our findings and observations in the acquisition of innovative solutions. As a result, we provided recommendations in the areas of training and development, policy, and tracking and reporting to bolster the data and process value streams for the DoD’s executive decision-makers and practitioners.
We recognized that the adoption of the CSO as a permanent authority to solicit solutions was an act of innovation, one that could frame future adoption of processes and authorities to achieve greater innovation as the CSO process matures.
Our research was catalyzed through the foundational theories of innovation, with a primary focus on innovation theory in KM environments before exploring innovation through other paradigms. Our team recognized that CSOs present opportunities for the DoD to make critical investments in technology and capability by applying innovation theory in the development of its KM environment. Through this understanding, we recognized that the adoption of the CSO as a permanent authority to solicit solutions was an act of innovation, one that could frame future adoption of processes and authorities to achieve greater innovation as the CSO process matures. The primary purpose of our research was to identify the strengths, weaknesses, and best practices of the CSO as a solicitation technique leading to a contract award. In recognition of that purpose, our
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Defense ARJ , Spring 2025, Vol. 32 No. 1
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