Workforce Development We can design perfect processes, tools, and structures but the out- comes will depend on the people in- volved. This involves both individual learning and integrated product team efectiveness. With the recent downsizing of the civilian workforce, serious concerns have emerged about workforce ca- pacity to devote adequate time to training and development. Based on some of my recent conversations with students, any training and de- velopment not required for the job (e.g., required certifcations) will be a tough sell. This is an issue because our workforce needs to grow its skills beyond their required functional cer- tification in areas such as business acumen and critical thinking. The need for business acumen continues its proclivity for receiving greater emphasis throughout the workforce. These skills are critical for all acquisition functional areas and at all levels. This need is driven by the nature of the work, which involves managing complex and resource- and schedule-constrained programs. In response to the need, DAU has com- piled learning assets associated with the 12 Business Acumen Skills (see Suggested Reading list). DAU also has deployed several short online courses that capture elements of its ACQ 315 Un- derstanding Industry course. Critical thinking is the foundation for other skills such as business acu- men. It is a key enabler as we reform our processes, use new methods, and work to deliver capabilities faster. We must work as a community to build and maintain a critical thinking culture in which we don’t simply accept the status quo. Disruptive Innovation DoD is very familiar with and needs to continue sustaining innova- tion, which is an effort to create or improve products or processes that perform better and are of higher qual- ity than current ones. With our large legacy feets of weapon systems, up-
grades to improve their performance often are more cost-effective than replacing the entire feet. Disruptive innovation seeks to cre- ate novel products and processes that change the business model paradigm, rendering previous methods inefec- tive or even obsolete. These new products can be game changers that keep our military technologically su- perior to any potential adversary as discussed in the “SPEED” tenet. These innovations also can make our capa- bilities more afordable, an increas- ingly important concern because our soaring national debt means that bud- get constraints are likely to become tighter. We have a large innovation eco- system in DoD, but some of our insti- tutional barriers still make it difcult to harness new technology and cross the valley of death. We must prioritize disruptive innovation and eliminate obstacles in the path of start-ups, nontraditional defense companies, and other innovators that want to participate in building our national defense. What’s Missing or Not Needed? By adopting all of these tenets, DoD can achieve a real transforma-
tion in defense acquisition that is sorely needed to ensure that we will win the ongoing strategic competi- tion. I’m interested in your thoughts and what your list includes. What else do we need for Acquisition 2.0? What tenets from my list would you drop and why? SCHULTZ is a professor of Program Manage- ment and an executive coach in DAU’s Capital and Northeast Region at Fort Belvoir, Va. The author can be contacted at brian.schultz@dau.edu . The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the Department of Defense. Reproduction or reposting of articles from Defense Acquisition magazine should credit the authors and the magazine.
DAU Resources • Innovate to Win (Course) • Innovate to Win Playbook (Tool) • Business Acumen (Tools and Webinars) • Business Acumen (Early Career Playlist) • Understanding Industry (Course)
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