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  3. From the Chairman and Executive Editor - Issue 94

From the Chairman and Executive Editor - Issue 94

The theme for this issue is “Influencing Defense Acquisition,” in recognition of the fact that this issue’s papers were selected as winners of the 2020 Defense Acquisition Alumni Association (DAUAA)…
From the Chairman and Executive Editor - Issue 94

From the Chairman and Executive Editor - Issue 94

  1. Home
  2. Blogs
  3. From the Chairman and Executive Editor - Issue 94
From the Chairman and Executive Editor - Issue 94
Image removed.The theme for this issue is “Influencing Defense Acquisition,” in recognition of the fact that this issue’s papers were selected as winners of the 2020 Defense Acquisition Alumni Association (DAUAA) Hirsch Acquisition and Writing Competition, and celebrated in the annual ceremony "DAU Influencer Awards," which recognizes those who have made a significant contribution to DAU or the profession of acquisition. The three award winners were selected from a strong field of entrants.

The first-place winner, and recipient of the Jacques S. Gansler Award, is Robert F. Mortlock, for his paper “Camouflage Combat Uniform.” This case history studies the Army’s decision to change the camouflage pattern on combat uniforms. The case allows acquisition professionals to analyze the Army acquisition decision-making process, specifically focusing on skills in critical thinking, problem solving, resource management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communication.

Second prize goes to Justin F. Brunelle, Daniel Frisk, Benjamin Mayer, Paula Randall, and Awais Sheikh, for “Measuring the Impact of Innovation Activities in Government.” This paper presents the results of a study on the current state of pursuing and measuring innovation in government, and provides recommendations for metrics based on the different types of innovation organizations.

Third prize goes to Brian Duddy, Timothy Landucci, and Julie Knechtel for “Delivering Capability Through Competition in Defense Contracting: Does Policy Drive Results?” This study reports competition trends across Department of Defense (DoD) contracts, which are the largest federal obligator of contracted dollars, then identifies barriers to that competition and makes recommendations to promote future competition.

This issue’s Current Research Resources in Defense Acquisition focuses on Agile Software Development.

The featured work in the Defense Acquisition Reading List book review is Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead by Jim Mattis and Bing West, reviewed by David Riel.

Dr. Larrie D. Ferreiro
Chairman and Executive Editor
Defense ARJ