Innovation in Government Business

In this episode Strategic Institute discusses the forces pushing back against innovation in business processes for federal R&D.     Other Transactions authorities are flexible contracts that permit the government to experiment with different business approaches and arrangements in effort to improve the delivery of the fruits of federal R&D activities.  They are intended to be used by smart...

In this episode Strategic Institute discusses the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in regard to acquisition for R&D, and specifically the report language, "strongly encouraging" DoD to educate the workforce in flexible acquisition authorities - other transactions .      Other Transactions are the authorities that can enable and permit the #disruption and #innovation tha...

In this year end episode Strategic Institute discusses what improvements have been made to educate and support the federal workforce to make positive changes (innovation) for better outcomes from investments in federal R&D.   Business-as-usual influences kicked the butt of federal business process innovation this year.  The bright spots in federal acquisition did not draw much attention.  It a...

  In this episode Strategic Institute's Rick Dunn and special guests Col. Mark "Puck" Mykleby and Sam Moyer discuss opportunities and potential challenges that wait ahead for the newly announced Department of Defense, Office of Strategic Capital; which seeks to leverage private sector funding to improve federal R&D efforts, reduce taxpayer risk and burden, and deliver more capab...

In this episode Strategic Institute discusses how tapping outside funding, non taxpayer sources, can benefit federal R&D and innovation programs. We applaud the idea behind the recently announced Department of Defense, Office  of Strategic Capital.   Strategic Institute with partners, Innovation Finance Group and 50lb Brain, spent years spreading the gospel of using outside capital to better t...

In this episode Strategic Institute discusses factors in federal acquisition that prevent learning new approaches for delivering the fruits of research and development (R&D). Does previous indoctrination affect the ability to learn new things? Do Federal Acquisition Regulations limit thinking? Does focus and incentives benefiting government and industry insiders (shareholders) fail the warfigh...

In this episode Strategic Institute goes strong on the message of positive transformation in federal acquisition for effectively delivering the fruits of R&D and new capabilities.  The days of "my ignorance is as good as your knowledge" approach, responsible for so much systemic navel gazing and institutional corruption, has reached its bounds.  It is killing the host and sacrificing...

In this podcast episode Strategic Institute discusses assembling interdisciplinary teams that are empowered and protected by leadership for the purposes of exploring and exploiting the flexibility inherent in Other Transactions authorities, and the wide variety of business relationship and approaches they allow for the purposes of delivering the fruits of federal R&D.  This contrasted with the...

In this episode Strategic Institute questions the government's use of so-called Other Transactions consortia.  Are these arrangements the best use of the authorities?  Do they meet the definition of consortia?  Do they actually award OTs?  Are they even legal? -or- Are they an "easy button" to quickly get money on contract?  Are they more akin to support services than consortium?  c...

In this special and highly educational episode Rick Dunn, the OG of DoD Other Transactions authorities, discusses Middle Tier of Acquisition with three of today's brightest minds in federal acquisition for R&D and advancing new capability.    This is a "stop what you are doing and gather 'round" episode.  It is difficult to imagine a more informative discussion on topic tha...

Other Transactions (OTs) are flexible contracts that are intended to foster the business relationships needed to facilitate and deliver new and advanced technologies, innovative solutions, and to maximize investment in research and development (R&D).  As flexible contracts, specifically for the purposes of R&D and delivering the fruits for the benefit of the warfighter, society, and nation...

In this episode Strategic Institute discusses the forthcoming DoD Other Transactions Guide that has been in the works for some time.   The most recent 2018 OT Guide was developed by the Office for the Undersecretary of Defense, Acquisition and Sustainment.   While it did not become a "living document" as intended, it is still very good.   Use of OTs has seen a significant uptick since. ...

In this podcast Strategic institute discusses the advantages of using appropriate contracts for federal R&D.  Federal Acquisitions Regulations (FAR) contracts are inappropriate, per Part 35, which states FAR is procurement for acquiring goods and services.   R&D and advancing new capabilities requires a totally different business model and strategy.  If the federal government is serious ab...

In this episode Rick Dunn, Strategic Institute, sits down with Raj Shah a former Managing Partner at the Defense Innovation Unit, an F-16 pilot, and entrepreneur to discuss gearing defense acquisition to keep pace and innovative to meet current and future challenges.  

In this podcast episode Strategic Institute recaps controversial topics from a previous episode (protest & consortia), and points out and illustrates the natural symbiosis between flexible federal contracting authorities, other transactions, and the greater flexibility offered to the government by using a partnership intermediary.      Related: The Other Transactions & Partnership Intermed...

 Chalking it up to the 'you can't make this stuff up' category, the latest Other Transactions (OT) protest highlights the continued need for education and training for all involved in awarding these agreements.  In this case, it appears that no party involved understood the Other Transactions for prototypes statute. Also in this podcast episode we poke at the much venerated consorti...

More than 30 years since Other Transactions authorities were first introduced in the DoD, the early pioneers, adopters, and educators still have faith that one day leaders in federal acquisition will have an 'ah-ah' moment of clarity, realizing the potential of these flexible contracting authorities for leveling-up R&D activities and delivering new capabilities.   With policies and C...

In this episode Strategic Institute discusses the lack of "infrastructure" to support federal acquisition that is dynamic and promotes synergy for the best results in R&D and delivering new capability.  Instead,  the government chooses to miss opportunities and potential for improvement to stick with what knows.   The status quo acquisition system is heavy on indoctrination and has t...

In this episode Strategic Institute talks with Dr. Dolores Kuchina-Musina of REXOTA Solutions to discuss the focus of her PhD dissertation -  Other Transaction Agreements (OTA) and innovation policy.  Dolores approaches her work and study of an often difficult and frustrating topic with cheer and optimism, while keeping in mind the common good.  She shares some findings and what she has learned si...

The DoD is notorious for slacking at the front end of R&D programs, preferring to punt and hope that it all comes together at the back-end.  From a business perspective this is sheer insanity!  The more thoroughly an organization identifies problems and solutions sets early, typically the more time and resources are saved with better solutions delivered.    The DoD, committed to the traditiona...

The secret to federal business ingenuity and greater acquisition success for R&D and delivering new capability lies in educating people, whereas the secret for maintaining the status quo is in keeping them ignorant. The federal government has been "gifted" with highly flexible contracting instruments, meant to encourage desperately needed business ingenuity for the acquisition of kno...

Strategic Institute is one of the few advocates for education, training, and supporting the workforce to best utilize highly flexible contracting authorities, other transactions and related for R&D and delivering new capability, available to the federal government.   DoD leadership has ignored the 2018 Congressional mandate telling them to do exactly that!  So as to not be swept under the rug,...

Do we need a better acquisition system to exploit the fruits of R&D and deliver new capabilities?   While the often mouthed rhetoric says "yes" actions by leadership send the opposite message "NO!"   The piece parts of what can easily be understood to be an alternative acquisition system for R&D exists!    These authorities, that provide contract flexibility and much mo...

 The United States Air Force was once a leader in technological developments.  Before WW2 Assistant Chief of Staff for Procurement Maj. Gen. H.H. "Hap" Arnold took advantage of commercial developments that increased the octane-rating of aviation gasoline to ensure that the U.S. led the world in fuel for high performance aero engines.  Those commercial developments were spurred by Army Ai...

In this episode Strategic Institute discusses the toxic DoD acquisition workforce culture where fear and lore is enabled and perpetuated by entrenched interests.  The DoD acquisition system for R&D and delivering new capabilities failed sometime ago by any metric that really matters.  However, the DoD uses metrics that do not really matter.  The continued use of a system  that fails its own st...