The Defense Enterprise Program: A Managerial Assessment

The DoD acquisition community frequently reports that micromanagement and over-regulation reduce acquisition efficiency. The Defense Enterprise Program (DEP) was an initiative approved by Congress in response to Packard Commission recommendations to improve the acquisition process. The DEP initiative allowed DoD to experimentally reduce regulatory requirements, streamline the acquisition management structure and provide fiscal stability to DoD programs. However, the initiative failed to provide significant benefits for the designated programs. The causes of the DEP failure fell into these three broad categories; (1) Managerial failures in implementation (2) Failure to address organizational resistance to reduced oversight and (3) Political dynamics of DoD acquisition reform. This study analyzes the difference between congressional intent and DoD execution of the DEP as well as the impediments to effective DEP implementation. It also examines the characteristics of the DoD acquisition organization and the relationships between DoD and Congress while assessing the impact on the ability to reform DoD acquisition. Lessons learned from the DEP failure may provide insight on the political dynamics of organizational change and enhance the opportunity for successful implementation of future Department of Defense reforms. Micromanagement, Regulatory Relief Defense Enterprise Program, Commercial Practices Pilot Program.