Speeding, Shortcuts, and Slugging…a look inside the playbook of Innovation Moneyball…
Military Innovation Professionals have to be skilled in three interrelated areas of Acquisition: Program Management, Funding, and Contracting. Let's play some Innovation Moneyball with tricks of the trade.
Utilizing grey area justifications for utilization of funding types for non-traditional purposes, is a classic maneuver that has been used for many years. Rather it was OCO funding for ISR science projects in Afghanistan during OEF, or Squadron Innovation Funds (O&M) for creation and implementation of new ideas at the tactical level today, there exist ways to justify the use of certain colors of money for non-obvious uses. The trick is, much like speeding in your vehicle on the highway, that a little speeding will be overlooked but a lot of speeding will be penalized. The most common examples of this are the use of RDT&E and O&M for similar end effects.
When it comes to contract types it is important to understand that there are a range of options for most purposes, and every option has its advantages and disadvantages. Depending on your particular project, there may be any number of unique characteristics that drive a desire for one contract type over another. Much like transporting a giant birthday cake in your car will entice your to take a less bumpy route to the party rather than the fastest, conversely having a less complex project with tight funding availability might drive you to different contract option for a quicker delivery. Knowledge is power, and knowing all your options is key.
Innovation will always involve a healthy degree of integration and coordination with existing programs, requirements, and capabilities. As with many Northern Virginia area commuters, it’s not always the most cost or time efficient choice to either hop in your car or a train to get in/out of the city. Many times to have the flexibility in time of a car ride and the reliability of a train to specific destinations, people chose to slug it. Slugging is the practice of getting rides in personal vehicles to/from major destinations as a way of organized carpooling. Successful slugging is best achieved by being the best passenger you can be, and ensuring you are at the right pickup points at the best times. It’s a very similar methodology for innovation projects and their integration into the traditional acquisition system. Rather it’s timing your coordination with existing requirements early to work the modification process, finding similar programs to leverage for mutual support, or winning over the leadership approval for replacement of existing capabilities, you are going to have to learn to work primarily in other people’s domains. Remember Innovation is a team sport, and leveraging your partnerships starts with being a good and prepared passenger.
