Measuring Acquisition Workforce Quality Through Dynamic Knowledge and Performance: An Exploratory Investigation to Interrelate Acquisition Knowledge With Process Maturity

Abstract

The efficacy of defense acquisition is highly dependent upon acquisition workforce quality, but assessing such quality remains a major challenge, particularly given the knowledge intensive and dynamic nature of acquisition organizations and processes. Hence, it is difficult to gauge, much less predict, the impact of leadership interventions in terms of policy, process, regulation, organization, education, training, or like approaches. Building upon the development and application of Knowledge Flow Theory (KFT) over the past couple of decades, we have developed a state-of-the-art approach that enables us to analyze, visualize, and measure dynamic knowledge and performance. The main idea is to apply this approach inwardly to interrelate the knowledge and performance of acquisition processes (e.g., within contracting and project management organizations). In this exploratory study, we examine acquisition from the perspective of the procurement process, focusing in particular on organization knowledge and performance with respect to the processes used for the procurement of major systems and services. We begin with a summary of KFT and measurement and then introduce the Contract Management Maturity Model as an approach to acquisition performance measurement. We follow in turn by summarizing the research method guiding the study, after which we present preliminary results of our investigation. By interrelating knowledge to performance in terms of process maturity, this report presents the premier cause-effect relationship of its kind in the acquisition domain. This article concludes with key observations, limitations, and an agenda for continued research along these lines.