Educational Leadership, Collaboration, and Relevance: A Get Real, Get Better Approach to Innovating Major Weapon Systems Cost/Price Analysis and Contract Negotiations Courses in Higher Education

Abstract

Against the backdrop of strategic urgency against pacing threats within the Great Power competition, the Chief of Naval Operations developed the Get Real, Get Better (GRGB) initiative as a strategic response. This call to action seeks to accelerate the Navy’s warfighting advantage by “fostering an ecosystem—a culture—that assesses, corrects, and innovates better than the opposition” (Gilday, 2022). One part of this ecosystem involves higher education cost/price analysis and contract negotiation courses at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Department of Defense Management. With most Naval major weapon systems manufactured by single-source manufacturers, it is essential for buyers and sellers to understand how the speed of cost/price analysis and contract negotiations supports accelerating the Navy’s warfighting advantage.