From Policy to Practice: Drivers of Acquisition Reform

Abstract

The current geopolitical environment has intensified security concerns and increased pressure to deliver military capability rapidly. A persistent challenge has been the long timelines associated with defense acquisitions. In Norway, successive governments have sought to improve the effectiveness of defense acquisitions by promoting greater use of off the shelf solutions as the preferred acquisition strategy, rather than costly custom-developed solutions. Despite repeated policy signals, implementation remained limited for years. Recent evidence, however, indicates change, with a growing share of new acquisition projects adopting an off the shelf approach. This study examines what has driven this shift and what it can tell us about implementing acquisition policy more broadly. Drawing on policy implementation theory, we develop hypotheses about the conditions influencing the implementation of off the shelf policy. Empirically, we combine document analysis, previous research, and analysis of survey data. The findings align weakly with explanations based on changes in market conditions, governance structures, incentives, or policy communication. Instead, the observed change aligns more closely with shifts in the attitudes and perceptions of implementing actors. We argue that the policy has become more meaningful as its justification has shifted from a primary focus on cost efficiency toward enabling rapid build up of defense capability.