Organizations interested in innovation and flexible contracting should obtain delegations of authority for section 4023 of title 10, U.S. Code (purchases for experimental purposes) which while technically not using the language of other transactions is closely related in spirit … Continued
– Richard L. Dunn Don’t worry this short essay is not about the philosophy of Soren Kierkegaard. Instead its purpose is to illustrate that Other Transactions (OTs) do not fit simply into one box called acquisition or another box called … Continued
Richard L. Dunn – One of the most basic issues related to DOD Other Transactions (OT’s) is who has signature authority with respect to OT’s. What personnel and organizations may award and administer OT’s? Statutory Authority. “The Secretary of … Continued
Written by Richard L. Dunn (July 2017) Containing legal authorities in conceptual boxes that accommodate organizational structures and preexisting thinking is often bureaucratically convenient. It can also result in limitations that adversely affect mission accomplishment. The Technology Investment Agreement … Continued
Not infrequently government program managers and other acquisition professionals see an opportunity where some form of innovative contracting would expedite or enhance their mission. Sometimes they get a response lacking in knowledge and understanding, such as “Other Transactions are illegal.” … Continued
A December study produced by Air University suggests the Air Force further use the Pentagon’s other transaction authority (OTA) to partner with domestic commercial firms pursuing quick and rapid launch capabilities. The study, “Fast Space: Leveraging Ultra Low-Cost Access for … Continued
On May 27, 1997 Richard L. Dunn received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service for his work in innovative contracting. It read: For exceptionally meritorious civilian service as General Counsel, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), … Continued
Full version of an article featured in National Defense Magazine The good news – Congress has provided the Department of Defense with a cluster of legal authorities to conduct experimentation, research, development, prototyping, and production that can lead … Continued
Written by Strategic Institute Staff – Having lived in ‘transitioning neighborhoods’ in urban cores most of my adult life I became familiar with a particular defeatist, apathetic behavior. It is not uncommon to walk down the street and hear … Continued
Even the world’s largest bureaucracy can learn to dance. As the shift continues from the manufacturing economy of the industrial age to the digital economy of the information age, US national-security organizations need to transform as well. American military forces … Continued