Assessment of Department of Defense reinvention laboratories
Contributors: Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.) 
Publisher: Naval Postgraduate School; Available from National Technical Information Service
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Monterey, Calif; Springfield, Va
Language: eng
Number of pages: 150
Subjects: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Description: This thesis examines improvements in business practices accomplished by Department of Defense (DOD)      Reinvention Laboratories. DOD goals for the National Performance Review and accomplishments are analyzed.      DOD incorporation of entrepreneurial government ideas of restructuring, reengineering, reinventing realigning,      and rethinking are evaluated. Over $16.4 billion in financial savings achieved through increased efficiency are      described. In particular, lessons learned from successful and unsuccessful initiatives presented at the initial DOD      Reinvention Laboratories Symposium are analyzed. Key leadership practices instrumental to successfully      achieving reinvention goals include creating total commitment and a sense of urgency, communicating a vision,      establishing clear goals and plan for action, overcoming obstacles with persistence, measuring performance,      recognizing people, and institutionalizing continuous improvement. The following barriers to implementing      reinvention are identified: absence of top management support, no single DOD point of contact to guide      reinvention, no clearly defined DOD waiver processes, Insufficient financial resources, lack of knowledge and      training on reinvention procedures, poor communication on goals and means, and cultural resistance to change.      Further research to document continued reinvention progress and to measure performance is recommended. This      thesis identifies efficient business practices implemented in laboratories, and barriers that must be overcome to      successfully accomplish reinvention objectives.
Notes: Thesis advisors, Larry R. Jones, Jerry L. McCaffery.

AD-A331 672.

Thesis (M.S. in Management) Naval Postgraduate School, June 1997.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 121-131)

dk/dk cc:9116 12/04/97.