Defence acquisition: a WICKED problem?

Abstract

Defence acquisition is a complex undertaking involving multiple actors and processes. However, in recent years, the US and UK defence acquisition frameworks have been criticised for not being able to cope with the complex and uncertain nature of defence. The paper takes this criticism and argues that defence acquisition is best understood as a “wicked problem” in which collective processes tie the system into large and interconnected networks of systems, not as a traditional linear science problem. In particular, the paper demonstrates that the Linear Transformation Model, at the heart of the US and UK defence acquisition framework, is ill-designed to cope with the complex and uncertain nature of both defence outputs and outcomes. The main reasons are technological maturity, information asymmetry and the need for interpretation and judgement. Furthermore, the paper elaborates that defence acquisition is characterised by a “problem of theory” and a “problem of practice” and that further research is necessary in order to transform its institutional culture and tackle the theory-practice divide with a more holistic approach.