Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of collaborative governance in the contracting environment in the defense industries. The legitimacy and sustainability of a successful collaboration in a contractual environment are hypothesized to be dependent upon the clarity of the goals written in a contract, and the compatibility of both organizations—U.S. Defense Department acquisition personnel and private sector contractors—in core competencies, technology information, and accountability. This framework intends to provide insights into potential intervention strategies to enable more successful and collaborative performance outcomes. Theoretical framework. This research explores the underlying forces that drive the collaboration as articulated via transaction costs economics theory, public management theory, principal-agent theory, competency theory, systems theory, and collaboration theory. Methodology. The intent of this research was to build on prior DOD studies as well as numerous scholars' works. The researcher triangulated the subject area using indirect elicitation and survey methods. In the indirect elicitation, the author used other researchers' studies and findings to create a model linking the selected variables that correspond well with scholarly concepts and the grounded theories. In the survey, a questionnaire was sent to selective participants who were senior professionals from both government and industries, and who came from a mixture of technical and business backgrounds. A cross-sectional research design was employed to collect a body of quantifiable data on four major contracted programs implemented at the National Military Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California. Findings. "Sustainability of a collaborative relationship" emerges as a dominant predictor of the success of the contract in a simple regression model. The hypotheses regarding the building blocks of a legitimate and sustainable collaboration between DOD acquisition and functional personnel and DOD contractors are tested using the combination of difference of the means tests, measures of associations and simple linear regressions. Conclusions and recommendations. To maximize the success of the contracted programs, DOD personnel must maximize multiple instruments simultaneously; these instruments include a clearly drafted scope of work, technical competency of contractor, the availability of an information technology platform, and the collaboration among all involved participants. Furthermore, the scholarship of defense contract management should explore individual actions and decision values that guide both individuals and agencies so that they can maintain a less comfortable position of uncertainty through discourse and ongoing adjustments.