DAU and Lean Aerospace Initiative at MIT sign Memorandum of Understanding - LAI

Program Manager, July-August, 2002

On May 22, the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) added still another educational institution to the growing ranks of its educational strategic partnerships. In a ceremony held at DAU Headquarters, Fort Belvoir, Va., DAU President Frank Anderson Jr., and Deborah Nightingale, Professor and Lean Enterprise Model (LEM) Product Team Lead, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Co-Director, Lean Aerospace Initiative (LAI) at MIT, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DAU and LAI at MIT.

The purpose of this MOU is to jointly identify and pursue acquisition research and curriculum development opportunities. The general opportunities identified for this partnership include but are not limited to the following:

Acquisition Research Opportunities

* Collaborative development of research topics for DAU Research Fellows that address research of interest to the government acquisition workforce and the LAI at MIT, with a particular focus on materials that will support the acquisition workforce.

* Mutual assistance in designing and carrying out an appropriate research method, including any necessary site arrangements outside of MIT or DAU.

* Presentation by DAU Annual Research Fellows of their research results at a research seminar held at LAI at MIT in Cambridge, Mass.

* Joint development of the research project output report.

Curriculum Development Opportunities

* LAI at MIT may be a subject matter expert member of the Integrated Product Team (IPT) to develop the Basic Lean Introductory Module content, suitable for self-paced distance learning by a variety of audiences (government, private sector, and academia). It would be a resource available to be used as supplemental course material at both DAU and MIT as well as for professional development and continuous learning purposes. The IPT development effort would be led by DAU in cooperation with the Office of the Director, Acquisition Initiatives, Office of the Secretary of Defense.

* LAI at MIT and DAU will work collaboratively on incorporating LAI at MIT Lean Enterprise perspectives into the DAU Program Manager's Course--PMT 401.

Other Opportunities

* Promote the mutual sharing of other training resources, including attendance by DAU at LAI at MIT courses by DAU personnel.

* Participation in DAU courses by LAI at MIT faculty staff, and research assistants.

* Offering by LAI at MIT, in accordance with MIT's policies, of a visiting scholar appointment at MIT to a member of the DAU faculty for the purpose of a joint research or curriculum development project.

* Participation by DAU on the development team for a Lean Enterprise Self Assessment Tool that would address the lean customer acquisition and contract management processes involving government and industry.

For more information on this partnership, contact William T. Motley Program Director of the DAU Production and Quality Management, Engineering and Technology Division, at Bill.Motley@dau.mil, or call 703-805-3763.