CfDA Research

We are a research active Centre that carries out leading edge and close-to-market acquisition research that can be assimilated quickly by government and industry and is incorporated into our educational outputs . We regularly provide speakers for conferences and media requests, and are key players in the annual IDEAA conference.

CfDA’s principal Research Goals are focused on:

The Management of Large Assets.
CfDA’s research considers how to optimise the cradle-to-grave commercial management of these assets within a Capability Management framework.
Evidence Based Policy.
With Defence always a matter of intense government policy formulation, Acquisition, as a subset of this policy, has, and will, remain highly political. Increasingly, Government will be increasingly concerned to:
- Demonstrate that it is getting value for money.
- Achieve other benefits in terms of improving local industry and keeping advanced technological capabilities.
CfDA’s research seeks to develop an enhanced understanding of the consequences across Defence Acquisition of these policies.
Learning Systems.
Speed of learning is argued by some to be the only true source of sustainable competitive advantage. As suppliers take on greater responsibilities, coupled to the use of ever more sophisticated technology, it is essential that the military both learns from, and educates, suppliers in order to maximise capability. CfDA’s research is investigating how this can be achieved.

For further information please download a summary of the CfDA research work

If CfDA can assist you in solving a research topic in these areas, please contact our Senior Research Fellow at cfda@cranfield.ac.uk.

Please also see the links below for details of our other research activities.

International Defence Educational and Acquisition Arrangement (IDEAA) Conference

The Centre for Defence Acquisition, part of Cranfield Defence and Security at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, hosted the 21st International Defence Educational and Acquisition Arrangement (IDEAA) Conference in June 2010 . This year’s theme was - Capability Management: The Impact of Operations on Acquisition and the Effect of Education, Training and Research.

The keynote address was given by Sir Kevin O’Donoghue KCB CBE, Chief of Defence Materiel.

The goal of IDEAA is "to improve common understanding of defence acquisition challenges and practices and the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of international training and education by active cooperation among national defence educational and acquisition/procurement institutions with similar goals."

The audience for the conference was global. In addition to the ‘Members’ of the consortium, UK, US, France, Germany, Sweden, Spain and Australia, delegates from Singapore, Chile, South Korea and Canada were present.

Senior figures from the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces, industry, academics from the UK and overseas provided the delegates with three most interesting days. Case Study workshops gave the delegates the opportunity to discuss acquisition and educational topics in more detail.

IDEAA 2010 Keynote Speaker
General Sir Kevin O’Donoghue KCB CBE,
Chief of Defence Materiel, Defence Equipment & Support

International Journal of Defense Acquisition Management (IJDAM)

The International Journal of Defense Acquisition Management (ISSN 1940-3445) is jointly published and supported by the Acquisition Research Program of the Naval Postgraduate School, and CfDA within Cranfield Defence and Security. The IJDAM is an online, interdisciplinary journal and the articles can be downloaded free of charge. The IJDAM goal is to enhance defence acquisition management by providing a peer-reviewed, international forum. Submissions of articles are welcomed from any author.

For further information please see http://www.acquisitionjournal.org