The Efficacy of Executive Agency: Does It Work?

The Department of Defense DoD uses the executive agent designation to manage programs that reach across multiple armed services. This Strategy Research Project SRP examines critical Executive Agency EA issues, identifying the benefits and disadvantages of using EA as a DoD management tool. The SRP begins with a general description of EA and the process for determining when EA should be applied. It cites political factors that influence the Secretary of Defenses or his representatives decision to create an EA for a particular multi-service activity. Two case studies are analyzed to assess the efficacy of the EA management approach and to determine its ability to gain economies and efficiencies, while ensuring effectiveness, for activities that have multi-service applications. The first case study describes the Bulk Petroleum EA the second one reviews the proposal to create an EA for high- and medium-altitude Unmanned Aircraft Systems UAS. The paper concludes with a summary of when to apply EA and the efficacy of the Bulk Petroleum and UAS EA. Are EAs useful No simple answer applies to all possible EA situations. To determine when an EA is the appropriate approach, a detailed analysis using critical thinking and a system-of-systems approach must be conducted -- including the Polis and Rational-Analytical decision making models. The key to successful implementation of EA is designing it with the appropriate scope and authority while continually monitoring and adjusting it throughout execution.