Understanding why acquisition programs fail—and sharing this knowledge with acquirers—is one of the SEI’s prime challenges. During 2009, the SEI’s Acquisition Support Program delivered the results of a unique exploration of patterns of failure to the acquisition community.

Called Acquisition Archetypes, the two-page analyses provide a quick, concise, and engaging look at a specific pattern of failure—such as “Firefighting”—discerned through SEI research into problematic acquisition programs. In addition to dissecting each pattern, each archetype provides simple, direct advice on how programs can break free from the patterns.

“We wanted these to be quick reads, not 20-page papers,” notes Linda Levine, part of the two-person team that developed the archetypes. “We wanted lessons told through real-life experiences—something that any member of any acquisition program would find both engaging and fun to read.”

Because the archetypes are illustrated using actual acquisition programs, program managers and others readily identify with the stories’ characters and conundrums, says William Novak, the archetypes’ primary researcher and author.

Because the archetypes are illustrated using actual acquisition programs, program managers and others readily identify with the stories’ characters and conundrums, says William Novak, the archetypes’ primary researcher and author.

“Having readers say, ‘hey—that sounds just like what I’m going through’ is really an important factor in making the archetypes so successful and popular,” he adds. 

Behind the “fast and breezy,” though, is a research and analysis program that stretches back nearly two years, and which employs the central tenets of the emerging systems thinking and system dynamics discipline. Every Acquisition Archetype from the SEI includes a systems-thinking analysis and diagram. “These publications really have their roots in the observations we’ve made over the years that mistakes in acquisition programs follow a pattern in and are repeated,” Novak explains. “Collecting the data, analyzing it, discerning the patterns, and recognizing the systems dynamics aspects—these are all things that are the SEI’s strong suit.”

During 2009 the Acquisition Support Program completed the first wave of the publication program, with a total of 12 issues of Acquisition Archetypes completed. Hundreds of copies of the issues are now circulating in the Department of Defense and civilian acquisition community, with requests from many readers for a second series.

“These have been enjoyable and eye-opening for us to write,” says Levine of the archetypes. “It’s gratifying to know that they’ve also opened the eyes of our readers.”