Teaching

In my Teaching, I have repeatedly developed, on short notice, graduate-level courses in public procurement, military innovation, industrial mobilization, the political economy of arms industries, business strategy in government contracting, pricing in government contracting, and military-industrial strategy. My teaching experience spans the University of Maryland, George Mason University, and the National Defense University’s Eisenhower School. Please find details on my two most recently developed courses below.

Current Issues in Military Procurement

For the Autumn 2024 semester, the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland College Park asked me to develop and deliver a wholly new, remote, course on Current Issues in Federal Acquisition (procurement). After learning of the particular composition of the students who had registered, I tacked towards a course more pointedly on current problems in U.S. military-industrial strategy. This provided the opportunity to write a 200-page textbook with nine case studies, on different aspects of modern technologies, supply chains, and finances. The entire book is organized along the structure–conduct–performance paradigm, simultaneously in public procurement and international security. The introduction and table of contents are found below. My latest version of the course is an 11-week (trimester) program with room for additional topics in the final weeks of a semester-long course, which I will review for my next teaching opportunity. Military-Industry Strategy Book Intro.pdf Case Study Replacing the Bradley.pdf Overview Week 1—Framework for Analysis: Structure, Conduct, & Performance in Supplying Security Part I. Performance — Getting the right stuff, from the right people, over the short and long run Week 2 — Technology: Adapting to Change in Modern Warfare — Replacing the Bradley Week 3 — Supply Chains: Globalization & Disintegration — Semiconductors at War Week 4 — Finances: Financial Performance for the Military & Industry — Raider & Sentinel: the USAF and Northrop Grumman Part II. Conduct — Closer looks at specific issues and the actors behind them Week 5 — Technology: Intellectual Property & Digital Engineering — Will Roper at Istari Digital Week 6 — Supply Chains: Sourcing Nationally or Internationally? — Bill Greenwalt and the NTIB Week 7 — Finance: Share Buybacks — Carlos Del Toro’s War on Cash Flow Part III. Structure — Navigating the constraints, enabling the supports Week 8 — Technology: The New Antitrust Concern — Vertical Integration in the Solid Rocket Industry Week 9 — Supply Chains: Domestic Discontent over Foreign Direct Investment — Austal & Philly Ship Week 10 — Finance: Venture Capital in National Security — Anduril and “No Fair Competition” Review Week 11 or 14 — Conclusions on Strategy Today

Pricing in Military Procurement

For the Autumn 2023 semester, the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland College Park asked me to develop and deliver a wholly new, remote, course on Pricing in Public Procurement. This provided an opportunity to write several wholly new case studies, on different aspects of pricing decisions for contractors, and pricing negotiations from the standpoint of government agencies. The entire course was organized along by a series of archetypical market structures, while interweaving treatments of important current topics. A sample case study is found below. My latest version of the course is a semester-long course, and I am working to revise the concept for my next teaching opportunity. FFG(X)—the Bidding Decision.pdf Part I. Monopolies: Value and Values Week 1 — Monopsony, and Bid Markets — Mason Instrument Week 2 — Monopoly, and Fairness in Pricing — Transdigm Week 3 — Value Capture, and Reasonableness in Pricing — KC-X, 2010 Week 4 — Realism in Pricing — Oshkosh and the FMTV Week 5 — Bilateral Monopoly, and Contract Models — Fixed Price at Boeing Part II. Oligopolies: Models and Decisions Week 6 — Oligopoly, and Organizational Choice (Bombardier) — FFGX: The Bidding Decision Week 7 — Decision Criteria: Lowest Price or Highest Quality — Signal Corps Specification No. 486 Week 8 — Monopsony-Oligopoly, and Game Theory — EELV, 1998 Week 9 — Oligopsony-Oligopoly, Monopolistic Competition, Best Value — FFGX: The Pricing Decision Part III. Products & Services: What Are You Even Selling? Week 10 — Public-Private Partnerships — PPPs for Maritime Military Mobility Week 11 — New Technologies — Naval 127 mm PGMs Week 12 — Incomplete and Relational Contracts — The USCG’s Deepwater Project Week 13 — Intellectual Property — JTLV (A) Week 14 — Re-competition — JTLV (B) & (C)