Department of Defense unveils Transition Tracking Action Group to advise technology transitions

In a move to improve technology transitions, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) last month launched the Transition Tracking Action Group (TTAG) and granted the new advisory group access to advanced data analytics.

For its part, the TTAG will be charged with establishing a department-wide method of tracking technology transition and determining the reasons specific technologies do or don’t transition. It is chaired by the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering’s (R&E) chief data officer, Cyrus Jabbari, and staffed with senior representatives from the various military services and offices. Visibility will be critical for it. According to Jabbari, the lack of it impedes efficiency and delivery of the best capabilities for soldiers.

The group hopes to change that through advanced analytics data platforms, as the DoD’s data systems and business processes currently hinder optimal tracking for technology transition outcomes and investments, according to Jabbari. These analytics will incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide a comprehensive overview of its business practices.

Eventually, the Department hopes this information will allow its scientists to refine its business practices and improve performance, particularly with regard to science, technology and acquisition.

“We can now parse through trillions of dollars and billions of lines of research and development funding spent over the years from lab to prototype and across educational institutions and non-traditional businesses and see the impact they are having on these key stakeholders,” Jabbari said.

This ability, DoD claimed, has highlighted the impact of its investments over the years, showing an overall positive trend toward engagement with innovative and small businesses. Obstacles remain, though, and the department wants to use TTAG to figure out what they are and how to improve from there.

TTAG will have three primary objectives: identifying opportunities and barriers in tracking technology transitions, employing data to monitor them, and developing necessary processes and policies. This factors into a larger departmental goal stated by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks last year: to systematically map and address the greatest barriers to defense innovation.