A Case Study in NASA-DoD - The Black Vault

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the nation and other governmental agencies. Consequently, it
does not
appear that the NASA-DoD experience can be applied directly without
additional research.
If such a research project were to be undertaken, one of the first
tasks would involve a careful analysis of enabling legislation of the
Department of Energy and other relevant governmental agencies to identify
the provision for cooperation, to assess the potential success and
motives for cooperative efforts, and to identify areas where changes
could be made to enhance cooperation. Another task of this research
project would be a broad study of cases where long-term interagency
cooperation has been attempted. The cases included should be relevant
to the areas and types of cooperation that the Department of Energy
might be involved in as its program progresses. Given the results of
the analysis of past experience with interagency cooperation and the
assessment of cooperation requirements as seen by the Department of
Energy, a first-order matching of lessons, experience, and "need" could
take place. A more detailed analysis of the areas where a match occurs
or does not occur could lead to the selection of the organizational
structure and operating procedures to support cooperation between the
Department of Energy and other governmental agencies.
Another situation where cooperation appears to be important is in
the international arena of bilateral and multinational weapons acquisition
programs.
There seems to be both political and economic pressures
influencing DoD to get more deeply involved in such programs.
effective participation of DoD in such agreements will depend on
establishing a basis for coordinating and cooperating with the countries
and industries involved in the agreements.
This situation contains only one of the two principal factors identified
as being important to the NASA-DoD long-term successful cooperation.
In this instance, the factor is the production of a common product where a
joint effort might yield economic benefits to the countries involved in
the co-production or co-development agreement.
factor is absent in this situation:
participants.
The
But the other essential
There is no authority common to all
Thus, the direct transferral of the NASA-DoD experience to
this situation appears to be inappropriate without further analysis.