Quadrennial Defense Review 2001: Lessons on Managing Change in the Department of Defense

Publication Date: January 2003

Publisher: RAND Corporation

Author(s): Roger Allen Brown; Leslie Lewis; John Y. Schrader

Research Area: Military and defense

Type: Brief

Abstract:

As an “after-action report,” this documented briefing summarizes analysis performed for the Joint Staff in preparation for and in support of the second Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), during the period of spring 1999 through summer 2001. The report summarizes previous reviews and, in particular, the service perspectives on QDR 1997 results. The authors conclude that QDR 2001, like QDR 1997, was useful in providing information on requirements for military capabilities, but was ineffective in presenting solutions to identified shortfalls in capabilities and resources. The report recommends that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff use existing processes to routinely address cross-cutting issues from a military perspective and that QDR Integration structure should be retained.