DARPA's Shifting Sands: Three Variables Shaping its History
This article explores three key factors shaping DARPA's operational model throughout its history: the level of organizational oversight, the source of project visions (office directors vs. PMs), and the timeline for project payoffs. Using early computing projects as examples, it analyzes how increased bureaucracy and procurement rules after the Vietnam/Watergate era impacted project management. It also contrasts director-driven visions with the autonomy of individual PMs in shaping project direction, and examines how differing attitudes towards payoff timelines and military-focused mandates influenced project selection and execution. Understanding these factors is crucial for interpreting DARPA's historical successes and failures.
Read more