Business Institute
About the NDIA Business Institute:
NDIA’s Business Institute is the hub for defense-related education, training, and professional development to build a more capable, qualified, and efficient Defense Industrial Base.
Purpose:
The American defense industrial base is the world’s largest and most impressive, but the people and companies that collectively comprise the DIB face unique challenges. In addition to common business and technical problems, they must navigate the complexities of the Department of Defense and the US government more broadly and at the same time have a nuanced understanding of the critical needs of warfighters. The DIB is an extremely diverse group of companies with a wide range of skills and capabilities, and their access to and budgets for professional development opportunities vary widely as well.Ensuring that DIB companies are well-managed and that DIB professionals maximize their capacity to deliver what our warfighters need is critically important to continuing US military technological superiority. NDIA is uniquely positioned to help fill this void. The training and education delivered by the NDIA Business Institute enables more members to successfully navigate doing business with DoD and deliver high quality products and services strengthening our national defense.
Our members represent all sizes and all sectors of the DIB; many of them are eager to strengthen their individual and organizational skills. In particular, small and mid-sized firms often lack access to trustworthy information about high quality training/professional development opportunities, do not have the depth of expertise necessary to navigate working with DoD, and their financial resources and time to invest are limited. In addition, the defense industrial base has long sought to expand its sources of talent and innovation, including attracting and retaining younger professionals and non-traditional companies. Over time, stronger training and educational opportunities will help meet this need.
Operating Principles:
- High quality – The BI provides members and the broader DIB with the highest quality, most relevant education and training programs through in-house and partnered offerings.
- Collaborative – The BI works with and through others, with a small core staff leveraging the expertise of recognized partners.
- Practical – The BI will focus on programs in highest demand that show most immediate impact in helping participants do their jobs better.It will also focus on providing individual participants with continuing education credits or certifications that make them more valuable to their employers.
- Efficient – The BI focuses on providing the highest return on investment for participants’ time and money. When possible within quality standards, programs will be virtual and on demand/self-paced. The BI emphasis on “best of breed” opportunities leverages advances in the delivery of information and the development of skills.