Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus directed the stand-up of the Naval Innovation Advisory Council April 21.
“The United States Navy and Marine Corps team has a celebrated history of innovation; when faced with adversity, the Naval services have always risen to the challenge. Today, innovation is occurring across the Department but often times efforts are not mutually supportive and the great ideas of the workforce are encumbered by bureaucratic processes,” Mabus wrote in the memo.
“A Department-level, coordinated effort is necessary to assist, accelerate, and enable innovation to thrive across the Department of the Navy (DON). This effort will synchronize senior leaders, facilitate the flow of resources, streamline policy, and remove other bureaucratic roadblocks that hinder innovation within the fleet This group will also ensure the Fleet implements the best ideas, and that the DON continues to improve its innovative culture and processes,” Mabus wrote.
In the memo, SECNAV directed the Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy (Management) (DUSN (M)) to:
- Establish the Naval Innovation Advisory Council.
- Define the process and responsibilities to accelerate innovation across the
- Department.
- Identify and connect critical stakeholders.
- Provide resources to ensure the Secretary of the Navy Innovation Goals are achieved.
- Develop an efficient innovation process to support DON-wide innovation objectives for the future.
DUSN (M) shall establish the innovation advisory council and charter no later than Sept. 30, 2015, Mabus directed.
On April 21, Secretary Mabus also issued his first Innovation Action Memo that directs innovation leadership to be included in the annual performance appraisals of Naval Leaders. He recognizes that not everyone is an innovator but every leader in the DON must contribute to the innovation culture either by creating an environment to encourage innovation, championing the great ideas of the workforce, or trimming the bureaucratic "briar patch" that prevents innovation from occurring.
Go to the DON Innovation website to share your ideas: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/innovation/Pages/Home.aspx.