DII - Defense Industry Initiative on Business Ethics and Conduct

Who We Are The DII is nonpartisan and non-profit organization comprised of representatives from nearly 80 member companies, primarily from the aerospace and defense industry, with the mission to promote and advance a culture of ethical conduct in every company that provides products and services through government contracting. What We Do The DII engages with federal stakeholders and government officials to identify their concerns then collectively organizes and applies its resources to assist with addressing those concerns. This is accomplished through the development of tools, sharing of best practices, and mentoring of member companies to establish and improve business ethics and compliance programs for those that perform government contracting. Our History In 1985, to address allegations of widespread fraud, criminal misconduct, and government mismanagement within the defense acquisition process, President Reagan appointed the “The President’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Defense Management” to recommend reforms. In its February 1986 Interim Report, the Packard Commission observed that waste, fraud, and abuse had eroded the public’s confidence in the defense industry and the Defense Department. The Commission urged defense contractors to improve the defense acquisition process through greater self-governance. In response, 18 of the nation’s top defense companies voluntarily created the DII and drafted 5 core principles. The first chair of the DII Steering Committee was Jack Welch of General Electric. By July 1986, 32 major defense contractors had pledged to adopt the DII principles.