Megan McKernan

Megan McKernan serves as Associate Director of the Acquisition and Technology Policy Program within RAND's National Security Research Division, a Senior Defense Researcher, and Professor of Policy Analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. Her expertise spans Department of Defense (DoD) requirements, budgeting, and acquisition of weapon systems, with a focus on data governance, analytics, and rapid acquisition frameworks. She holds an M.A. in International Trade and Investment Policy from George Washington University and a B.A. in Economics from William Smith College.

Her research encompasses PPBE reform, Space/Cyber rapid acquisition, software acquisition pathways, Nunn-McCurdy cost breach analyses, contractor performance evaluation, and adaptive acquisition frameworks. Methodologically, she employs case studies, policy reviews, and mixed-methods analysis. Prior to RAND, she worked as an economic analyst for U.S. policymakers focusing on global economic issues in emerging markets.

Key contributions include assessing Department of Defense use of data analytics, benchmarking private-sector data practices, and evaluating acquisition reforms for space and cyber capabilities. Current work emphasizes integrating environmental considerations into defense acquisition and measuring performance of adaptive acquisition pathways.