The DMI, established in 2022, is a non-partisan research organization committed to bridging public and private sector efforts to improve the management, organization, performance improvement and enterprise business operations of the DOD. Its goal is to assist the Department with analyzing and addressing Defense management challenges. It accomplishes this by supporting ongoing analytical and reporting needs, shaping a defense management research agenda, and establishing relationships across public and private sectors to assist the Department with proactively identifying emerging management issues and offering timely remedies.

The DMI was established by the Performance Improvement Officer/Director of Administration and Management for the Department of Defense and is operated by the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA). It draws upon core research staff from IDA and a broad network of management experts and practitioners. The DMI receives its direction from the DOD and is informed by a Board of Advisors.