Defense Acquisition System Overview

Summary

Matt Ambrose offers a comprehensive overview of the defense acquisition system, as outlined in DoD Instruction 5000.02. He discusses the five key phases: material solution analysis, technology maturation and risk reduction, engineering and manufacturing development, production and deployment, and operations and support. The talk emphasizes the importance of integrating planning, budgeting, and user requirements to ensure the system operates effectively and efficiently, highlighting the challenges of aligning event-driven, need-driven, and calendar-driven processes.

Takeaways

• 📘 The defense acquisition system is governed by the Department of Defense Instruction 5000.02 and operates in conjunction with planning, programming, budgeting, and execution (PPBE) and the joint capabilities integration and development system (JCIDS).
• 🔄 The acquisition process is event-driven, contrasting with the calendar-driven PPBE and the need-driven JCIDS, creating a challenge to synchronize these different operational paces.
• 🛠️ The system is divided into five phases: Material Solution Analysis, Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction, Engineering and Manufacturing Development, Production and Deployment, and Operations and Support.
• 🔬 Material Solution Analysis involves selecting the most promising technology to meet a user-identified need and establishing a program office with a program manager to oversee the process.
• 🚀 Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction focuses on proving the selected technology through competitive prototyping and systems engineering trade-off analysis to reduce program risks.
• 🏗️ Engineering and Manufacturing Development aims to finalize the system design and establish a product baseline, followed by building prototypes to demonstrate manufacturability and performance.
• 📈 Production and Deployment involves low-rate initial production to validate system performance and manufacturing readiness, leading to a full-rate production decision.
• 🔄 Operations and Support is the final and longest phase, focusing on lifecycle sustainment through performance-based logistics, ensuring system reliability and support throughout its life.
• 💼 Funding is a critical aspect throughout the acquisition process, with full funding required at various milestones to ensure program continuity.
• 📝 Documentation is continuously updated and refined, including the Capability Development Document (CDD) and the Capability Production Document (CPD), which are essential for decision-making and program direction.
• 🗑️ Disposal of the system at the end of its lifecycle is also a planned part of the acquisition process, with considerations for environmental and safety impacts.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is an overview of the defense acquisition system as described in the Department of Defense Instruction 5000.2, covering its operation, phases, and interactions with other defense support systems.

Why is interaction with planning, programming, budgeting, and execution (PPBE) and the joint capabilities integration and development system (JCIDS) crucial for the defense acquisition system?

Interaction with PPBE and JCIDS is crucial because they provide the necessary funding and capability requirements for the defense acquisition system to operate properly. Without a capability need documented by JCIDS and funding from PPBE, a program cannot be initiated or sustained.

What are the five phases of the defense acquisition system mentioned in the script?

The five phases of the defense acquisition system are: 1) Material Solutions Analysis, 2) Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction, 3) Engineering and Manufacturing Development, 4) Production and Deployment, and 5) Operations and Support.

What is the purpose of the Material Solutions Analysis phase?

The purpose of the Material Solutions Analysis phase is to select the most promising technology that meets the user's need as expressed in the initial capabilities document and to establish a program office and program manager to oversee the process.

What is the significance of the Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction phase?

The significance of the Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction phase is to mature the technology and reduce program risks through competitive prototyping, systems engineering, and trade-off analysis, ensuring the technology is feasible and affordable before proceeding to the next phase.

What are the key activities during the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase?

The key activities during the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase include completing a detailed integrated design for the system, conducting a system-level critical design review, establishing a product baseline, and demonstrating manufacturability and performance through building and testing prototypes.

What does the Production and Deployment phase involve?

The Production and Deployment phase involves low-rate initial production to establish the production base and test the system's performance, followed by full-rate production once the system has been validated through initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) and other assessments.

What is the focus of the Operations and Support phase?

The focus of the Operations and Support phase is to implement a sustainment plan for the system throughout its lifecycle, using performance-based logistics to ensure reliability, quick repairs, and maximized uptime for the warfighter.

How does the defense acquisition system ensure that the technology selected is both affordable and technically feasible?

The defense acquisition system ensures affordability and technical feasibility through a dialogue with users, trade-off analysis during the Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction phase, and updating the capability development document into a capability production document that reflects lessons learned and refined requirements.

What is the importance of the full funding milestone in the Material Solutions Analysis phase?

The full funding milestone is important because it secures the necessary budget for the program in the out years, which is crucial for the program's continuation and success. It is a long process due to the annual nature of the budgeting cycle.

How does the script describe the challenge of integrating the event-driven defense acquisition system with the need-driven JCIDS and calendar-driven PPBE?

The script describes the challenge as making something event-driven work with something need-driven and something calendar-driven, which can be difficult due to their different paces and requirements. This integration is essential for the successful operation of the defense acquisition system.

Outlines

00:00

🛡️ Defense Acquisition System Overview

Matt Ambrose provides an overview of the defense acquisition system as outlined in the Department of Defense Instruction 5000.02. He emphasizes the importance of the system's interaction with planning, programming, budgeting, and execution, as well as the joint capabilities integration and development system. The defense acquisition system operates in five phases: material solution analysis, technology maturation and risk reduction, engineering and manufacturing development, production and deployment, and operations and support. Each phase has specific activities and milestones that must be met for the program to progress. The speaker highlights the challenges of integrating event-driven, need-driven, and calendar-driven processes within the acquisition system.

05:01

🚀 Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction

This section delves into the second phase of the defense acquisition system, focusing on technology maturation and risk reduction. It was formerly known as technology development. The phase involves competitive prototyping to prove the viability of the chosen technology and reduce program risks. Key activities include establishing an initial major program documentation, such as the test evaluation Masterplan, and ensuring full funding for future years. The phase culminates in the development request for proposals release decision (DRFPRD), which is a pivotal moment in the program's lifecycle, as it sets the requirements that will be formalized in a contract. Financial management and ensuring adequate funding for the program's duration are also critical aspects of this phase.

10:02

🏗️ Engineering and Manufacturing Development

The third phase, engineering and manufacturing development, is all about preparing for system production. It involves completing a detailed integrated design for the system, conducting a system-level critical design review, and establishing a product baseline. The phase also includes building prototypes to demonstrate manufacturability and conducting developmental and operational testing to prove the system's performance. The approval of the capability production document and ensuring full funding are prerequisites for moving forward. The phase aims to refine requirements with user feedback and prepare for the full production decision at Milestone C.

🚀 Production and Deployment

The fourth phase, production and deployment, marks the beginning of low-rate initial production to validate system performance, manufacturing readiness, and other critical areas. This phase includes full production activities, initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E), live fire test and evaluation, and final interoperability testing. Successful completion of these tests leads to a full-rate production decision, allowing for the production of the remaining systems. The phase also addresses the overlap with operations and support, as systems are deployed and made ready for war. Achieving initial operational capability and full operational capability are key milestones in this phase, which also involves ongoing user feedback and financial management for out-year funding.

🛠️ Operations and Support

The final and longest phase of the defense acquisition system is operations and support. It involves implementing a sustainment plan with a focus on performance-based lifecycle support (PBL). This approach aims to incentivize support organizations to provide better reliability and quicker repairs for the warfighter. The phase requires an approved capability production document, an approved lifecycle sustainment plan, and a successful full production decision. Disposal of the system at the end of its lifecycle is also a critical component, with considerations for environmental and safety impacts. Continuous funding execution and planning for future disposal costs are essential aspects of this phase.

Keywords

💡Defense Acquisition System

The Defense Acquisition System is the framework within the Department of Defense (DoD) for procuring equipment, services, and systems. It is integral to the video's theme as it outlines the process from initial need identification to the eventual deployment and support of military capabilities. The script describes its operation according to DoD Instruction 5000.02 and its interplay with other defense systems.

💡Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE)

PPBE is the process by which the DoD manages its financial resources, aligning them with strategic goals and operational needs. It is a calendar-driven system, as mentioned in the script, that must synchronize with the event-driven nature of the defense acquisition system to ensure proper funding for military programs.

💡Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS)

JCIDS is where military users or warfighters document and prioritize their capability needs. It plays a crucial role in the video's narrative by initiating the process of defense acquisition, ensuring that programs are started only when there is a validated capability need.

💡Material Solutions Analysis

This is the first phase of the defense acquisition process, where the most promising technology is selected to meet a user-identified need. The script emphasizes its importance in establishing a program office and conducting an Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) to pick the best technology solution.

💡Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction

This phase involves proving the selected technology's viability through competitive prototyping, a process aimed at reducing program risks. The script mentions this phase as a transition from technology development to a more mature stage, ready for production.

💡Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD)

EMD is the phase where the detailed design of the system is completed, and prototypes are built to establish a product baseline. The script describes this phase as critical for demonstrating manufacturability and performance through developmental and operational testing.

💡Production and Deployment

This phase involves the initial low-rate production of the system to validate design and manufacturing processes, followed by full-rate production. The script illustrates this phase as a step towards achieving full operational capability, including initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E).

💡Operations and Support

This is the final and longest phase of the acquisition process, focusing on supporting the units throughout the system's life. The script describes the implementation of a sustainment plan and the philosophy of performance-based logistics to ensure system reliability and affordability.

💡Milestone Decisions

Milestone decisions are critical junctures in the acquisition process that authorize the progression to the next phase. The script highlights these decisions as moments of confidence-building for the milestone decision authority, ensuring readiness for phase transitions.

💡Capability Development Document (CDD)

The CDD is a document that formalizes the military's capability needs and is updated throughout the acquisition process. The script refers to the CDD as a key document that informs the acquisition strategy and must be approved before significant decisions are made.

💡Full Operational Capability (FOC)

FOC is the state when a system is fully deployed and operational across all intended units. The script mentions FOC as the end goal of the production and deployment phase, signifying that the system is ready for its intended use.

Highlights

The defense acquisition system requires interaction with planning, programming, budgeting, and execution, as well as the joint capabilities integration and development system.

The defense acquisition system is event-driven, contrasting with the calendar-driven P.P.B. and need-driven J.C.I.D.S.

Five phases of the defense acquisition system are outlined: material solution analysis, technology maturation and risk reduction, engineering and manufacturing development, production and deployment, and operations and support.

Material solution analysis involves selecting the most promising technology to meet user-expressed needs.

Technology maturation and risk reduction phase focuses on proving technology viability through competitive prototyping.

Engineering and manufacturing development phase aims to complete the system design and establish a product baseline.

Production and deployment phase includes low-rate initial production to test system performance and manufacturing readiness.

Operations and support phase is critical for the lifecycle sustainment of the system, with performance-based lifecycle support.

The importance of establishing a program office and program manager in the initial phase for overseeing major activities.

The need for an acquisition strategy and program documentation for milestone decision-making.

User interaction is essential for refining requirements and informing the acquisition strategy.

Funding establishment is a lengthy process tied to the annual budget cycle, impacting program progression.

The development request for proposals release decision (DRFPRD) is a key milestone in the program lifecycle.

The necessity of managing funds and ensuring full funding for out years in the defense program.

The critical design review and system performance demonstration are mandatory for proceeding to production at Milestone C.

Initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E), live fire testing, and final interoperability testing are crucial for system readiness.

Full operational capability is achieved when a defined set of units is equipped, trained, and ready for deployment.

Disposal of the system at the end of its lifecycle must consider environmental and safety factors, with planning integrated from the technology maturation phase.

Transcripts

Matt Ambrose of the defense acquisition university and for the next fifteen

minutes or so I'm going to give you an overview of the operation of the defense

acquisition system as it's described in the department of defense instruction five

thousand zero two which is the regulation for how we do these things.

The defense acquisition system cannot operate properly unless it has a good

interaction with two other major defense support systems and those are planning

programming budgeting and execution which is how we get our money and

the joint capabilities integration and development system which is where

the users the war fighters document their requirements or their capability needs so

we're not going to start a program unless we have a capability need and

we're not going to have a program unless we have money so

we have to make these things work together it's not an easy thing because P.P.B.

tends to be driven by the calendar it's a once a year process that we go through

to budget money for programs and program money in the out here as well

now the Jason system tends to be need driven needs are coming up all the time so

it has its own pace or defense acquisition system is an event driven system we want

to get whatever we need in terms of data in terms of testing in terms of design

ready for milestone decision authority to have confidence in that next decision so

we can go on to the next phase so

making something that's event driven work with something that's need driven and

work with something that's calendar driven tends to be a big challenge an acquisition

you're going to see these interactions as we go through the phases here.

These are the five phases we start with material solutions analysis

which means we're picking the most promising technology to meet that user

need that was expressed in the initial capabilities document here

then in technology maturation and risk reduction we're going to reduce the risk

by proving that technology through competitive prototyping makes making sure

that it works OK and then in engineering and manufacturing development.

We're going to complete the build to design this is the one that we're actually

going to field and then we're going to build a few of those to prove that

the design works and that we can actually manufacture or produce that design.

Then in production deployment we're going to produce a limited amount

we're going to test those to make sure that they work and

then we're going to produce the rest of the fold by and get the full operational

capability in the meantime as we are fielding these We're going to have to go

into the next phase which is operations and support where we are going to support

all of the units that are out there for the full life of the system and

then at the end of that phase we will dispose of the system properly so

that's just a quick walk through of the general flow of the five phases

now we're going to get into each of the phases and talk about some of the details.

Right our first phase is material solution analysis and

remember that we're kicking that off with an initial capability stuck in it

that is what the user provides it says that we have this war fighting capability

that's missing in order to defend the nation.

In addition to the initial capabilities document in order to enter this

phase we've got to have a plan got to have guidance for how we're going to do our

analysis to pick the best technology that analysis of alternatives and

we also have to have an approved plan for how that A.O. is going to be done who

is actually going to do it and those kinds of things during this phase.

It's major activities here establishing a program office and a program manager

you've got to have people to do all this work it's going to happen in the face so

that's got to happen first then we're going to conduct the a a way in the PM and

the program management office will oversee that they won't do it because it typically

happens outside the organization and then within the organization we're going to be

developing the major program documentation that we need for the next milestone and

this is kind of typical of all the phases as we're going through here

we're doing the analysis the design the testing whatever happens to be.

That's the main effort and we're also planning for that next phase

in this case our acquisition strategy is that plan for the next phase.

During this phase we need to interact with our users quite a bit for

the Jason system to work properly they are going to provide us with a draft

capability document right here towards the end of the phase and

that informs our acquisition strategy got to know a little more hard requirements in

order to plan how we're going to mature than in the next face.

We also need money this is new we have to establish full funding milestone and

that is a fairly long process because only once a year do you have an opportunity to

get into the budget in the program for the out years so that's something we really

got to pay attention to here in material solution analysis now once we have picked

a technology we've got that approved a a way we've got an acquisition strategy in

the other program documentation that's necessary then we are ready for

a milestone a decision to get us to the next phase.

The next phase is technology maturation and risk reduction that's a new name used

to be technology development now technology maturation and risk reduction.

Is just what it says we are maturing the technology and reducing the program

risks and generally speaking that sort of competitive prototyping.

To get that milestone as I just said you need an approved material solution what's

the best technology to go forward with we need

an initial major program documentation like our test evaluation Masterplan and

those are those that were listed there and we need that full funding in the future

years defense program there's a lot going on in this phase in order to get

to the point where we are comfortable with our technology you're doing that

competitive prototyping if it makes sense finance wise to do that and

we're also doing some very serious systems engineering trade off analysis and

that is cost performance trades generally speaking and that informs our job.

Process so we need to tell our users what's affordable OK So

we need to have that dialogue so that when we get those capabilities finally

written down and approved in the C.D.T. or capability development document

that that is something that we can actually afford within the context of

the department defense and for the program and it's also feasible technically and

it was something we can do and part of that is just looking at how

things are going in terms of maturing the technology is it really feasible or

not and then we've got this big decision here after the CD is

validated by the user we've got this big decision called a development request for

proposals release decision for a D R F P R D.

That is new and that does just what the acronym says it gives us permission

to release a request for proposals so as we're going along

we've got to put together that contracting strategy that allows us to get

that permission as well as updating most of our major program documentation there.

This is considered by our leadership to be the key decision

in the overall lifecycle of the program and the reason that is is because once you

put that out in writing in terms of your requirements for the program that's going

to go into a contract eventually there's not a lot you can do to make major changes

in that without major perturbations in your program so it has a lot of momentum

once you make this decision and put that request for proposals out on the story.

Financially lots going on as well we've got to manage our funds execution now

we've got to manage how we are obligating and

expanding our funds and we also have to make sure that we have full funding for

the program in the out years when we hit milestone the so that we're in that future

years defense program again once we have mature technology and retire the program

risk to an adequate level we're ready for a milestone be in the next phase.

Next phase being engineering and manufacturing development

this phase is going to get us ready to produce the system.

So to enter once again we've got to adequately reduce those program risks

we've got to get approved requirements that CD has to be approved and

we've got to get the full funding.

Lots of activities going on this is kind of broken up into two major things that we

do first we're going to complete our detailed integrated design for the system

and that's going to get us ready for a system level critical design review

that's one of the two design reviews that are mandatory on the program and

you'll notice here this P.T. Our which actually should be completed in

the previous phases got a question mark if you were starting at mile stone B.

you would need to do your preliminary design review after milestone B. but

normally speaking without a waiver you need to do that in the previous phase so

we're getting ready we're doing our final design getting a final build to design so

that we can do a critical design review and establish that product baseline and

that's a pretty big deal because then we're going to demonstrate that that

design that we've got is manufacturable by building a few of them and

then we're going to demonstrate that those prototypes that we just built

actually work we're going to have some very robust developmental and

operational testing to prove that we

should be going to production at Milestone C. We also have to prove in Iraq

ability supportability all those things of system performance.

Jay said be refining the requirements or

users again we need to have a dialogue with them to make sure that we

capture any lessons learned through the development and design of the system and

so they will update the capability development document into a capability

production document which has to be signed and prove prior to milestone see

we've got to come to New to manage our funds and make sure that we have full.

Ending for the production and

support of the system as we go forward into the next phase.

The next phase is production and deployment again very descriptive terms of

what we're doing we're going to start producing in a low amount their low rate

initial production in order to get in here just what we talked about in the previous

phase good performance in your D.T. in an operational assessments that tells us that

the system works that their manufacturing processes are ready to go and

that we've got it acceptable performance in all those other areas.

Major activities get lower in full production that I talked about and

that does a couple of things for us we can build up to ten percent of our full buy

and lower initial production that establishes the production base for

Senate also gives us test articles for that big final exam called initial

operational test evaluation for Io T. any along with Io T. any We also have to

do a live fire test and evaluation if that's a political to our program and

we have to do the final interoperability testing of the system as well.

If all of that goes well then we're ready for a full rate production decision review

and that gives us the permission to produce the rest of the systems which may

take years and while that's happening we still got to support the system which is

the next phase that's why we have a big overlap between these phases here.

Once we've got everything deployed and it's ready to go to war that's full

operational capability generally speaking the user will defining small set

usually a units worth of equipment that is good enough for

initial operational capabilities and once we have that unit equipped trained and

ready to go to war that's an initial operational capability

once everything's out there it's full operational capability and

in the meantime we're going to be supporting the system in the next phase.

Or. Users are going to help us as we

go through this and get the system out.

And we get feedback from our logistic systems and

that kind of thing to refine the requirements for support but

we will not have a new capability documents point that capability production

document that we get right back there it and C. is really the last time that

they'll formally go through the Jasons process in P.V. we're still going to be

managing our funds execution making sure that we're in those out years as well.

Operations and supporters are final and longest phase and

most expensive to get into that we've got to have that approved

capability production document and approved lifecycle sustainment plan and

we've got to have a successful full reproduction decision.

Major activities is implementing that sustainment plan that we came up with and

that's done through a philosophy of performance based

lifecycle supporter P B L And that's basically where we

incentivize our support organizations within the government and

our contractors are support us to provide us with better performance for

the warfighter meaning better reliability quicker turnaround times quicker repairs

and so that's the philosophy that we're using now to make sure that we have more

up time and less downtime for our systems and if we do it affordably.

At the end of this lifecycle we have to dispose of the system and

we have to just like our support for the system in the reliability all of that

has to be designed in earlier so way back in the T.M.R.

phase you've got to be considering support you've got to be considering disposal and

designing the ways that you're going to do that into the system.

Within Jason's again our users are going to be helping us through the different

feedback systems that we have with logistics.

To refine the supportability goals and to help us drive cost down for

supporting the system.

And we've got to continue to maintain execution of our funding and

maintain our funding in the futures defense program as well as.

Look out and see where we need to start putting in the funding for

disposal if that's going to cost us more at the end of the program

we've got to make sure we do that disposal that we consider the environment and

safety as well because most of our systems that we build in the Department of

Defense tend to be hazardous.

So this was a quick overview of the five phase of the of the defense acquisition

system I hope you learned something from it I hope you'll take advantage of other

videos that we have that will get into more details in each of the faces

thank you for listening.