RETHINKING THE ANALYSIS
Joint Capabilities Integration and Devel- opment System (JCIDS) process, which focuses on identifying needed capabilities and the associated requirements, that are adaptable while still providing specific enough information for the program to ensure affordability from the beginning.
In general, this information provides broader direction at the program’s out- set, with more granular analysis added if necessary as the program progresses. For example, at milestone A, it is not possible to do a robust cost analysis or to analyze specific performance parameters because the data are insufficient, but it is possible to establish a rough order of magnitude for cost and performance to guide the pro- gram. Customizing the analysis could be as simple as reviewing swatch data early in a program to acquire wearable gear, to guide design by identifying which materi- als show promise or could reach a higher technology readiness level by the time the program reaches production, rather than running full assessments on all possible materials from the start.
As the Hon. Frank Kendall, undersecre- tary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, has said, “Our world is com- plex. One-size-fits-all cookbook solutions simply don’t work in many cases. … at the end of the day we have to figure out the best course of action in a specific circum- stance, balancing all the complex factors that apply to a given situation.” Kendall’s comments come from his article “Bet- ter Buying Power Principles: What Are Tey?” in the January-February 2016 issue of Defense AT&L magazine.
As the Defense Acquisition Workforce moves to ensure the best value for acqui- sitions, there has been a push to identify and employ options in DOD Instruc- tion (DODI) 5000.02, Operation of the Defense Acquisition System, for tailoring processes to fit the needs of a program. While there is no prescriptive list of what areas should be tailored, the general tenets of Better Buying Power can be applied to look critically at what adds value to the program. Many of the standard prac- tices in DODI 5000.02 target ACAT I programs, but there are opportunities to
customize many areas in our traditional processes for ACAT II and ACAT III programs. ACAT I programs are high- budget, large acquisition programs that come with the highest level of oversight. ACAT II and ACAT III programs have fewer oversight requirements because of their lower budgets, and therefore offer more areas of adaptability from ACAT I regulations.
In fact, DOD 5000.02 explicitly allows room for modification, permitting the MDA to make decisions that produce the right information to move a program forward.
NOT QUITE BY THE BOOK As the only published document across DOD that prescribes how to execute an AoA, the U.S. Air Force’s Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) Handbook has set the standard. Te Air Force created this doc- ument to outline what is required from an AoA given the complex ACAT I pro- grams that the service manages, requiring a mandatory and explicit approach to issues of safety and risk. However, the
PICKING AND CHOOSING
The tailored AoA approach developed by JPEO-CBD identifies the most relevant factors for the most vigorous early analysis while still providing sufficient information to the MDA. While relevant for larger ACAT I programs, the full AoA process prescribed in the Air Force handbook is an unnecessary obstacle to smooth, rapid execution of lower-budget ACAT II and III programs. (Image courtesy of the authors)
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Army AL&T Magazine
January-March 2017
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