Policy Revision Aims to Improve Acquisition Process

WASHINGTON --- A new Defense Department acquisition policy is designed to reduce delays and cost overruns that often plague the acquisition process, a senior defense official said today.>> John Young, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, and a major force behind the new first major revision to the departments acquisition policy in more than five years, approved the policy Dec. 2.>> The revision took effect immediately and impacts the full scope of defense acquisition programs, including everything from major weapons systems to information systems, Skip Hawthorne, a senior acquisition analyst, told American Forces Press Service.>> In a nutshell, the policy introduces more up-front investment and prototype development before programs are started, and stops after-the-fact requirements changes that delay the process and drive up costs, Hawthorne explained.>> In broad terms, we wanted to make sure that our programs were conceived, designed and executed more effectively than before, he said.>> The policy affects systems from the drawing-board stage of technology development -- referred to in acquisition circles as Milestone A.>> Before promising, but not yet proven, technology is incorporated into a system to be developed, it first will be demonstrated on a prototype, Hawthorne said. The concept isnt new. Young initiated a competitive prototyping policy in September to ensure technologies were mature and demonstrated before the systems they were to be used in advanced to the engineering and manufacturing development stage.