Acquisition Process

Defense Acquisition Board (DAB)

The Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) is the senior advisory board for the DoD acquisition system and provides advice on critical acquisition decisions. The board includes the Vice-Chair of the Joint Chiefs, the service Secretaries, and a number of Undersecretaries of Defense.

Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) Responsibility

Members of DAB board are responsible for approving the Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAP) and serve as the most important executive review of the most expensive acquisition projects in the DoD. The DAB is also the principal review forum enabling the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD (A&S)) to fulfill 10 USC Chapter 144 responsibilities concerning Acquisition Category (ACAT) I Programs.

The USD (A&S) is the Milestone Decision Authority (MDA) for Acquisition Category (ACAT) ID programs and ACAT IAM programs that have not been delegated. The USD (A&S) conducts DAB Reviews for ACAT ID and IAM programs at Major Milestone decision points, at the Full-Rate Production Decision Review (FRPDR), at Interim Program Reviews, and at other times as necessary. [1]

Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) Membership

  • Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;
  • Secretaries of the Military Departments;
  • Under Secretary of Defense (Policy);
  • Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller);
  • Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel & Readiness);
  • Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence);
  • Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration/DoD Chief Information Officer;
  • Director, Operational Test & Evaluation;
  • Director, Program Analysis & Evaluation; and
  • Director, Acquisition Resources & Analysis (as the DAB Executive Secretary).

The DAB is further supported by a subordinate group in OSD known as an Overarching Integrated Product Team (OIPT). Each OIPT facilitates communication and vets issues before the DAB meets. At the Milestone Decision Review, the OIPT leader provides the DAB members with an integrated assessment of program issues gathered through the Integrated Product Team (IPT) process as well as various independent assessments. [1]

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Update: 7/28/2021

Rank: G1

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