Milestones are a point in time when a recommendation is made to the Milestone Decision Authority (MDA) about starting or continuing an acquisition program into the next Acquisition Phase. The milestones and Milestone Requirements are established by DoD Instruction 5000.02 “Operation of the Defense Acquisition System”. The milestones are represented by triangles (Δ) with the letters A, B, or C inside them in the figure below.
Main Milestone References
DoD Instruction 5000.85 “Major Capability Acquisition”
DoD Instruction 5000.02 “Defense Acquisition System”
Milestone Requirements Matrix
Milestone A
The goal of Milestone A (MS A) is to determine if a program has met all its exit requirements of the Materiel Solutions Analysis (MSA) Phase to proceed into Technology Maturation & Risk Reduction (TD) Phase. The Exit Criteria are determined by the MDA and the Acquisition Category (ACAT) level. A few of the common requirements are:
- Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) Identified Solution
- Cost Estimate
- Approved Initial Capabilities Document (ICD)
- Draft Capability Development Document (CDD)
- Technology Development Strategy
- Technology Readiness Assessment
- Technology Development Roadmap
- Test & Evaluation Strategy
Milestone B
The goal of Milestone B (MS B) is to determine if a program has met all its exit requirements of the Technology Maturation & Risk Reduction (TD) Phase to proceed into the Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) Phase. The exit requirements are determined by the MDA and the ACAT level. A few of the common requirements are:
- Approved Capabilities Design Document (CDD)
- Acquisition Strategy
- Benefits Analysis and Determination
- Competition Analysis
- Supportability Analysis
- Test & Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP)
- Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Quantities
Milestone C
The goal of Milestone C (MS C) is to determine if a program has met all its Exit Criteria of the EMD Phase to proceed into the Production and Deployment (PD) Phase. The exit requirements are determined by the MDA and the ACAT level. A few of the common requirements are:
- Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Determination
- Capability Production Document (CPD)
- Production and Deployment Phase contract awarded
AcqNotes Tutorial
AcqTips:
- A complete list of statutory requirements by ACAT is located in DoDI 5000.2 in Enclosure 4. The exit criteria are developed by the program manager and key Stakeholders at the beginning of each phase and approved by the MDA. In order for any program to be successful, all exit criteria must be defined, understood, and agreed upon by all stakeholders. Failure to do so will cause cost and schedule delays. The Exit Criteria should be located in the Acquisition Decision Memorandum (ADM), program management plan, and executive summary.
AcqLinks and References:
- [1] Defense Acquisition Guidebook (DAG) – Chapter 1
- DoD Directive 5000.01 “Defense Acquisition System”
- DoD Instruction 5000.02 “Operation of the Defense Acquisition System”
- DoD Instruction 5000.85 “Major Capability Acquisition”
- Improve Milestone Process – 23 June 2011
- Website: 10 USC § 2366a “Major Defense Acquisition Programs”
Updated: 2/20/2024
Rank: G1