AcqNote Description Area
The Acquisition Plan has now been replaced by the Acquisition Strategy. An Acquisition Plan is a plan that documents all cost, schedule, technical, business, management, and other considerations that will govern an acquisition program and is derived from the Acquisition Strategy. It summarizes the acquisition planning discussions and identifies milestones in the acquisition process. An […]
The Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) is the primary regulation for use by all Federal Executive agencies in their acquisition of supplies and services with appropriated funds. It became effective on April 1, 1984, and is issued within applicable laws under the joint authorities of the Administrator of General Services, the Secretary of Defense, and the
Design Synthesis is the process of taking the functional architecture developed in the Functional Analysis and Allocation step and decomposing those functions into a Physical Architecture (a set of product, system, and/or software elements) that satisfy system required functions. SMC Systems Engineering Handbook, Figure 17 Synthesis is the process whereby the Functional Architectures and their
Phase 4 of the contracting process is Contract Award. This is where a contract is officially awarded to a contractor. Most of the responsibility in this phase lies with the Program Contracting Officer (PCO) and Contracts Officer’s Representative (COR). It is important that the Program Management Office (PMO) and Program Manager (PM) understand all of
Functional Analysis and Allocation is a top-down process of translating system-level requirements into detailed functional and performance design criteria. The result of the process is a defined Functional Architecture with allocated system requirements that are traceable to each system function. SMC Systems Engineering Handbook – Figure15: Functional Analysis and Allocation The Functional Analysis and Allocation
Phase 3 of the contracting process is Evaluation. The objective is to evaluate all proposals received in response to a solicitation in a method consistent with the instructions and evaluation criteria in Section L & M of the Request for Proposal (RFP) package. The evaluation will identify the strengths, weaknesses, significant weaknesses, and deficiencies contained
System Analysis and Control manages and controls the overall Systems Engineering Process. This activity identifies the work to be performed and develops the schedules and costs estimates for the effort. It coordinates all activities and assures that all are operating from the same set of requirements, agreements, and design iteration. It’s the center for configuration
Phase 2 of the contracting process is Solicitation. The objective of solicitation is to prepare and issue a solicitation to ensure that all qualified offerors are given the opportunity to compete for Government contracts. This phase of the contracting process includes preparing the solicitation; publicizing the planned procurement; amending the solicitation, as necessary; communicating with
Requirements Analysis (Step 1) is one of the first activities of the System Engineering Process and functions somewhat as an interface between the internal activities and the external sources providing inputs to the process. It examines, evaluates, and translates the external inputs into a set of functional and performance requirements that are the basis for
The Acquisition Strategy is a comprehensive plan that identifies and describes the acquisition approach that Program Management will follow to manage program risks and meet program objectives. The Acquisition Strategy guides program execution across the entire program life cycle and is updated at every major milestone and review. An approved strategy is reviewed and approved
Phase 1 of the contracting process is Planning for Procurement. Procurement Planning is identifying and describing requirements and determining the best method for meeting those requirements. Planning focuses on the business and technical management approaches to achieve program objectives within specified resource constraints and the procurement and contracting strategies necessary for implementation. Phase 1: Team
The Acquisition Program Baseline (APB) is developed by the Program Manager (PM) before the initiation of a program for all Acquisition Category (ACAT) programs and depicts the current condition of a program. The plan states the threshold and objective values for the cost, schedule, and performance requirements for a program. The performance requirements are listed
An Integrated Product Team (IPT) comprises representatives from appropriate functional disciplines working together to build successful programs, identify and resolve issues, and make sound and timely recommendations to facilitate decision-making. IPTs are used in complex development programs/projects for review and decision-making. The emphasis of the IPT is on the involvement of all Stakeholders (users, customers,
A Major Automated Information System (MAIS) is a defense acquisition program for an Automated Information System (AIS) that meets Acquisition Category (ACAT) IA requirements listed below. An AIS is a system of computer hardware, computer software, data, and/or telecommunications that performs functions such as collecting, processing, storing, transmitting, and displaying information. A MAIS is determined
Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) is the DoD management technique that simultaneously integrates all essential acquisition activities through the use of Integrated Product Teams (IPT) to optimize design, manufacturing, and supportability processes. IPPD facilitates meeting cost and performance objectives from product concept through production, including field support. It evolved in industry as an outgrowth
The Total Ownership Cost (TOC) is the summation of the cost of acquiring and owning or converting an item of material, piece of equipment, or service and post-ownership cost, including the disposal of hazardous and other manufacturing waste. It also includes the cost of lost sales as a result of a reputation for poor product
A Budget Activity (BA) is a category within each appropriation and fund account that identifies the purposes, projects, or types of activities financed by the appropriation or fund. Below are the Budget Activities (BA) for Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) accounts: 01 – Basic Research 02 – Applied Research 03 – Advanced Technology Development
The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is a uniform act that governs the law of sales and other commercial transactions in all 50 states within the United States of America. The UCC deals primarily with transactions involving personal property. The Code, as the product of private organizations, is not itself the law, but only a recommendation
A Purchase Order (PO) (FAR Part 13.302) is a commercial document issued by a buyer to a seller, indicating types, quantities, and agreed prices for products or services the seller will provide to the buyer. Sending a PO to a supplier constitutes a legal offer to buy products or services. Acceptance of a PO by
An Indefinite-Delivery Contract (IDC) (Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 16.5) provides various possible combinations of indefinite elements that provide the desired flexibility to best meet the Government needs. The appropriate type of indefinite-delivery contract may be used to acquire supplies and/or services when the exact times and/or quantities of future deliveries are unknown at the
The Contract Funds Status Report (CFSR) supplies funding data about defense contracts to government Program Managers (PM). The data is provided on DD Form 1586 is applicable to contracts over 6 months in duration and $1.5 million dollars. The CFSR is not applied to Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contracts unless unusual circumstances require specific funding
The Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) lists authorized data requirements for a specific procurement that forms part of a contract. It comprises either a single DD Form 1423, or a series of DD Forms 1423 containing data requirements and delivery information. The CDRL is the standard format for identifying potential data requirements in a solicitation
An Ordering Instrument is a contract type that has already been established. There are many types of ordering instruments available to contracting professionals. These contract types save time, money, and resources. One of the best methods in using ordering contracts is that competition is maintained after the initial competition when an award is made to
The Buy American Act (BAA) (41 U.S.C. 8301-8305) was passed in 1933 and restricts the purchase of supplies that are not domestic end products. It applies to all U.S. federal government agency purchases of goods valued over the purchase threshold but does not apply to services. Under the Act, all goods for public use (articles,
A Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) is a simplified method of filling anticipated repetitive needs for supplies or services by establishing “charge accounts” with qualified contractors below simplified acquisition thresholds (SAT). BPAs should be established for use by an organization responsible for providing supplies for its own operations or for other offices, installations, projects, or functions.
