DOD issues new acquisition guidelines

A new update to Defense Department acquisition guidance last revised in 2008 aims to streamline the Pentagon's buying processes, issuing more "user friendly" standards that integrate strategies developed and deployed in recent years.

DOD's new Instruction 5000.02 implements new regulations put into place since the last version. The new guidance is considered an interim document while a formalized version is put together over the next six months, according to Frank Kendall, undersecretary of Defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, who released the memo Dec. 2.

"I have tried to make the document more readable and helpful to acquisition professionals, both those new to the world of defense acquisition and those more experienced professionals who need a reference for a specific area of interest," Kendall wrote.

The memo also calls on Andrew Hunter, director of DOD's Joint Rapid Acquisition Office, to spearhead a team to craft suggested legislation to simplify existing law with more-coherent, streamlined requirements.

DOD's underlying acquisition system remains largely unchanged, but the memo puts into place some minor shifts, including the introduction of a requirements decision point and a development request for proposal release decision point, both designed to improve and standardize critical early phases of the acquisition cycle.

Kendall said the instruction is "longer than I would have preferred," because of the inclusion of all relevant statutory and regulatory guidance, as well as the integration of stand-alone documents set to be eliminated as individual guidance.

However, one section that is neither included nor replaced is a section addressing the acquisition of contracted services. Kendall said a new DOD instruction on the acquisition of services is currently being drafted and "should be released in the near future."