Improving U. S. Army Analysis of Alternatives to Better Address the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009
Abstract
The U.S. Congress passed Public Law 111-23 (Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act (WSARA) of 2009), which significantly changed the way the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) procures weapon systems. The WSARA of 2009 increases the role of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) in the Services' Analyses of Alternatives (AoAs) through the creation of the Director, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE). Before Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) Milestone (MS) Decisions, AoAs are performed to determine if an acquisition program is warranted to start or to continue to the next acquisition phase. The U.S. Army has performed several AoAs for Acquisition Category (ACAT) I programs since the passing of the WSARA of 2009. These AoAs have had varying degrees of success in meeting the expectations of OSD CAPE. This report outlines the research to identify potential ways to improve U.S. Army AoAs to better meet the requirements of the WSARA of 2009 and the expectations of OSD CAPE. Key senior-level Department of the Army and OSD CAPE personnel associated with recently conducted ACAT I AoAs were interviewed, and their responses are presented in this report. Recommendations are provided on key aspects of U.S. Army AoAs to include the following: the major issues associated with AoAs under the WSARA of 2009, the relationship between OSD CAPE and the Army, the timing of conducting AoAs and other analyses, and the role of alternatives in AoAs. Special consideration was given to addressing the role of foreign nondevelopmental items in AoAs and the tradeoffs among cost, schedule, and performance.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA563288
Entities
People
- Thomas J. Stadterman
Organizations
- Defense Acquisition University