Best Practices: Better Matching of Needs and Resources Will Lead to Better Weapon System Outcomes

DOD has taken steps to insure that product requirements are better informed by the systems engineering process. It recently revised its guidance for setting requirements. The guidance states before program approval, the requirements described by the customer should depict a technologically mature and affordable product increment that was demonstrated in an operationally relevant environment. As a part of its revised acquisition policy, the 5000 series, DOD has emphasized the use of Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations and Advanced Technology Demonstrations as a means to better transition innovative product concepts to the warfighter. The expanded use of techniques like Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations and Advanced Technology Demonstrations could help provide a better match between requirements and resources prior to program launch. DOD has stated that they would like demonstrations that allow systems engineering to identify and close gaps between customer wants and achievable resources prior to program launch to be the norm instead of the exception. This has been emphasized with the realignment and refinement of the acquisition phases leading up to program approval.

DOD, in its revised acquisition policy, has made the use of evolutionary acquisitions, the preferred product development approach. This approach allows for a better matching of requirements and resources providing an opportunity to defer challenging requirements until technologies are ready. The initial product should provide the user only the minimum acceptable capability with the expectation of future capabilities. The deferred capabilities can be incorporated into later iterations of the product. This reduces the pressures put on user representatives to set requirements high, forcing the developer to develop a "quantum leap" solution. GAO found evolutionary product development to be a best practice used by commercial firms.

DOD has taken concrete actions to both lessen the incentives for authors to aim too high in writing requirements, and to strengthen the emphasis on the ability of the program manager to employ mature technology in matching a new system's requirements. Specifically, the revised 5000 series of acquisition regulations calls for evolutionary approaches to developing new weapons and requiring technology maturity before starting new programs. Also, new guidance on preparing requirements calls for establishing time-phased requirements to better align with the evolutionary acquisition approach. While DOD has not set specific time limits on product development, they have emphasized the reduction of product development cycle times from the 10 to 15 historical averages. DOD has taken steps that should help them to accomplish this. DOD's revised acquisition policy emphasizes the use of evolutionary development approaches that develops products in increments, delivering product developments in much shorter time periods. For example, the Air Force has set a goal of delivering a new product every 2 to 4 years. Each increment should provide a useful capability to the user. Evolutionary development should be anchored in a formal agreement among the requirements setter, program manager, and resource providers on the specific plan to deliver the products.