The Acquisition Decision Process

Abstract

The acquisition of major systems is a complex process in any environment. In the Defense Department it is further complicated by an intricate set of interactions between the government and private industry. The roles of the buyer (the government) and the builder (private industry) are defined in lengthy and numerous regulations and directives. It is the purpose of this chapter to highlight the key issues and decisions in the systems acquisition process as they are influenced by Manpower and Personnel Integration (MANPRINT) domain concerns. This chapter will use the Defense Department’s acquisition process as an example of the technical, managerial and economic complexities of including human performance as part of total systems performance requirements. This model is typical of all large, government bureaucracies. This chapter will also discuss and compare this process to the important issues in acquiring major systems in the private sector.