Acquisition Process Model provides program managers guidance and references

  • Published
  • By Air Force Acquisition Excellence and Change Management Office
WASHINGTON --  There are more than 100 law, policy and guidance documents that impact the Air Force acquisition process, all of which are constantly under revision. So how does a program manager or program executive officer know their program is compliant with current processes and guidance faced with ongoing change?

To respond to the need for a dynamic, yet authoritative, process model, the Air Force's Acquisition Excellence and Change Management Office, or SAF/AQX, directed the creation of the Acquisition Process Model, or APM. For program managers, the APM provides not only the prescribed high-level process for the execution of a program but also directs access to the specific law, policy, and guidance underlying every process. The model and additional information can be found at www.afacpo.com.

SAF/AQX designed the APM to serve as the standard acquisition process reference and guide for all stakeholders at the program executive officer level and above, while simultaneously providing program managers with a straightforward, comprehensive guide through the myriad - and sometimes baffling - mix of documents, publications and regulations for acquisitions. Accordingly, the APM provides an end-to-end "Big A" acquisition process context: an integration of the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System, or JCIDS, process (requirements), the Department of Defense 5000 process (acquisition), and the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution, or PPBE, process (funding).

The APM includes processes such as program reviews, development planning, program development, source selection and program management. While the APM is focused at the Acquisition Category I level, it offers ACAT II and III program managers with information crucial to execution of all acquisition programs.

For example, the APM provides the process for the key steps leading to a Milestone B Air Force Review Board review. The input "DoDI 5000 Information Requirements" provides a link to all of the statutory and regulatory information requirements found in DoDI 5000.02, which a program manager can use to help identify specific information required for a Milestone B decision.

SAF/AQX maintains a regular review battle rhythm to ensure that the APM incorporates policy changes in a timely manner. This review includes the 109 different documents referenced in the APM. Updated on no less than a quarterly basis, the latest versions of the APM incorporated changes from the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall's Better Buying Power 2.0 Implementation Guidance, the revised AFI 63-101/20-101, and the updated Systems Engineering and Affordability chapters from the Defense Acquisition Guidebook.

Another upcoming change that will be incorporated into the APM is the impressive center-level redesign of 40 processes being accomplished by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. These changes will be updated in the APM when the effort is complete and validated by LCMC leadership.

Additionally, the APM provides a process framework for conducting process improvement activities. The Air Force has leveraged the APM to address improvements in a variety of processes, including requirements development, program management and program decision making.

The Acquisition Excellence and Change Management Office requests process examples of best practices for work performed by program managers and program executive officers, as well as related process models for integration into (or reference by) the APM.
SAF/AQX has a variety of training materials for the APM. These materials include courses to provide overall familiarization to the model as well as deep dives within the Develop Requirements and Preliminary Design, Acquire, and Program Reviews portions of the APM.

Three APM training or familiarization sessions will be offered in the next quarter via Defense Connect Online. Contact Brad Ferguson at brad.ferguson@pentagon.af.mil with requests for APM training or to provide best practices or APM feedback.