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DOD Defense Acquisition Library
Below, our experts have curated a collection of valuable, publicly available, defense acquisition-related resources. In some cases, a policy or guide may be out of date; however, in our experts’ opinion, the listed version is still a useful resource that may no longer be available elsewhere.
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CATEGORY | Title | AUTHOR | RELEASE DATE | FILE TYPE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acquisition Planning | Service Acquisition Mall | DAU | 02/21/2025 | Link | DAU's virtual Service Acquisition Mall (SAM) is intended to help you get your job done by providing usable tools and templates to create your performance-based service acquisition requirements. Helpful guidance is organized and provided through the use of DoD's 7-step service acquisition process model and various mall wings based on the type of services being acquired. |
Acquisition Planning | Acquiring and Enforcing the Government's Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software under DOD Contracts: A Practical Handbook for Acquisition Professionals | SMC/JA | 10/10/2018 | PDF | Provides a practical “cradle-to-grave ” approach to acquiring technical data and computer software rights. Intended to help acquisition professionals carefully tailor a strategy to satisfy the unique needs of their specific program. |
Acquisition Planning | Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) Handbook | HAF/A5R-OAS | 08/04/2017 | PDF | The purpose of this handbook is to guide study teams in planning and conducting Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) studies. The handbook provides guidance on forming the Working Integrated Product Team (WIPT), developing the AoA study guidance and study plan, forming the AoA study team, conducting the study, and developing the final report. |
Acquisition Planning | Capability Development Guidebook - Vol 2D - Annex A - Analysis of Alternatives (AOA) | AF/A5/7 | 12/01/2023 | PDF | The focus of volume 2D, annex A is an analytical comparison of the operational effectiveness, suitability, and life cycle/total ownership cost of alternatives that could satisfy validated capability requirement(s) documented in the Initial Capabilities Document.
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Acquisition Planning | Capability Development Guidebook - Vol 2B - System Development Plan | AF/A5/7 | 02/01/2024 | PDF | This guidebook explains the organizational constructs, leadership and participant responsibilities, and activities led by AF/A5/7 to develop capability development plans and system development plans, in support of overarching operational capability development. |
Acquisition Planning | Competitive Strategies for Systems Acquisition and Life Cycle Management | Dayton Aerospace | 10/23/2017 | PDF | A practical guide for program managers on how to develop competitive acquisition strategies for each phase of the acquisition life cycle. Includes numerous real-world case studies. |
Acquisition Planning | Capability Development Guidebook - Vol 2J - Documentation Writing Teams | AF/A5/7 | 10/01/2023 | PDF | Document writing teams are used to develop USAF-sponsored requirements documents and provide consistent cross-functional involvement in requirements generation. The intent is to accelerate the documentation process, improve the quality of the documents, and provide an enduring forum for developing, fielding, and sustaining operational systems. |
Acquisition Planning | Guidebook for the Acquisition of Services | DOD | 06/05/2012 | PDF | Provides acquisition teams with a disciplined, seven-step process, for the acquisition of services, starting with a valid mission requirement, through planning, business strategy development, service delivery, and assessment. This guidebook will not be updated - much is still useful. but for the latest guidance see chapter 10 of the Defense Acquisition Guidebook. |
Acquisition Planning | Air Force Data Rights Guidebook (SMART IP) | SAF/AQ & GCQ | 07/01/2019 | PDF | Intended to equip Air Force acquisition personnel to handle common issues encountered in the realm of intellectual property (IP) acquisition, particularly those issues surrounding rights in technical data and computer software. Presents recurring issues that acquisition personnel can expect to face in the format of frequently asked questions, each followed by a suggested plan for dealing with that issue. |
Acquisition Planning | Guide for Performance Specifications SD-15
| DSP | 08/24/2009 | PDF | This document provides guidance information on performance specifications focusing primarily on stating requirements in performance terms and ensuring that sufficient verification means are included in the specification to evaluate conformance. |
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