U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  1. Home
  2. Acquipedia List

ACQuipedia

Learn More

ACQUISITION ENCYCLOPEDIA

ACQuipedia serves as an online encyclopedia of common defense acquisition topics. Each topic is identified as an article. Each article contains a definition, a brief narrative that provides context, and includes links to the most pertinent policy, guidance, tools, practices, and training which further augment understanding and expand depth.

ACQuipedia was developed as a collaborative project to create content around Defense Acquisition-related topics. Articles (topics) will be maintained as a collaborative effort of subject matter experts across the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). Future growth may expand the collaboration of subject matter experts beyond DAU.

ACQuipedia provides the acquisition workforce with quick access to information in a succinct and digestible format. Article content aggregates the most relevant references and learning assets to narrowly focus users and quickly provide high value information.

Dark blue button with white list icon and white button with dark gray 3x3 grid toggle. White button with dark gray list icon and dark blue button with white 3x3 grid toggle. Suggest Article

Acquipedia Article Suggestion

ACQUIPEDIA/Program Management
Acquisition Category (ACAT)
Acquisition programs may be assigned an acquisition category.  The acquisition category…
ACQUIPEDIA/Program Management
Acquisition Life Cycle
The management framework for defense systems acquisition is also commonly referred to as the…
ACQUIPEDIA/Contracting
Acquisition Plan
General Policy for Acquisition PlanningThe FAR requires agencies to perform acquisition planning…
ACQUIPEDIA/Program Management
Acquisition Strategy
DoDD 5000.01 - The Defense Acquisition System To maximize competition, innovation, and…
ACQUIPEDIA/Program Management
Acquisition Strategy—Services Acquisition
The Acquisition Strategy required by Department of Defense (DoD) Instruction 5000.74 describes the…
ACQUIPEDIA/Cost Estimating
Actual Cost Estimation Method
Actual cost experience on prototype units, early engineering development hardware and early…
ACQUIPEDIA/Program Management
Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP)
The actual cost of work performed, or ACWP, is the cost actually incurred and recorded in…
ACQUIPEDIA/Life Cycle Logistics
Additive Manufacturing (AM)
The American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) defines seven fundamental processes in the realm…
ACQUIPEDIA/Life Cycle Logistics
Administrative Delay Time (ADT)
According to Logistics Engineering and Management, Sixth Edition, by Benjamin S. Blanchard,…
ACQUIPEDIA/Financial Management
Advance Procurement
An alternative option for DoD acquisition programs to utilize when completing production efforts…
ACQUIPEDIA/Cost Estimating
Affordability Analysis
The DoD Analysis of Alternatives Cost Estimating Handbook establishes the fundamental…
ACQUIPEDIA/Life Cycle Logistics
Affordable System Operational Effectiveness (ASOE) Model
Background Application of the ASOE Model requires a common understanding of the following key…
ACQUIPEDIA/Program Management
Agile Acquisition & Project Management
The Agile Manifesto Developed by the Agile Alliance, the manifesto outlines four tenets and twelve…
ACQUIPEDIA/Engineering and Technical Management
Airworthiness & Airworthiness Certification
Airworthiness technical requirements and design considerations: The complete set of Joint Service…
ACQUIPEDIA/Engineering and Technical Management
Allocated Baseline
An allocated baseline is a snap shot of the item performance specifications, internal interfaces…
ACQUIPEDIA/Financial Management
Allocation of Appropriated Funds
The apportionment process begins when the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) apportions budget…
ACQUIPEDIA/Engineering and Technical Management
Alternative System Review (ASR)
The following text is from the 2022 DoD Systems Engineering Guidebook, Section 3.1 Alternative…
ACQUIPEDIA/Cost Estimating
Analogy Cost Estimation Method
The analogy method compares a new or proposed system with one analogous (i.e., similar) system,…
Analysis of Alternatives (AoA)
AoA Elements: AoA Study Guidance - For potential and designated ACAT I programs, the Director for…
ACQUIPEDIA/Financial Management
Anti-Deficiency
The concept of Federal Appropriations law is framed by three major fiscal limitations: purpose,…
ACQUIPEDIA/Financial Management
Apportionment of Appropriated Funds
The primary purposes of the apportionment process are to (1) achieve the most effective and…
ACQUIPEDIA/Financial Management
Appropriated Funds to Support Contracts
To execute an acquisition program, budget authority provided by Congress is needed in order to…
ACQUIPEDIA/Financial Management
Appropriation Committees - Congress
Appropriations are required by the U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 9 which states:   "…
ACQUIPEDIA/Financial Management
Appropriation Lifecycle
Each appropriation category has three distinct periods during its lifecycle: current period,…
ACQUIPEDIA/Contracting
Architect-Engineering Contracting
Prior to the 1940s, most architect and engineering services required by the Government were…
ACQUIPEDIA/Program Management
Architecture Data
DoDAF Architecture Development 6-Step process .     Step 1: Determine…
ACQUIPEDIA/Life Cycle Logistics
Artificial Intelligence Enabling Product Support
Overview Artificial Intelligence can be applied to any data set including a weapon system’s Product…
ACQUIPEDIA/Program Management
Assertion List Examples, Incorrect vs Correct Assertions
Procedural Requirements: Offeror must assert prior to contract award. Obligation to assert prior…
ACQUIPEDIA/Contracting
Audits
Acquisition Oversight   The Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Department of Defense…
ACQUIPEDIA/Contracting
Authorities of the Property Administrator
The Authorities of the Property Administrator FAR part 45 (Government Property) and FAR 52.245-1…
ACQUIPEDIA/Financial Management
Authorization Committees - Congress
The second step in the Congressional Enactment process – authorization – is a creation of Congress…
ACQUIPEDIA/Life Cycle Logistics
Automatic Test System (ATS) & Automatic Test Equipment (ATE)
The DoD ATS Selection Guide provides amplifying information regarding Automatic Test Systems…
ACQUIPEDIA/Program Management
Baseline Execution Index (BEI)
This schedule metric is a measure of schedule task throughput. It compares the cumulative number…
ACQUIPEDIA/Contracting
Berry Amendment
The Berry Amendment restricts purchase of the following articles or items, unless items have…
ACQUIPEDIA/Contracting
Best Value Continuum
For a visual depiction of the narrative below, click on the “Best Value Continuum” link here to…
ACQUIPEDIA/Life Cycle Logistics
Best Value Product Support Arrangements (PSA)
Background Best value is often discussed in the context of both defense acquisition and…