If you had not already seen it, encourage you to take a look at GAO-13-634 “Goals and Associated Metrics Needed to Assess Progress in Improving Service Acquisition" issued yesterday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

In the report, “GAO recommends that DOD establish baseline data, specific goals for improving service acquisition, and associated metrics to assess its progress. DOD concurred with the three recommendations.”  In a section entitled “DOD Continues to Focus on Improving the Requirements Development Process and Training for Individual Service Acquisitions”, GAO also specifically highlighted two important resources available from the Defense Acquisition University in support of improving service acquisition outcomes, saying:

“USD (AT&L) officials noted that it has collaborated with DAU officials to develop new tools and training to help DOD personnel develop better acquisitions. For example,

·         USD (AT&L) collaborated with DAU to create the Acquisition Requirements Roadmap Tool (ARRT) in 2012. The ARRT is an online resource designed to help personnel write performance-based requirements and create several pre-award documents, including performance work statements and quality assurance surveillance plans. The ARRT guides users through a series of questions to develop the pre-award documents using a standardized template tailored to the specific requirement for services. Although using the ARRT is not required across DOD, DAU officials told us they have integrated its use into other DAU training, such as the Performance Requirements for Service Acquisitions course. DAU officials did not have data on the effectiveness of the ARRT but noted that feedback has been positive. For example, they have heard that performance work statements are better reflecting requirements as a result of personnel using the tool.

·         In 2009, DAU introduced its Services Acquisition Workshop (SAW) to provide training and guidance on developing service acquisition requirements. The SAW is a 4-day workshop tailored to proposed service acquisitions. Upon request from commands or requiring activities, DAU officials travel to the requestor and convene the multifunctional team responsible for an acquisition, including general counsel, individuals associated with the acquisition requirements, contracting personnel, and oversight personnel. This team is then to develop the language that will be used to articulate the service requirement using the ARRT. By the end of the 4 days, the command is to have drafts of its performance work statement, quality assurance surveillance plan, and performance requirement summary. A key aspect of the workshop DAU officials identified is that it brings together the key personnel responsible for the acquisition to discuss the service requirements and how they will know if a contractor has met those requirements. From fiscal years 2009 through 2012, DAU conducted 78 SAWs. In 2012, USD(AT&L) mandated use of the SAW for service acquisitions valued at $1 billion and above and is encouraging its use for acquisitions valued at $100 million or more. USD(AT&L) has directed the Director of Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy (DPAP) and the senior services managers to assess the effectiveness of the SAW and develop lessons learned and best practices by October 1, 2013.”

Information on the Acquisition Requirements Roadmap Tool (ARRT) can be obtained at this link, or by e-mail at [email protected].  According to the DAU website, “ARRT is an automated job assistance tool used to write performance-based requirements following the Requirements Roadmap process.  Using ARRT, you can create Performance Work Statements (PWS), Quality Assurance Surveillance Plans (QASP), and Performance Requirement Summaries (PRS).  ARRT is developed in Microsoft Office applications and generates Microsoft Word documents for use in your acquisition. ARRT's embedded methodology produces better requirements.  Its step-by-step approach guides the user through questions, using the answers to create the documents.  This user guidance throughout the tool makes it easy to use while producing usable products.” I had also blogged about the ARRT as a defense acquisition workforce resource in a 2012 post entitled “New Services Acquisition Resources and References.” 

Information on Services Acquisition Workshops (SAW) can be obtained at this link. According to the website, “the SAW is a facilitated workshop built round a specific acquisition team for their acquisition. The workshop walks the complete team through the service acquisition process from beginning to end. A key focus of the workshop is on assisting the team in developing their performance requirement using the Automated Requirements Roadmap Training (ARRT) and their supporting business strategy. Note: for the SAW to be effective all key members of the acquisition team, program manager, contracting officer, and CORs MUST attend the complete workshop. It should also be scheduled and conducted early in the acquisition process before a requirement and acquisition strategy has been finalized. Other functional areas are also welcome to attend and contribute, but the SAW is focused on getting actual work accomplished.  The objectives of a saw are to understand the service acquisition process, apply and use the ARRT in developing service requirements, and develop specific acquisition related documents i.e. team charter, project plan, stakeholder analysis, performance work statement, quality assurance surveillance plan and an acquisition approach.”

Additionally, DAU also offers extensive other resources and references, including an ACQ 265 Mission-Focused Services Acquisition training course, a web-based Services Acquisition Mall (SAM), and the DAU-hosted Acquisition Center of Excellence (ACE) for Services. If you are in any way involved in acquisition of services for the Department of Defense, encourage you to check them out.