Wanted to let the community know that our DAU Acquisition/Program Management colleagues have released a new ACQ 0150 Middle Tier of Acquisition online training module. According to the DAU iCatalog, “this course provides an understanding of the Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) and its role in the Defense Acquisition System (DAS). The MTA Pathway enables the Department of Defense (DoD) to speed new technologies to warfighters more quickly than traditional acquisition programs, helping the U.S. military to maintain its competitive advantage. During this course, you will learn about MTA; its related policies, provisions, and procedures; and the requirements for implementing MTA.” This module also incorporates the latest policy outlined in DoD Instruction 5000.80 Operation of the Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA), dated December 30, 2019. Encourage you to check it out.

In addition, encourage you to also avail yourself of several related professional development opportunities I shared in a blog post late last year entitled “New DAU Other Transactions (OT) Resources”, which include:

• Other Transactions Community of Practice (OT CoP)
• CLC 066 Other Transactions (OTs) online training (OLT) course
• Other Transactions (OT) Guide
• Other Transactions (OT) Guide (downloadable, eReader friendly version)
• Other Transaction Mythbuster video series (Nine Short Episodes)
• Other Transaction Guide 10 U.S.C. 2371b ACQuipedia Article
• Pathways to Commercial Innovation and Other Transaction Authority (OTAs)
• Hot Topic - Contracting Innovation with Commercial Solutions Openings
• Digital Acquisition Prototype Website
• Adaptive Acquisition Framework
• Contracting Cone
• “DOD’s Prototype OTA Guide Offers Insight Into DOD’s Experiment in Regulation-Free Acquisition”, The Government Contractor, Vol 59, No. 20, May 24, 2017
• “Use of ‘Other Transaction’ Agreements Limited and Mostly for Research and Development Activities,” GAO-16-209, January 7, 2016
• "Other Transaction Authority: Saint or Sinner for Defense Acquisition?", Defense Acquisition Research Journal and first-place winner of the 2019 Hirsch Writing Award Competition.
• USD(A&S) 20 Nov 2018 policy memorandum “Authority for Use of Other Transactions for Prototype Projects Under 10, United States Code, Section 2371 b”