SECNAVINST 5000.42 CONOPS

1. General

a. In assessing identified materiel gaps, the highest priority of the DON is to provide warfighters involved in conflict or preparing for imminent contingency operations with the capabilities they urgently need to achieve mission success and reduce risk of casualties. Fielding of an interim solution, even if it provides less than full capability, shall not be delayed to allow extended development of longer-term solutions involving immature technology.

b. The DON shall employ appropriate accelerated means to respond to the urgent materiel priorities of the operating forces. In addition to standard processes, the DON employs two accelerated acquisition paths to the fulfillment of materiel solutions: RPED Projects and MACO Programs.

(1) RPED Project: the preferred path to find a solution for a fleet or force priority needs for which a suitable materiel solution cannot be readily identified. RPED rapidly trials solutions and assesses performance and operational utility. RPED conducts a demonstration and user evaluation as quickly as feasible.

(2) MACO Program: the preferred path to accelerate the introduction of advanced warfighting capabilities or fulfill UONs for which there are known requirements and an appropriate materiel solution. MACO programs will result in the fielding of interim or enduring capabilities to mitigate the identified operational gap.

(a) MACO Programs initiated to fulfill UONs for which a known, low risk materiel solution can be rapidly delivered per the fielding procedures of enclosure (13) to reference (b) shall be designated as RDC projects.

(b) For RDCs estimated to remain at or below the ACAT III threshold, per reference (g), acquisition program approval authority is delegated to the Program Executive Office (PEO) or the Commanders, Naval Air Systems Command, Naval Sea Systems Command, Space & Naval Warfare Systems Command, and Marine Corps Systems Command, as appropriate. PEOs and System Commands shall notify the AA BoD of RDC projects initiated under their authority.

c. The AA BoD shall provide oversight of all DON accelerated acquisition efforts.

d. The DON’s accelerated acquisition policy is as depicted and described in Figure 1.

2. Requirement Inputs

a. The CNO and the CMC are responsible for defining, prioritizing, and determining the level of urgency of their Service’s operational needs and requirements, to include urgent operational needs that are validated by the Joint Staff as a JUON or JEON and assigned to the DON under the authority of references (c) and (d).

b. Requirements need not be fully mature prior to initiating action. Requirements and related performance specifications should be limited to essential minimums to provide sufficient flexibility to control costs while supporting schedule needs.

3. Assessment and Funding Decisions

a. The DON shall utilize the path most suitable to the level of risk. This includes a range of doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership, education, personnel, and facilities options to include pursuit of a non-materiel solution, development and fielding of a known materiel solution, acceleration or modification of an existing acquisition program, or further assessment and demonstrations of potential materiel solutions. The AA BoD shall ensure available and stable funding prior to project initiation.

b. In considering the appropriate accelerated acquisition path the AA BoD shall be informed by consideration of the operational risk, by the availability of mature technologies to mitigate the gap, by the cost and affordability of potential solutions, and by the technical risks of program execution. The AA BoD may establish a cross-functional rapid assessment team of the operational, requirements, programming, acquisition, research and development, and test and evaluation communities to assist in this analysis.

c. In developing courses of action, the DON will seek to leverage mature technology wherever possible. The selection will consider innovative solutions from all government, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, academia, and industry sources.

4. Project Execution and Evaluation

a. Accelerated acquisition project execution is governed by statute, regulation, and policy as outlined in references (a) through (d).

b. Within 15 days of approval of an accelerated acquisition project, the AA BoD shall approve the composition of a team, led by the appropriate program or project manager who shall be responsible for execution.

c. Where and when appropriate, MACOs will be co-located with industry and provided with the appropriate tools and authorities to ensure full time information exchange and decision-making in support of the objectives established for the program.

d. Within 45 days of project designation, the program team of each accelerated acquisition initiative (RPED or MACO) shall submit to the AA BoD recommendations on:

(1) The feasibility of accelerating the project. The supporting assessment shall include consideration of the operational risk, the availability of mature technologies to mitigate the materiel need, by the cost and affordability of potential solutions, and the technical risks of program execution;

(2) The appropriate technical trades to achieve the optimum balance of performance, cost and schedule to field suitable capabilities in the shortest time possible, as well as an executable schedule and required funding levels and sources;

(3) Necessary policy and regulatory waivers to accelerate program development, testing, and fielding; and

(4) A plan to evaluate the operational utility of the planned capability, tailored to the specific intended outcome of the accelerated acquisition project. The plan will identify who will conduct the evaluation, how it will be achieved, and the evaluation criteria.

e. Progress updates will be provided quarterly.

f. Upon conclusion of the evaluation in paragraph 4d(4), a report shall be provided to the AA BoD that supports a disposition decision. The report shall reflect performance relative to project objectives along with other project information (lessons learned, demonstrated performance, limitations, technical risks, initial fielding and training, etc.).

5. Disposition: Upon demonstration of a RPED initiative or at designated decision points of a MACO project, the AA BoD or their designees, shall make a determination of the disposition of the effort. Options include:

a. Terminate: The accelerated acquisition project did not provide a successful capability to adequately mitigate the gap; or other circumstances intervened to obviate the criticality of the gap.

b. Sustain: The accelerated acquisition project provides an adequate interim capability, but is not assessed as the enduring solution. CNO/CMC shall continue to fund the Operations and Support costs of fielded capabilities or the residuals from RPED projects until an enduring solution is provided or the gap is otherwise mitigated. A decision to sustain an accelerated acquisition project shall be periodically reviewed and documented until such time as the capability is terminated or transitioned.

c. Transition to a Program of Record: The RDC or RPED is assessed to provide adequate capability and the project is transitioned to an acquisition program to enable an enduring solution. In cases that still require an accelerated schedule to enable a rapid attainment of a full capability the project may be transitioned to a MACO program.

d. Return to Science and Technology (S&T): A technology solution is assessed to be too immature and requires further development before a suitable solution can be provided and is referred to the S&T community for continued development.

e. Continue to the next decision point: A program review supports continuation of a MACO project to the next decision point and directs program adjustments as appropriate.

6. Oversight

a. When CNO, CMC, ASN (RD&A) and, as applicable, the Defense Acquisition Executive, meet to review accelerated acquisition policies, processes, or projects those meetings will comprise an AA BoD meeting.

b. The AA BoD shall provide executive oversight of accelerated acquisition policies, processes, and projects. The AA BoD will review and approve any Service specific or acquisition implementing policies and will periodically review the status of all accelerated acquisition projects/programs. c. The AA BoD may delegate, in writing, responsibilities for execution and management of accelerated acquisition processes and projects but remains ultimately accountable for the acceptance of risk associated with employing accelerated acquisition processes.