This United States Department of Defense publication, the Defense Acquisition Guidebook April 2021, is designed to complement DoD Directive 5000.01 and DoD Instruction 5000.02 by providing the acquisition workforce with discretionary best practice that should be tailored to the needs of each program. The Guidebook is intended to inform thoughtful program planning and facilitate effective program management.The DAG includes the following chapter content: Chapter 1, Program Management, provides the principal concepts and business practice needed to thoughtfully organize, plan, and execute a DoD acquisition program regardless of acquisition category, program model, or program type. Chapter 2, Analysis of Alternatives, Cost Estimating and Reporting, addresses resource estimation and program life-cycle costs, as well as the processes for conducting Analysis of Alternatives. Chapter 3, Systems Engineering, describes standard systems engineering processes and how they apply to the DoD acquisition system. Chapter 4, Life-Cycle Sustainment, provides guidance for program managers and program support managers to develop and execute successful sustainment strategies. Chapter 5, Manpower Planning and Human Systems Integration, explains the total-systems approach to HSI, including documenting manpower, personnel and training elements, and the use of program manager tools that appropriately incorporate HSI considerations into the acquisition process. Chapter 6, Acquiring Information Technology and Business Systems, describes policy and procedure applicable to the development of DoD Information Technology (IT). Chapter 7, Intelligence Support to Acquisition, provides information to enable the program manager to use intelligence information and data to ensure maximum war-fighting capability at minimum risk to cost and schedule. Chapter 8, Test and Evaluation, supplements direction and instruction in DoD Directive 5000.01 and DoD Instruction 5000.02 with processes and procedures for planning and executing an effective and affordable T&E program. Chapter 9, Program Protection, explains the actions needed to ensure effective program protection planning throughout the acquisition life cycle. Chapter 10, Acquisition of Services, describes the principles of successful services acquisition based on the Seven Steps to the Service Acquisition Process included in DoD Instruction 5000.74, Defense Acquisition of Services.

This new, single-volume resource provides the most complete guidance available for analyzing the cost and pricing aspects of federal government contracts--so you can propose and negotiate appropriate prices and win contracts. The practical Contract Pricing Reference Guide reference combines five manuals into a single source, covering: Price Analysis Quantitative Techniques for Contract Pricing Cost Analysis Advanced Issues in Contract Pricing And Federal Contract Negotiation Techniques Determine the Proper Pricing to Win Government Business Throughout these pages, you will find highly detailed explanations of how the government evaluates proposals, arrives at pricing, chooses contractors, and awards contracts. With Contract Pricing Reference Guide, you can more confidently: Conduct market research for price analysis Employ proven techniques of quantitative price analysis Propose a fair and appropriate price Confidently engage in sealed bidding Include only what's allowable in the price Employ the most effective, competitive pricing strategies And engage in effective contract negotiations The One-of-a-Kind, Time-Saving Pricing Resource The all-new Contract Pricing Reference Guide provides a road-map for how to set correct pricing and engage in the competitive bidding process. It is a practical business tool to help you acquire government contract business--and it brings all the most valuable pricing information together in an easy-access, single-volume resource that puts everything you need literally right in front of you. No other resource delivers all of this together in one place, making it the most convenient way to obtain the most vital information on pricing government contracts.

Every military must prepare for future wars despite not really knowing the shape such wars will ultimately take. As former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates once noted: "We have a perfect record in predicting the next war. We have never once gotten it right." In the face of such great uncertainty, militaries must be able to adapt rapidly in order to win. Adaptation under Fire identifies the characteristics that make militaries more adaptable, illustrated through historical examples and the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Authors David Barno and Nora Bensahel argue that militaries facing unknown future conflicts must nevertheless make choices about the type of doctrine that their units will use, the weapons and equipment they will purchase, and the kind of leaders they will select and develop to guide the force to victory. Yet after a war begins, many of these choices will prove flawed in the unpredictable crucible of the battlefield. For a U.S. military facing diverse global threats, its ability to adapt quickly and effectively to those unforeseen circumstances may spell the difference between victory and defeat. Barno and Bensahel start by providing a framework for understanding adaptation and include historical cases of success and failure. Next, they examine U.S. military adaptation during the nation's recent wars, and explain why certain forms of adaptation have proven problematic. In the final section, Barno and Bensahel conclude that the U.S. military must become much more adaptable in order to address the fast-changing security challenges of the future, and they offer recommendations on how to do so before it is too late.