Department of Defense INSTRUCTION

DoDI 5000.02, January 7, 2015
the MDA must determine that the Chief and the Secretary concur with the cost, schedule,
technical feasibility, and performance trade-offs that have been made.
5. PROCEDURES
a. Overview
(1) Program Categories. The statutes governing defense acquisition programs are
complex, and the categories into which a program falls will impact acquisition procedures. The
designation of a program as an MDAP, a MAIS program, or a Major Weapons System; and the
determination that the program is an Information System, a Defense Business System, or
responds to an urgent need affect program procedures and policies.
(2) Program Structure. The structure of a DoD acquisition program and the procedures
used should be tailored as much as possible to the characteristics of the product being acquired,
and to the totality of circumstances associated with the program including operational urgency
and risk factors.
(a) MDAs will tailor program strategies and oversight, including program
information, acquisition phase content, the timing and scope of decision reviews and decision
levels, based on the specifics of the product being acquired, including complexity, risk factors,
and required timelines to satisfy validated capability requirements.
(b) When there is a strong threat-based or operationally driven need to field a
capability solution in the shortest time, MDAs are authorized to implement streamlined
procedures designed to accelerate acquisition system responsiveness. Statutory requirements
will be complied with, unless waived in accordance with relevant provisions.
(c) In accordance with Section 806 of Public Law 114-92 (Reference (d)), the
Secretary of Defense may waive acquisition law or regulation to acquire a capability that would
not otherwise be available to the DoD Components. This waiver authority may not be delegated.
Detailed provisions and requirements for this waiver are identified in Table 6 in Enclosure 1 of
this instruction.
(3) Program Acquisition Categories (ACATs) and Types. All defense acquisition
programs are designated by an ACAT (i.e., ACAT I through III) and type (e.g., MDAP, MAIS,
or Major System). MDAPs are either estimated to achieve the statutorily defined MDAP cost
threshold, or are designated as an MDAP by the DAE. Similarly, MAIS programs are either
estimated to achieve the statutorily defined MAIS program cost threshold, or are designated a
MAIS program by the DAE. MAIS programs are software intensive and typically have a lower
investment level than MDAPs. A MAIS program that is estimated to attain the MDAP cost
thresholds may be designated by the DAE as either an MDAP or a MAIS program. MDAP and
MAIS program designations carry the greatest consequences in terms of management level,
reporting requirements, and documentation and analysis to support program decisions.
Enclosure 1 of this instruction identifies the information requirements associated with all
Change 2, 02/02/2017 3