Acquisition procedure is one of the three processes that support and make up the Defense Acquisition. These processes are namely, requirement, acquisition, and funding. By definition, the service acquisition process by the department of defense refers to the procedures necessary in acquiring services from private companies (Schwartz, 2014). The process is classified into different categories, which are phases, milestones, and reviews. All three processes must work together if the acquisition process is to be successful. The overall progression of the acquisition process is that it starts with a valid mission, which is crucial for its advancement to the planning phase. Once the foundations are defined accordingly, the acquisition process ends with the delivery and assessment process. The three steps are further divided into five different levels. The effectiveness of the acquisition process is that it involves a clear illustration of accountability, authority, and responsibilities. In this process, ethics are vital since they are the moral principles that define behavior and actions during contracting. Nonetheless, despite ethics being part of the acquisition process, ethical complications have a possibility of occurring.
Process Review
The process is executed in a five-phase process. The first phase is the material solution examination stage. This phase is usually unique since it involves a critical analysis of the schedule achievement and material readiness. The material solution analysis stage is also associated with measuring possible resolutions that help in advancing to the next milestone (Columbia Radiation Lab New York, 2001). In the second phase of acquisition, the involved process s technology maturation and risk mitigation. Throughout this phase, the primary goal is to make sure risk reduction materializes through locating mechanical hazards. This helps comprehend sensible explanations necessary for making judgments as well as the introduction of an affirmative acquisition program. The third phase entails engineering and manufacturing advancement. The purpose of this stage is to help guarantee adequate provisions pertinent to particular responsiveness as well as minimize logistics and also improve the arrangement of proper efficiency. The fourth phase in the acquisition process in the department of defense is production and deployment. This process involves testing and examination of the process to identify issues that may affect rearrangement or improvement of the entire process. The fifth phase is the operation and support. The specifics of this stage are that it is focused on identifying key priorities in operation and support system responsible for instigating decisions in the procurement process.
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Ethical Ramification
In the acquisition process at the department of defense, there are ethical ramifications that may be encountered. Researchers identify these ramifications as being about the finances used in procuring weapons. This is usually an occurrence instigated by the fact the overall procurement of weapons involves a lot of money, and this is characteristically associated with poor ethical judgments. Further analysis shows that ethical concerns in the procurement process are mainly found on the contractor’s side. This is interpreted to mean that whenever contractors are dealing with massive programs, there is the need for extensive consideration of all involved factors (Latiff, 2015). On the other hand, ethical ramifications may be witnessed in the Department of Defense, especially if the program manager views the process as being crucial to their promotion. In such a situation, the involved project manager may jeopardize the overall acquisition process in the name of making sure they get the promotion. That is, if involved individuals have personal goals in the process, this may influence their decision-making process, and this may lead to unethical choices for personal gains. Overall, ethics and morals are important in any project, but whenever personal interests creep in, this is sure to lead to ethical ramifications.
References
Columbia Radiation Lab New York. (2001). The new DoD systems acquisition process. doi:10.21236/ada386048
Latiff, R. (2015). Ethical Issues in Defense Systems Acquisition. In Routledge Handbook of Military Ethics , 209-218. Retrieved from https://www.law.upenn.edu/live/files/4208- robert-latiff-defense-contracting-finalpdf
Schwartz, M. (2014). Defense Acquisition Reform: Background, Analysis, and Issues for Congress. Library Of Congress Washington Dc Congressional Research Service . Retrieved from https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R43566.pdf
