Issues With Access to Acquisition Data & Information in the Department of Defense: Policy & Practice

Abstract

Acquisition data underpin the management and oversight of the U.S. defense acquisition portfolio. However, balancing security and transparency has been an ongoing challenge. Some acquisition professionals are not getting the data they need to perform their assigned duties or are not getting the data and information in an efficient manner. To help guide the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) in addressing these problems, the RAND Corporation identified access problems at the OSD level including those organizations that require access to data and information to support the OSD, such as analytic support federally funded research and development centers and direct support contractors and evaluated the role of policy in determining access. The study also involved a limited review of how data are shared between the OSD and military departments. Issues with access to acquisition data and information in the Department of Defense (DoD) finds that the process for gaining access to data is inefficient and may not provide access to the best data to support analysis, and that OSD analytic groups and support contractors face particular challenges in gaining access to data. Given the inherent complexity in securing data and sharing data, any solutions to problems associated with data sharing must be well thought out to avoid the multitude of unintended consequences that could arise.