The Adaptive Acquisition Framework is intended to improve defense acquisition performance by designing pathways to accommodate the diversity of systems and services that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) acquires. The authors of this report identify initial metrics that DoD can use to assess whether the pathways are achieving their goals. The authors also identify challenges to identifying metrics, both within and across pathways.

Using Metrics to Understand the Performance of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework

Megan McKernan, Jeffrey A. Drezner, Mark V. Arena, Jonathan P. Wong, Yuliya Shokh, Austin Lewis, Nancy Young Moore, Judith D. Mele, Sydne J. Newberry

ResearchPublished Oct 5, 2022

The Adaptive Acquisition Framework (AAF) is intended to improve defense acquisition performance by designing pathways to accommodate the diversity of systems and services that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) acquires. As of 2022, the AAF consists of six pathways: Urgent Capability Acquisition, Middle Tier of Acquisition, Major Capability Acquisition, Software Acquisition, Defense Business Systems, and Acquisition of Services. For each pathway, the authors of this report identify an initial set of metrics that DoD can use to measure performance and assess whether the pathway is achieving its goals. The authors also identify challenges to identifying metrics, both within and across pathways.

Key Findings

  • AAF metrics should be regularly reviewed and are expected to change in response to changes in strategic goals, leadership priorities, and the results of analysis.
  • Regular and well-defined data governance and management procedures need to be in place for all pathways.
  • A high level of subject-matter expertise is required to gather, process, and analyze data and interpret results.
  • Pathway-specific data challenges are exacerbated by programs interconnected through multiple pathways.
  • The output of this initial set of metrics should be used to refine policy and process and to improve pathway performance and outcomes.

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McKernan, Megan, Jeffrey A. Drezner, Mark V. Arena, Jonathan P. Wong, Yuliya Shokh, Austin Lewis, Nancy Young Moore, Judith D. Mele, and Sydne J. Newberry, Using Metrics to Understand the Performance of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework, RAND Corporation, RR-A1349-1, 2022. As of April 8, 2025: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1349-1.html

Chicago Manual of Style

McKernan, Megan, Jeffrey A. Drezner, Mark V. Arena, Jonathan P. Wong, Yuliya Shokh, Austin Lewis, Nancy Young Moore, Judith D. Mele, and Sydne J. Newberry, Using Metrics to Understand the Performance of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2022. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1349-1.html.
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This research was sponsored by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and conducted within the Acquisition and Technology Policy Center of the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD).

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